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a great rules light rpg, fast and well done!
Citation preview
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 1231
FUA Roleplaying Game by Nathan Russell
FREEFORM UNIVERSAL
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 2232
I983150983156983154983151983140983157983139983156983145983151983150 983091U983155983145983150983143 983156983144983145983155 983138983151983151983147 983091
983144983141 B983137983155983145983139983155 983092W983144983137983156 983161983151983157 983150983141983141983140 983092
W983144983137983156 983161983151983157 983140983151 983092
H983151983159 983161983151983157 983140983151 983145983156 983092
B983141983142983151983154983141 983152983148983137983161 983092
alk beore play 4
Te Insta-Genre-Generator 4
C983144983137983154983137983139983156983141983154983155 983093C983151983150983139983141983152983156 983093
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 983093
E983160983137983149983152983148983141 D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 983093
Clicheacutes are your riend 6
Choosing Descriptors 6
Descriptors are clear 6
Descriptors are innate 6
Descriptors are finite 6
What type o
Descriptor is this 6
What makes a good
Edge amp Flaw 6
Should I specialise 6
Alternative Descriptors 6
G983141983137983154 983095
E983160983137983149983152983148983141 G983141983137983154 983095
Choosing Gear 7
Gear is equipment 7
Describing Gear 7 One adjective only 7
Specific nouns 7
alk about your Gear 7
Good Gear Bad Gear 7
Stuff that isnrsquot Gear 7
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983145983151983150 983096
D983154983145983158983141983155 983096
R983141983148983137983156983145983151983150983155983144983145983152983155 983096
Itrsquos all about roleplaying now 8
Long or short term goals 8
How many Relationships 8Donrsquot be antagonistic 8
C983144983137983154983137983139983156983141983154
C983154983141983137983156983145983151983150 S983157983149983149983137983154983161 983097
A983139983156983145983151983150 983089983088S983139983141983150983141983155 983078 T983157983154983150983155 983089983088
Who ldquosetsrdquo the scene 10
How do you ldquoset a scenerdquo 10
What is an objective 10
Do scenes have to be in order 10
Do I have to use turns 10
B983141983137983156983145983150983143 983156983144983141 O983140983140983155 983089983089
Closed Questions 11
Alternative Questions 11
Alternative Dice Rolls 11
S983157983139983139983141983155983155 983078 F983137983145983148983157983154983141 983089983090
M983151983140983145983142983145983141983154983155 983089983091
Example o Modifiers 13
Other types o rolls 13
How do ldquoopposedrdquo
actions work 13
Dialing in on Your action 13
Option Matching Dice 13
FU P983151983145983150983156983155 983089983092
Starting FU Points 14
Can I give share FU Points 14Do Narrators get FU points 14
Other ways to earn FU 14
Other ways to use FU 14
FU as Health 14
Re-Roll Everything 14
Flip a Pip 14
Use a Prop 14
Stunts and Powers 14
aking a Hit 14
A983139983156983145983151983150 S983157983149983149983137983154983161 983089983093
N983137983154983154983137983156983151983154 983089983094T983137983148983147983145983150983143 983145983155 983143983151983151983140 983089983094
L983145983155983156983141983150983145983150983143 983145983155 983143983151983151983140 983089983094
W983144983141983150 983152983148983137983161983145983150983143 983089983094
3 Questions to
rame your game 16
What will characters do 16
How do players want to eel 16
What is the Narratorrsquos role 16
R983141983139983151983158983141983154983161 983089983095
R983141983159983137983154983140983155 983089983095
C983144983137983154983137983139983156983141983154983155 983078 O983138983155983156983137983139983148983141983155 983089983095
Te Bowl 17
Advancement 17
racking obstacles 17
What do I share with players 17
RACE 983156983151 983156983144983141EMPLE 983151983142 O 18B983141983142983151983154983141 983161983151983157 983138983141983143983145983150 983089983096
S983139983141983150983141983155 983089983096
C983144983137983148983148983141983150983143983141983155 983089983096
C983144983137983154983137983139983156983141983154983155 983089983097
A983152983152983141983150983140983145983160D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 983090983089B983151983140983161 D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 983090983089
M983145983150983140 D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 983090983089E983140983143983141 D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 983090983090
F983148983137983159 D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 983090983090
C983144983137983154983137983139983156983141983154 S983144983141983141983156 983090983091
CONTENTS
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 3233
FU is a game o action adventure and un It is arole playing game o grand proportions and stupey-ing simplicity FU lets you create exciting stories in anysetting imaginable with a minimum o uss or even
preparationFU is first and oremost an easy game Tis book
will help you move rom the thought ldquoLets roleplayin this settingrdquo to actually playing within a matter ominutes Character creation is quick and intuitive al-lowing you to play any kind o character you desireand the game system itsel is easy to learn and verysimple to use
FU is universal Or generic Or whatever you wantto call it Tese core rules are not wrapped around aspecific background or setting and make an effort toassume nothing It is a basic system around which youmay create your own settings and stories With thatsaid however FU avours certain kinds o play FUlends itsel to a lsquoseat o your pantsrsquo style where littlepreparation is needed Narrators that enjoy runningadventures lsquoon the flyrsquo will certainly enjoy FU as willplayers that are tired o being told what they canrsquot doinstead o what they might achieve
U983155983145983150983143 983156983144983145983155 983138983151983151983147Tis book is filled with two types o inormation
Te first are the rules proper - the inormation thattells you how to play Te rules are laid out like the
inormation on this page with clear headings and sub-headings FU is pretty straightorward and you arenrsquotlikely to need to do much reerring to the rule bookafer your first game but everything you need to knowis presented clearly in this way
Examples o rules are ormatted like this Teyare scattered amongst the main text and will help you see the rules in action You probably wonrsquotneed to read them either afer your first game
Tere are also sidebars at the bottom o many pagesHere you will find explanations o rules detailed ex-amples guidelines on using rules in play and optionalrules that you can incorporate into your games Tesidebars are easy to spot as they are separated rom themain text by a line and presented in three columnsReer to this inormation i you need to clariy theldquohowrdquo or ldquowhyrdquo o a particular rule
INTRODUCTION
FU Freeorm Universal Roleplaying GameA game by Nathan Russell
FU by Nathan Russell is licensed under a CreativeCommons Attribution 30 Unported License
For more details on what this license means attributionrequirements and a cool Powered By FU logo visit
httpnathanrussellnetu
wwwPerilPlanetcom
Tis game was completed as part o the National Game Design MonthFind out more at wwwnagademoncom
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 4234
FU is written with the assumption that at least oneplayer is amiliar with roleplaying games and has a vague idea o how they work I you donrsquot have a cluewhat an RPG is then start by finding someone who
does
W983144983137983156 983161983151983157 983150983141983141983140o play FU you will need to gather a ew things
Here is your shopping listD983145983139983141 Standard six-sided dice are used to resolve
action in FU You will need at least one but it wouldbe better i players had about three each Six sided diceare reerred to throughout the rules as d6 I a numberappears in ront (such as 2d6 or 4d6) this indicates youshould roll that many dice
P983141983150983139983145983148 983137983150983140 P983137983152983141983154 Players will need to record thedetails o their character important notes about theirmission and all kinds o other things Te Narratorwill also need paper or keeping track o different ele-ments o the story
S983139983154983137983152 P983137983152983141983154 Narrators will find it useul to keepa supply o paper handy in order to draw rough dia-grams or keep track o the events o a story A smallwhite board is also handy or such purposes
W983144983137983156 983161983151983157 983140983151You and your riends are going to work together totell a dramatic exciting story You will establish partso the setting and everyone will have a chance to in-fluence that world Most o the players will create acharacter who is going to be a major protagonist oneo the cool guys that gets things done Each characterhas their own strengths weaknesses and goals that willhelp you roleplay them One player will be the Nar-rator who helps everyone along presents challenges
or the characters to overcome and adjudicate the ruleswhen needed
Play is a kind o conversation where everyoneworks together to put the characters in cool andor
entertaining situations Ten you will use the dice tohelp work out what happens next Sometimes you willall be working together throwing ideas around sug-gesting things and talking over the top o each other Itis chaos but hopeully productive un chaos At othertimes you are going to take it in turns to describe whatyour character is doing and seeing how that turns out
H983151983159 983161983151983157 983140983151 983145983156o resolve any action where the outcome is not
clear roll a d6 Your objective is to lsquobeat the oddsrsquo by
rolling an even number Te higher the even numberthe better the result I you roll an odd number theaction either ailed or wasnrsquot quite as good as neededor expected Te lower the odd number the worse theresult When the environment skills equipment orabilities make an action easier or harder you will getto roll multiple dice and keep the best or worst result
B983141983142983151983154983141 9831521048684983137983161Beore anything else you and your riends must
decide what type o game you want to play who thecharacters are going to be and where your story takesplace Knowing this will help players create cool char-acters and direct the Narrator in the role they will take
Tese decisions might already be made either bythe Narrator or a pre-made setting module I notwork together to come up with something everyone isexcited to play
THE BASICS
T983137983148983147 983138983141983142983151983154983141 983152983148983137983161
Have a conversation about the typeo game you will play so everyonestarts in the same ldquospacerdquo Establishtone theme andor expectations It isimportant to know whether you will becheered or jeered or outrageous over-acting or bloody acts o violence
Trow around ideas on setting im-agery set-pieces cool clicheacutes and unky
scenes Tis way everyone gets a clear picture o what the game is going to beabout
Tis discussion will also clue theNarrator in on what players want (orneed) out o the game It establisheswhether players want to eel like epicheroes down-trodden underdogs ortragic anti-heroes
T983144983141 I983150983155983156983137-G983141983150983154983141-G983141983150983141983154983137983156983151983154
For quick pick-up games get every-one to write two genres or settings onbits o paper Stick them all in a hat and
pick out two Now you have ldquoApocalypseSuburbiardquo ldquoMedieval Super-heroesrdquoldquoKung-Fu High Schoolrdquo or whateverhave a discussion about tone theme
possible plots and characters Now play
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7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
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In FU a character is your alter-ego During a storyyou describe what the character does how they re-spond to situations and react to others
C983151983150983139983141983152983156When you know the kind o setting or premiseo the adventures you will be playing you can beginthinking about your character Tis is the kernel owho or what the character is and should be summedup in just a ew words or a phrase
Te concept might define the characterrsquos back-ground or occupation such as lsquoparanormal detectiversquoor lsquochild prodigyrsquo Or it might give insight into theirpersonality such as lsquonoble savagersquo or lsquonutty proessorrsquo
O course the characterrsquos concept should fit into the
setting background or types o adventures that youwill be playing A lsquostreetwise coprsquo may be out o placein medieval England though a lsquoworldly sheriff rsquo mightbe just right Use the setting to inspire your character
Troughout this chapter we will ollow Daveand Nina as they create their own charactersWith im the Narrator they have decided to playa game based on the pulp serials o the 1930rsquos andthat it will be airly whimsical and action-packedDave thinks o a couple o his avourite movies
and decides that the concept or his character willbe lsquoDaredevil Explorerrsquo Nina wants to play some-thing a little unusual and afer discussing herideas with im and Dave decides her characterwill be an lsquoAlien Emissaryrsquo
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155Descriptors are adjectives or very short phrases that
identiy a characterrsquos skills and flaws the things thatmake their lie easier and harder and ultimately make
them who they are Tey indicate the kinds o thingsthat a character is good at their physical and mentaltraits and any abilities or drawbacks they might haveTey are both guides or your roleplaying and modi-fiers to lsquobeat the oddsrsquo rolls
Characters have our Descriptors Body MindEdge and Flaw Choose an adjective or phrase to de-scribe the most distinctive eatures o your character
Tinking about his Daredevil Explorer and thekinds o things he might have gotten up to duringhis lie Dave decides on the ollowing Descriptors
Body Nimble Mind Level HeadedEdge Use bull whipFlaw Araid o heights
Nina inspired by classic pulp science fictionstories has decided on the ollowing Descriptors or her character the Alien Emissary
Body Fragile Mind Observant
Edge Read MindsFlaw Alien Perspective
E98316098313710486859831521048684983141 D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Tis is by no means an exhaustive list just some
ideas to get you started Each o these is described inmore detail in the Appendix (page 20)
B983151983140983161 Agile Ambidextrous Blonde FurryFake Orange an Handsome Huge OverweightPoor Constitution Quick Razor-sharp Claws
Short Slow Strong all Tin Ugly Vigour Weak
M983145983150983140 Absent Minded Book Smart Comput-er-Wiz Dim-Witted Empathetic Focused Lat-eral Tinker Mathematician Observant SlowUneducated Wise Witty
E983140983143983141 Acrobatics Arcane Knowledge Cour-age Driving Fencing Good Memory HuntingKeen Sight Linguistics Magic Medicine NastyBite Rich Wrestling
F983148983137983159 Blind Brave Clumsy Greedy In-hu-man Appearance Missing Leg Old Poor PoorSight Primitive Smelly Wanted Young
CHARACTERS
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7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 6236
C983148983145983139983144983273983155 983137983154983141 983161983151983157983154 983142983154983145983141983150983140
It is totally okay to use clicheacutes whencoming up with your concept Clicheacutescontain a host o ideas and conceptsthat we are immediately amiliar withWhen somebody says their character is
a barbarian we automatically picturethem as heavily muscled and uncivi-lised Using clicheacutes is a kind o a short-hand way to describe your character
C983144983151983151983155983145983150983143 D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155
You should strive to be imaginativeand honest Consider both your conceptand the setting Giving a character theFlaw lsquo canrsquot swimrsquo when you know allthe stories will take place in the desert ishardly sporting
Be imaginative keep your concept inmind and discuss your ideas with theNarrator Te possibilities are endless
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 983137983154983141 983139983148983141983137983154
A good Descriptor is understood byeveryone at the table I you or another
player think a Descriptor is ambiguoustalk about it It might need to be re-written but it might not either You justwant everyone to be on the same page
when it comes time to using itD983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 983137983154983141 983145983150983150983137983156983141
Each Descriptor is an integral andinnate part o the character Tey can-not normally be taken away lost orremoved (though they might be orgot-ten or restricted under the right circum-stances) Do not make your Descriptorsitems o equipment
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 983137983154983141 983142983145983150983145983156983141
Each Descriptor should have one ortwo obvious uses or a specific purposeIt might also be applicable in a rangeo other unoreseen circumstances but
you will find that out in play Medicine is better than Doctor or example asthe latter could be used in a variety onon-medical situations (ldquoAs a Doctor Iam well educated and quite wealthyrdquo)
W983144983137983156 983156983161983152983141 983151983142 D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154 983145983155 983156983144983145983155
Some Descriptors could easily allinto more than one categorymdashGood
Memory might or example be a MindDescriptor or an Edge Ugly could be aFlaw or a Body Descriptor Tatrsquos fine It
is up to you the Narrator and the other players to make a decision on whether aspecific Descriptor is appropriate or not
or the stories you are telling
W983144983137983156 983149983137983147983141983155 983137 983143983151983151983140 E983140983143983141 983078 F983148983137983159
Tings that might be called ldquoskillsrdquo orldquoeatsrdquo or ldquostuntsrdquo in other games make
great Edges - stuff like lsquo sword fighting rsquolsquo breath underwater rsquo and lsquo winningsmilersquo are all good examples
Te best Flaws are personality traitsor physical shortcomings Tings likelsquo always smells bad rsquo or lsquo deaf rsquo are better
flaws than lsquo canrsquot driversquo or lsquo canrsquot speakFrenchrsquo O course there are alwaysexceptions I the characters are Britishspies during the Napoleonic wars notspeaking French would be a real draw-back Likewise the Flaw lsquo canrsquot swimrsquobecomes a great eature in a game o
pirates and sea battles Look or waysto challenge your character add spice
to games and present obstacles to over-come
S983144983151983157983148983140 I 983155983152983141983139983145983137983148983145983155983141
You can ocus your Descriptors ona single concept and ldquospecialiserdquo Fora really awesome warrior give themBody Strong Mind Tactician Edge
Melee and Flaw Reckless It would bevery easy to bring most o these descrip-tors into play whenever you get intoa fight BU there isnrsquot a lot o depth
there and you are going to be in a bindwhen in noncombat situations Instead
you might replace a couple o Descrip-tors with more versatile options BodyTough Mind Focused Edge Melee and Flaw Reckless
Describe your characterrsquos Body asHuge and their Edge as Strong i you
want a wrestler body builder or angry green super hero Give your brilliantscientist Mind Book-Smart and EdgeRocket Science Just be aware the more
you specialise the harder you will haveto work in scenes unrelated to your
orte Some players like this challenge
A983148983156983141983154983150983137983156983145983158983141 D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155
Te our deault Descriptors (Body Mind Edge amp Flaw) are not the onlyway to define your characters Changeor replace them to suit your game set-ting and stories In a game about giantmecha you might replace Body and
Mind with Chassis and Pilot or ex-ample In a game where everyone playsdifferent types o were-creatures one
Descriptor might become Animal FormIn these cases some o the advice in thissidebar might also need to be adjusted
Animal Form Jaguar is broader thanthe Descriptors discussed here but is to-tally appropriate to capture the ideas o
your game Use your imagination andmodiy things as needed
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httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 7237
G983141983137983154Gear is the equipment gadgets and weapons that
a character will use on their adventures All charactershave the basic clothes or items that are appropriate totheir concept Gear is the important and cool stuff thata character carries
Like Descriptors a characterrsquos Gear will modiy
lsquobeat the oddsrsquo rolls Gear can be anything - guns andknives to ancy clothes credit cards a horse mobilephone or even a star ship Like Descriptors your char-acterrsquos Gear depends on character concept game set-ting and the stories you want to tell Unlike Descrip-tors Gear is always made up o an adjective and nounRusting Sword Long Rope Fast Horse Long-rangedRifle Dadrsquos Camero Heavy Armour
Your character has two items o Gear Choose twoitems or your character
Dave decides his Daredevil Explorer to have aSturdy Bull Whip since he is quite skilled with itand a Worn Leather Jacket to keep out the coldand offer a little protection rom scrapes and alls
Nina thinks about her Alien Emissary beoredeciding on some Official Documents that indi-cating her political status and some Exotic Robes designed to impress and inspire awe
E98316098313710486859831521048684983141 G983141983137983154Like the example Descriptors this list is not in any
way exhaustive It barely scratches the surace o whatyour character might possess
C983148983151983156983144983141983155 Designer Jeans Slinky Black Dress(letrsquos count ldquoblack dressrdquo as the noun) Filthy Un-derpants Worn Jacket State-o-the-art SpaceSuit Silk Smoking Jacket Beat-up Fedora allPowdered Wig
W983141983137983152983151983150983155 Rusting Sabre Heavy Axe MyFatherrsquos Service Revolver Concealed Dagger Ex- perimental Flamethrower Fake Revolver Reliable AK-47 Rubber Mallet
Transport Faithul Horse Beat-up BuickBullet-proo Limo Squeaky Clown Shoes uned-up Street Racer Girls Bicycle Unreliable Coupe
Rickety Wagon Fast Motorcycle Grandmarsquos Run-about
O983156983144983141983154 S983156983157983142983142 Huge Backpack MiniatureFlag Heavy RPG Books Faithul Hound DentedFrying Pan Water-damaged Notebook AncientSpell Book My Favourite Pet Rock
C983144983151983151983155983145983150983143 G983141983137983154Items should be ldquoiconicrdquo to your
character Tink Batmanrsquos SinisterBatsuit the Ghostbusterrsquos Unstable
Proton-packs James Bondrsquos ReliableBerretta or Zorrorsquos Flashing Blade
Each piece o Gear should add some-thing to your characterrsquos background
personality or goals It should make astatement about who the character is orwhat they do
G983141983137983154 983145983155 983141983153983157983145983152983149983141983150983156
Gear is never innate - it can bedropped lost broken and stolen A Cy-bernetic Arm is not Gear but an Ar-moured Power Glove is
D983141983155983139983154983145983138983145983150983143 G983141983137983154
When describing gear make the ad- jective tell us something useul andorinteresting about it A Long Dagger isokay a Broken Dagger is better
Like Descriptors the description o your Gear should be clear - you donrsquotwant to be guessing at the purpose ormain eature o an item
O983150983141 983137983140983146983141983139983156983145983158983141 983151983150983148983161
Te description o your gear shouldhave a single adjective - no less and nomore A Sharp Sabre is okay as is a
Magic Sword but a Sharp Magic Sabreis not allowed
S983152983141983139983145983142983145983139 983150983151983157983150983155
Choose specific descriptive nounsSabre is better than Sword BaseballCap is better than Hat You can usemore than one noun but keep the de-scription to as ew words as possible
T983137983148983147 983137983138983151983157983156 983161983151983157983154 G983141983137983154
Discuss your Gear Everyone needsto be clear on what you are describingwhat the Gear will be useul or andwhen it might be a hindrance
Gear is not innately ldquogoodrdquo or ldquobadrdquoWhat you do with it and the situations you find yoursel in will dictate whetherhaving an item is useul or not
G983151983151983140 G983141983137983154 B983137983140 G983141983137983154
You can i you want dictate thatone piece o Gear must have a ldquogoodrdquoadjective and the other a ldquobadrdquo oneYou might have a Warm Jacket and anOld Gun or a Fast Motorcycle and a
Maxed-out Credit Card
S983156983157983142983142 983156983144983137983156 983145983155983150rsquo983156 G983141983137983154
Any objects items or equipment thatare not listed as Gear are props Propshave no effect on a characterrsquos chanceo success at an action - they are merelywindow-dressing However you canswap steal and pick-up another charac-terrsquos Gear and use that
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httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 8238
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983145983151983150By now you should have a good idea o who your
character is Now it is time to fill in all the other detailsTis is the bit where you describe the characterrsquos
appearance and personality their past goals riendsenemies and any other detail you think important orinteresting
Dave takes a moment to note a ew thingsabout the Daredevil Explorer
ennessee Smith is a mild-mannered proessoro history but in his spare time he travels into thewilderness in search o lost arteacts and treasureRuggedly handsome he always seems to keep hiscool no matter how much danger he is inmdashandhe tends to get into a lot o it
Ninarsquos description o the Alien Emissary is
Lumina is an important diplomat rom the planet Jupiter which is ruled by the Dread LordKang Like all her kind she has purple skin a baldhead and delicate eatures Lumina works or the Jupiter Underground attempting to overthrowDread Lord Kang
D983154983145983158983141983155Every character has a purpose - a goal they are striv-
ing to achieve It may not be world changing (thoughit can be) but it should be important to that characterAsk the ollowing questions o your character
W983144983137983156 983140983151 983161983151983157 983159983137983150983156 What is it that you desirethe thing that drives you to action
W983144983137983156 983145983155 983155983156983151983152983152983145983150983143 983161983151983157 What obstacle or adver-sary is stopping you rom getting what you want
W983144983137983156 983159983145983148983148 983161983151983157 983140983151 What is the next step to getwhat you want What are you willing to do to succeed
ennessee Smith is in search o the Idol o otan arteact he has coveted or decades His rivalGiles Fishburne is also afer the idol and always
seems to be one step ahead ennessee is desperateto succeed this time and will do almost anythingto get the idol - though he would never kill or it
Lumina seeks reedom or all the people o Jupi-ter Dread Lord Kang rules the planet with an iron fist and his agents are always on the look out orrenegades Lumina is willing to put her own lie onthe line to achieve her vision
R9831411048684983137983156983145983151983150983155983144983145983152983155Choose at least one other character that will takepart in the story and write a short statement aboutyour relationship with them Tis should be clear andadd some interesting depth to both characters back-grounds For example Old drinking buddies Datedthe same woman Fought in the war together Weretrained by the same master
Dave writes ennessee Smith and Lumina metat Harvard where Lumina was giving a presen-tation on the ancient cultures o Jupiter Nina is
happy with this adding only that both characterswere attracted to each other but Lumina is too o-cussed on her mission to have any romantic dal-liance
I983156rsquo983155 983137983148983148 983137983138983151983157983156 983154983151983148983141983152983148983137983161983145983150983143 983150983151983159
Your Description Drives and Re-lationships all help develop your char-acter and put them into the ldquoworldrdquo o
your stories and adventures Te Narra-tor might occasionally give you a bonusto dice rolls because o the inormation
you reveal here but that is by no meansrequired
Use your Drives and Relationshipsto inorm the way you roleplay yourcharacter the way they interact with theother playerrsquos characters and the worldaround them
L983151983150983143 983151983154 983155983144983151983154983156 983156983141983154983149 983143983151983137983148983155
When choosing your Drive you are ree to pick long or short term goals I you are only playing a one-off game
then it is a better idea to pick somethingthat will have an immediate impact onthe plot I you are planning a series o
games then by all means come up witha longer-term goal or your character
H983151983159 983149983137983150983161 R983141983148983137983156983145983151983150983155983144983145983152983155
wo is a good number o Relation-ships to begin with Pick two differentcharacters and decide how they knoweach other You and another player can
work together to decide on a relation-ship or you can have separate unre-lated or ldquoopposedrdquo relationships (orexample ldquoIn love withrdquoldquoRepulsed byrdquo)
D983151983150rsquo983156 983138983141 983137983150983156983137983143983151983150983145983155983156983145983139
Donrsquot create Drives or Relationshipsthat will have characters constantly ateach others throats It is okay to havecharacters that donrsquot see eye-to-eye (in
act that can be un) but donrsquot havethem hate each other You want thecharacters to unction together in orderto deeat the antagonist solve the mys-tery or complete the mission
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 9239
CHARACTER CREATION
SUMMARY
CONCEPTWho is your character What is the ldquoHigh ConceptrdquoClicheacutes and archetypes are okay
DESCRIPTORSIdentiy the our most important or interesting eatures o your characterone each or Body Mind Edge and FlawEach Descriptor should be short punchy clear innate and finite
GEARWhat cool iconic stuff does your character carryChoose two items o gear describing each with an adjective and noun(eg Sharp Sabre Fast Motorcycle)
DESCRIPTIONWhat does your character look like What is their name Where are theyrom What makes them interesting and unique
DRIVESWhat does your character want What is stopping them What will they doto get it
RELATIONSHIPSHow do the characters know each other What connections do they have
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 102310
In FU you and the other players work together totell exciting stories about your characters It is notabout winning or even competing with anyone but itis about everyone having un while you create this col-
laborative story
S983139983141983150983141983155 983078 983157983154983150983155Play is broken into scenes and turns A scene is a
period o story involving a specific situation locationor group o characters Scenes are the primary buildingblocks o the story and can represent anything rom aew seconds to many hours o time Each scene shouldhave a specific objective and the scene ends when thatobjective has been addressed A scene should advancethe plot o the story reveal inormation about a char-
acter or add background colour to the events beingdescribed Ofen a scene will do all o these things atthe same time
During a scene players and Narrator describe whatthe characters are doing Players ldquoact outrdquo their char-acters speaking or them and declaring what actionsthey take while the Narrator does the same or all theother characters creatures and monsters in the scene
Scenes might be resolved through dice rolls but theydonrsquot have to be It is entirely possible that a scenersquosobjective is met through roleplaying and character in-teraction
When it is important to know the specific actionso each character and the order in which they occura scene is broken into turns A turn is a period longenough or each character to take a single actionwhether that be to make an attack deliver a rousingspeech throw an object to a companion look up someinormation on their iPhone or perorm some othertask
Players declare what action their characters aretaking while the Narrator decides what the othercharacters and creatures are going to do Everyonethen works together to decide what order everythingoccurs When all the characters involved have had achance to act the turn ends A new turn will begin inecessary
It is worth pointing out at this point that only play-ers roll dice Tis leaves the Narratorrsquos hands and mindree to scheme and plot and prepare or the next excit-ing encounter
ACTION
W983144983151 ldquo983155983141983156983155rdquo 983156983144983141 983155983139983141983150983141 Players might suggest scenes they
would like to see or be involved in butmost o the time the Narrator decideswhat scenes occur and in what orderthey happen Discussion might occurabout the order events occur in whatis happening where it is happening andwho is involved beore the Narratormakes a final call on all these matters
Some groups like to give everyone a
turn at setting a scene and that is to-tally cool too
H983151983159 983140983151 983161983151983157 ldquo983155983141983156 983137 983155983139983141983150983141rdquo
Setting a scene is a matter o defin-ing where and when the action takes
place who is there and what has justhappened or what is about to happenLocation Characters Event or WhereWhen Who amp What
When describing the scene draw on
all the senses point out interesting orimportant details o the location andall the characters involved Consider theobjective o the scene as you create it
W983144983137983156 983145983155 983137983150 983151983138983146983141983139983156983145983158983141
An objective can be anything thata player or character wants Characterobjectives might include finding a pieceo inormation deeating an enemytalking to someone travelling a small or
great distance preparing or battle con-
ning a mark or stealing an object Play-er objectives could include seeing theircharacter in a cool fight solving themystery revealing a secret about theircharacter or interacting with a specificcharacter or player Ofen player andcharacter goals overlap
D983151 983155983139983141983150983141983155 983144983137983158983141 983156983151 983138983141 983145983150 983151983154983140983141983154
You can use all the techniques o sto-ries novels and movies which means
flashbacks and flash orwards parallel
story lines and even montages can be played out in scenes While most o thetime your scenes will occur in a chrono-logical order you do not have to be re-stricted by this
D983151 I 983144983137983158983141 983156983151 983157983155983141 983156983157983154983150983155
urns are an optional measuremento time useul or when a variety o stuffis being attempted by several charac-ters Use them to organise the action asneeded Some scenes will naturally all
into turns while others will be resolvedwithout ever considering them
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 112311
B983141983137983156983145983150983143 983156983144983141 O983140983140983155When a character attempts an action where the
outcome is not immediately andor completely obvi-ous you make a beat the odds roll
o resolve an action roll a d6 Your objective is tolsquobeat the oddsrsquo by rolling an even number Te higherthe even number the better the result I you roll an
odd number the action either ailed or wasnrsquot quite asgood as needed or expected Te lower the odd num-ber the worse the result Tere is a handy chart belowthat helps illustrate this idea
Te beat the odds roll is the heart o FU While mosto the time even numbers are good and odd numbersare bad the precise situation will dictate the actual re-sults It may be that the roll o a 1 does not indicate anoutrageous ailure so much as a success in the mostminimal or ragile o ways
We are going to ollow the trials and tribula-tions o two characters rom two different settingsin this chapter
Sir Camden is riding afer the evil Lord KaneHe sees Lord Kane leap a tall hedgerow disappear-ing into the orest beyond Sir Camden now triesto leap the hedge so you roll a d6 scoring 2 SirCamdenrsquos horse clears the hedge but Sir Camdenis jostled about in the saddle and is momentarilyconused
Captain Vance ducks as another hail o bullets peppers the wall he is hiding behind Grabbing adamaged radio he flicks some switches and triesto call HQ or back-up You roll a d6 and score a 1Vance ails to find the right requency and a straybullet hits the radio destroying it
R983151983148983148 D983151 983161983151983157 983143983141983156 983159983144983137983156 983161983151983157 983159983137983150983156983103
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 donrsquot get what you want but itrsquos not a total loss
3 No You donrsquot get what you were afer
1 No and You donrsquot get what you want and things get worse
C983148983151983155983141983140 Q983157983141983155983156983145983151983150983155
FU uses a closed question ormat tohelp resolve actions A closed questioncan only be answered with a ldquoyesrdquo orldquonordquo statement When you reach a situ-ation that needs to be resolved by dice
propose a closed question ldquoDo I leapthe chasmrdquo ldquoDo I punch that jerk inthe noserdquo ldquoDoes the tavern wench all
or my easy charm and winning smilerdquoTe roll o the die will answer the ques-tion and guide your response
A lot o the time you wonrsquot need toask the question explicitly - it will be ob-vious rom the action you attempt ldquoyoutake a run up and leap rom the edge othe chasm Rollrdquo
A983148983156983141983154983150983137983156983145983158983141 Q983157983141983155983156983145983151983150983155
You can pose different questionsi you want though you will have tochange the result chart An obviousquestion is ldquoHow well do I succeedrdquoTis might garner the ollowing results
Roll How well do you succeed
6 Legendary success
4 Complete success
2 Only just succeed
5 Fail by the smallest margin
3 Complete ailure
1 Epic ailure and then some
Feel ree to come up with your ownquestions and answers as suits theneeds o your group game and story
A983148983156983141983154983150983137983156983145983158983141 D983145983139983141 R983151983148983148983155
Some players are not ans o theevenodd results Many preer a 1-3Bad 4-6 Good result In that case theresult chart would look like this
Roll Do you get what you want
6 Yes and
5 Yes
4 Yes but
3 No but
2 No
1 No and
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 122312
S983157983139983139983141983155983155 983078 F9831379831451048684983157983154983141When you make a beat the odds roll your character
will either succeed at what they were attempting orthey wont Tis is usually enough to push your storyurther along but other things can happen too
When you attempt an action you are asking ldquoDoesmy character get what they wantrdquo Tere are six pos-
sible answers to this questionYes and
Yes
Yes but
No but
No
No and
Yes and No are pretty straight orward - they tell youwhether the action succeeded or not Te and and but are qualifiers that modiy how good the success or howbad the ailure was When you get a qualifier you makean extra statement about how the action succeeded orailed Tis extra statement can add a Condition to acharacter or a Detail to a scene
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 Tese are physical mental or socialeffects that impact on the way a character behaves orattempts actions Conditions include things like an- gry conused tired and unconscious Tere are severallisted on the FU character sheet and there is space oryou to write your own
D983141983156983137983145983148983155 Tese are eatures o an environment orscene that might change as a result o an action Detailsmight include curtains catching fire windows break-ing animals running off or machinery stalling De-tails are always closely tied to the scene and the action
E983160983137983149983152983148983141983155 983151983142 S983157983139983139983141983155983155 983078 F983137983145983148983157983154983141
Going back to an earlier exampleletrsquos see what might have happenedwhen we apply each possible answer tothe question
ldquoDoes Sir Camden leap the hedgerdquo
Yes and he catches up with LordKane Tis is a Detail that changes thescene
Yes he leaps the hedge Tere is noandbut qualifier so no Condition orDetail is added
Yes but Sir Camden is disorientedand momentarily confused Tis is aCondition applied to the character
No but he spots a gap in the hedge urther along Tis Detail gives the char-acter another way to continue the chase
No the horse shies away rom the jump Tere is no andbut qualifier sono Condition or Detail is added
No and his horse rears up throwinghim to the ground causing an injury Tis is a Condition
W983144983151 983139983144983151983151983155983141983155 C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 983078D983141983156983137983145983148983155
Anyone can suggest a Condition orDetail that they eel is appropriate tothe action taken and result achievedUsually the player that rolled the diceand the Narrator will work together tocome up with a suitably dramatic effectBut really anyone at the table shouldthrow in whatever cool idea they have
Te Narrator always has final sayover what Condition or Detail is ap-
plied to a result
W983144983141983150 983155983144983151983157983148983140 I 983157983155983141 C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155
Like all qualifiers it depends onsituation In the examples above Con-ditions are applied to the acting playerwhen things donrsquot quite go right orthem ( Yes but No and ) Te Condi-tions make lie a bit more difficult or
the character because o the minimalsuccess or outright ailure
You can also apply Conditions tothe target o an action when things are
going right or your character I youare debating with a bureaucrat and geta Yes and result you might apply theconfused Condition to the target I youattempt to outrun an enemy and get the
No but result they might catch up with
you but have the tired Condition Ap- plying Conditions in this way will likely give player characters an advantagelater in the scene
W983144983141983150 983155983144983151983157983148983140 I 983157983155983141 D983141983156983137983145983148983155
Apply Details when the action is like-ly to change the scene or environment insome way Tis might be a change in the
power dynamic o the scene (ldquo Yes he
leaps the hedge and he catches up withLord Kanerdquo) or a change in the physicalenvironment (ldquo No but he spots a gap inthe hedgerdquo)
Details are ofen applied when theacting character gains some advantage( Yes and No but ) Tey can be usedto great effect however to make situa-tions more entertaining and or dan-
gerous
ldquoDo you swing across the room on
the chandelier Yes but candles allloose and set fire to the tavernrdquo
Details can provide instant or on- going effects depending on the circum-stances A gap in the hedge can be usedimmediately to continue the chase aburning tavern will continue to be ahazard until someone puts the fire out
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 132313
M983151983140983145983142983145983141983154983155Sometimes circumstances equipment and skill will
make actions easier or harder Modifiers change thenumber o dice you get to roll when taking action
M983137983147983145983150983143 T983144983145983150983143983155 E983137983155983145983141983154 Roll an additional dieor each Descriptor piece o Gear Condition or De-tail that provides some advantage to the action being
taken Te result is the single best (not necessarilyhighest) die roll as the player chooses
In the woods Sir Camden tries to track LordKane You point out that the knight is a goodhunter so you get an extra d6 Rolling 2d6 youscore a 5 and a 4 Keeping the 4 it is decided thatafer a brie search Sir Camden finds Lord Kanersquostracks and ollows them to a sinister citadel
M983137983147983145983150983143 T983144983145983150983143983155 H983137983154983140983141983154 Roll an extra die oreach Descriptor bit o Gear Condition or Detail that
makes the action harder Te result is the single worstdie roll
Captain Vance decides to run to a near-by jeepTe Narrator points out there is no cover betweenVancersquos hiding spot and the vehicle ldquoDoes Vance get to the jeep uninjuredrdquo You roll 2d6 scoringa 3 and a 5 You must accept the 3 and CaptainVance is injured as he reaches the jeep
C983137983150983139983141983148983148983145983150983143 O983157983156 One beneficial die cancels out
one hindering die so you will never be rolling lsquonega-tiversquo and lsquopositiversquo dice at the same time
Later in his quest Sir Camden must scale asheer (-) cliff Te knight is strong (+) and hasa rope (+) Overall this means a single bonus tothe action (the sheer cliff and the knightrsquos strengthcancel each other out just leaving the rope) Youroll 2d6 scoring a 3 and 6
E983160983137983149983152983148983141 983151983142 M983151983140983145983142983145983141983154983155
Captain Vance hurtles along in the jeep when a guard tries to drag himout through the window ldquoWill Vanceshake the guard offrdquo It is hard (+) todrag Vance out the window but he iswounded (-) and surprised (-) and the
attacker is very strong (-) In total youmust roll 2 penalty dice You roll 3d6scoring a 2 4 and 3 and must take theworst result the 3 Te guard wrestlesVance out o the jeep
O983156983144983141983154 983156983161983152983141983155 983151983142 983154983151983148983148983155
FU has no such thing as lsquoopposedrollsrsquo or lsquocontested actionsrsquo lsquodamagerollsrsquo and lsquorolling to hitrsquo Te beat theodds roll is the only kind o roll usedin FU whether you are trying to drive
a car through a crowded mall armwrestle a giant or shrug off the damagecaused by a stray bullet
H983151983159 983140983151 ldquo983151983152983152983151983155983141983140rdquo 983137983139983156983145983151983150983155 983159983151983154983147
For a start only players ever rolldice You begin by actoring in all thebonuses (+) and penalties (-) that applyto your character Ten you take stocko all the actors that would apply tothe opponent and apply those into your
roll too Is the opponent weak You geta bonus die Is the opponent a worldchampion arm wrestler You actor ina penalty die And so on until every-thing is actored in When you knowhow many bonus andor penalty dice
you have roll I the result is an even
number you win the contest i the finalresult is an odd number your opponenthas the advantage
D983145983137983148983145983150983143 983145983150 983151983150 Y983151983157983154 983137983139983156983145983151983150
Sword fights political debates spaceraces international wars argumentsand gun battles are all resolved usingthe beat the odds roll Te key is to dialin or out o the action through the kindo questions you attempt to resolve Youcan fight a dramatic sword fight and ex-
change a series o blows by asking ldquoDoI hit the Count De Montierdquo But youcould also resolve the entire fight witha single roll by asking ldquoDo I deeat theCount De Montie in a duelrdquo Or takeit to the next level and ask ldquoDo my men-at-arms storm the Count De Montiersquoscastlerdquo Adjust the dial as necessary
O983152983156983145983151983150 M983137983156983139983144983145983150983143 D983145983139983141
Rolling doubles triples or quadru- ples can make a success much better ora ailure ar worse I your result die hasa match the effects will be much moredramatic You may add one ldquoandrdquostatement or each matching die I the
action is ailed this statement shouldmake the situation worse I the actionis a success the additional statement(s)should make the situation even better
For example Sir Camden aces LordKanersquos henchmen ldquoWill Sir Camden de-
eat the henchmenrdquo He is injured andoutnumbered so you will roll 2 penaltydice You roll and score 3 3 and 2 Youmust take the worst result - the double3 Normally this would be a ldquo Nordquo re-
sult but the matching 3 turns it into aldquo No andrdquo I you had rolled triple 3the result would have been ldquo No andandrdquo
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 142314
FU P983151983145983150983156983155FU Points are a resource that you spend to improve
a characterrsquos chance o success at an action Tey canbe used in two ways
B983151983150983157983155 D983145983141 Spend a FU Point beore a beat theodds roll to add a single bonus die Tis works like anyother bonus die You can add as many bonus dice as
you have FU Points but they must all be declared atthe same time
R983141-983154983151983148983148 Spend a FU Point afer a beat the oddsroll to re-roll a single die Te second result must stand- you cannot re-roll a re-roll You can re-roll as manydice as you have FU Points but you must declare themall at the same time beore the first die is re-rolled
You can spend multiple FU Points on any givenaction and or either or both effects It is completelywithin the rules to spend a FU Point to add a bonus
die beore a roll then another FU Point to re-roll a dieaferwards
Back at HQ Captain Vance tries to convinceGeneral Wallace to deploy the Rocket roops un-der his command Vance doesnrsquot have much going or him in this situation in terms o Descriptorsso you decide to spend 2 FU Points on the roll You
roll the basic die plus the two bonus dice gettinga 1 1 and 3 Not happy with this you spends yourlast FU Point on a re-roll You pick up one o the1rsquos and throw the die again
E983137983154983150983145983150983143 FU P983151983145983150983156983155 FU Points are earned duringplay or doing cool stuff and roleplaying your charac-ter Whenever you do something that stops play andmakes everyone go ldquoWowrdquo or laugh out loud at yourantics or anything else that everyone thinks should berewarded you earn a FU Point
S983156983137983154983156983145983150983143 FU P983151983145983150983156983155
Te number o FU Points you begina game with should be discussed beore
play begins Te more FU Points play-ers begin with the more easily they willachieve successes I playing games ohigh adventure or over-the-top actionit would be reasonable to begin with 2FU Points Super-powered heroes mightbegin with as many as 3 FU Points For
grittier games each player might onlybegin with 1 FU Point or even none
C983137983150 I 983143983145983158983141 983155983144983137983154983141 FU P983151983145983150983156983155
Tat is up to you and your groupTe deault is ldquonordquo but
D983151 N983137983154983154983137983156983151983154983155 983143983141983156 FU 983152983151983145983150983156983155
Usually no but they might allow a powerul villain or monster to have onetwo or three
O983156983144983141983154 983159983137983161983155 983156983151 983141983137983154983150 FU
You might like to change the way youearn FU Points You might earn them
or dealing the killing blow to monstersachieving your characterrsquos goal or roll-ing multiple 1rsquos or 6rsquos
Tis is a really good way to changethe tone or style o the game Want to
play a dungeon crawl Reward FU orkilling monsters A gritty dystopian
game Reward FU when the characters
lose out to Te Man Decide i these arethe only ways to earn FU or i they arein addition to the normal roleplayingrewards Tis decision will also have adramatic effect on the tone o play Seewhat you can do with it
O983156983144983141983154 983159983137983161983155 983156983151 983157983155983141 FU
Play around with FU Points Experi-ment or adjust the ways you use them
to suit your gaming group or the typeo story you are playing Here are somesuggestions
FU 983137983155 H983141983137983148983156983144
Rather than having a varying andchangeable number o FU points everycharacter begins with 3 Tey can bespent as normal but can also be lostwhen the character suffers physical ormental stress (injuries atigue earetc) FU in this instance can be rereshed
(brought back up to 3) by roleplayingout a (non-dice rolling) scene with an-other character that reveals somethingabout your relationship
R983141-R983151983148983148 E983158983141983154983161983156983144983145983150983143
Spend a FU point to re-roll all yourdice Tis is an all-or-nothing thing so
you canrsquot keep a couple o good resultsand roll the rest Use this variant in-stead o the normal re-roll rule
F983148983145983152 983137 P983145983152
Spend a FU Point to adjust a singledie up or down by one pip Spend mul-tiple FU points to adjust a die multiple
pips Tis option is more reliable thana re-roll as you will always be able toturn a ldquonordquo into a ldquoyesrdquo I you used thisvariant the normal re-roll rule shouldnot be used
U983155983141 983137 P983154983151983152Spend a FU point to turn a prop into
an item o Gear or the duration o thescene
S983156983157983150983156983155 983137983150983140 P983151983159983141983154983155
Give characters special abilitiesskills or powers that can only be used byspending a FU Point Tese should bemore powerul than Descriptors - makethem break the rules or give a superhu-man knack like the ability to fly or read
minds teleport or whatever
T983137983147983145983150983143 983137 H983145983156
Instead o rolling declare you areldquotaking a hitrdquo All the dice you shouldhave rolled are treated as i they rolled1rsquos (yes i you are holding 5 dice theycount as five 1rsquos) In return or your su-
ering you earn a FU Point
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 152315
ACTION
SUMMARY
SET THE SCENEWhere does the scene take place Who is there What do they want Doyou need to break down into turns
ACTRoleplay your character and describe what is going on Push toward theobjective
ASK A QUESTIONWhen you need to resolve a conflict or complete an action ask a closedquestion (eg ldquoDo I succeedrdquo)
FACTOR IN MODIFIERS+1 bonus die or every Descriptor item o Gear Detail Condition or other
eature that makes the action easier+1 penalty die or every Descriptor item o Gear Detail Condition or othereature that makes the action harder
ROLLRoll all your dice Te result is the single best die (i rolling bonus dice) orsingle worst die (i rolling penalty dice)
DESCRIBE RESULTUse the die result to describe how the conflict or action turned out Apply
Conditions or Details as necessary
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 162316
Following is some simple straightorward adviceor Narrators It is all airly generic because all the spe-cific stuff is going to relate to the genre tone and styleo game that you and your players choose to play
9831371048684983147983145983150983143 983145983155 983143983151983151983140Start your game with a conversation alk about
what players want out o the game what you want andwhere those ideas overlap Tose overlaps are likelywhere everyone is going to have the most un At the very least you should work together to establish thegenre and tone o your shared story alk about thisstuff too so that everyone is clear o the specifics (thereis a world o difference between Gothic horror andsplatter films or example)
alk during the game too Encourage players toshare ideas and give input into scenes objectives andthe challenges characters ace I you need to clariyideas themes or issues then do that
L983145983155983156983141983150983145983150983143 983145983155 983143983151983151983140I there is going to be talk there needs to be listen-
ing Listen to your players and the things they tell youeither in conversation or when they do things withtheir character Do stuff that relates to the Descriptors
written on the playerrsquos character sheets because that iswhat they think is cool
W983144983141983150 9831521048684983137983161983145983150983143When running games donrsquot plan too much ahead
o time Te dice rolls are going to direct a lot o theaction and you and the players will fill in the gaps byapplying Conditions and Details Here are some tipsto keep things moving and help you enjoy the game as
much as the players doK983141983141983152 983156983144983145983150983143983155 983155983145983149983152983148983141 Do not complicate your job
by introducing lots o sub-plots or convoluted twistsTings will get all messed about by themselves and the
story will run off on tangents that you never dreamedo
Y983151983157 983137983154983141 983150983151983156 983156983144983141 983141983150983141983149983161 this may seem obviousbut is worth stating Your role is to help guide the storyin interesting directions not to kill everyone You cangive players hints and ideas i you think this will lead toa better story Sometimes you will portray the adver-saries and are expected to do so vigorously but airlyOther times you will get to be an ally companion orpeer and once again you should be true to the spirit othe game
S983137983161 ldquoY983141983155rdquo i players make suggestions or ask ques-tions it is probably because they are interested in whatis going on Tey probably have a cool idea to introduceto the story Encourage this and confidently say ldquoyesrdquoto requests Tis doesnrsquot mean you should let playersget anything they want ndash but you should let players in-troduce elements into the story when the time is right
M983137983147983141 983154983151983148983148983155 983149983141983137983150983145983150983143983142983157983148 Every time you callor a die roll it should mean something interesting isgoing to happen NO MAER HE RESUL Donrsquot
have players make rolls i the result is not important tothe story or i ailure will stop the momentum o thestory
NARRATOR
983091 Q983157983141983155983156983145983151983150983155 983156983151 983142983154983137983149983141 983161983151983157983154 983143983137983149983141
When you begin a game talk withthe players about their expectations ryto answer the ollowing three questions
W983144983137983156 983159983145983148983148 983139983144983137983154983137983139983156983141983154983155 983140983151983103
Do players want to kick in doorskill monsters and take home piles otreasure Do they want to eel like epicheroes Or the underdogs strugglingagainst ridiculous odds
H983151983159 983140983151 983152983148983137983161983141983154983155 983159983137983150983156 983156983151 983142983141983141983148983103
Do the players want to eel like theyare changing the world Like their char-acter is gaining in wealth prestige or
power Or do they want to eel like theirbacks are against the wall and their livesconstantly at risk
W983144983137983156 983145983155 983156983144983141 N983137983154983154983137983156983151983154rsquo983155 983154983151983148983141983103
What kinds o challenges encoun-ters and situations are you going to pre-
sent the characters in order to achievethe above Do you need to ensure everychallenge is accompanied by a generousreward Are you going to make every
fight hard but air Will you be relent-less in the pursuit o the antagonistrsquos
goals
Answer these questions and every-one at the table will be clear on theirrole in the coming adventure
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 172317
R983141983139983151983158983141983154983161During games characters can suffer injuries be-
come physically or mentally stressed and be afflictedby a range o other Conditions Conditions are alwaysrecovered at a time andor rate appropriate to the sto-ry Tis is usually with the passing o time but doesnot have to be A good rule o thumb is that one or
more Conditions can be removedrecovered betweenscenes though this will depend on the timing o suchencounters
R983141983159983137983154983140983155Reward players or good roleplaying and achieving
goals by giving them FU Points You may also rewardthem or a variety o other reasons as your group de-cides (see the sidebar on page 12) FU Points can beused to improve a characters chance o success and arethereore a great immediate tangible reward You donrsquot
have to be the only one at the table offering rewardsthough All players should speak up when someonehas done something cool unny or awesome and re-ward a FU Point
H983151983159 983149983157983139983144 983144983151983159 983151983142983156983141983150 Be generous with yourrewards as the positive reinorcement o earning FUPoints will inspire them on to greater acts o heroismspectacle or depravity as the case may be Also takeinto account whether this will be a ldquoone offrdquo game ora part o an ongoing story or campaign - players arelikely to burn through FU Points aster in a singe ses-
sion game and will need their resources replenishedaster
C983144983137983154983137983139983156983141983154983155 983078 O9831389831559831569831379831391048684983141983155All the characters monsters traps villains terrain
eatures creatures and obstacles that are encounteredduring a story are defined in much the same way ascharacters You are not confined by any rules or re-strictions when creating characters or obstacles theonly thing you must do is make them entertaining andinteresting
T983144983141 B983151983159983148
One technique or rewarding FUPoints is to place a bowl o beads chitsor tokens in the centre o the table Eachbead is a FU Point Te Narrator cantell players to ldquotake one rom the bowlrdquoand other players can reach in when it isappropriate to reward a player by pass-ing a bead rom the bowl Tis requirestrust between players and Narrator butmakes the running o the game verysmooth as no-one has to stop and askldquoDoes that deserve a FU Pointrdquo
A983140983158983137983150983139983141983149983141983150983156
FU is not a game about ldquolevellinguprdquo While characters might have avariety o experiences and learn romthem the real advancement comes romthe changing story andor world
I appropriate players can changeone Descriptor between game sessionsTis alteration should relate in someway to the experiences and story theircharacter just participated in Gear canbe changed between sessions at the Nar-ratorrsquos discretion
Goals might also change rom gamesession to game session Give playerstime to consider their goals at the starto each session and let them adjust orchange them as necessary
T983154983137983139983147983145983150983143 983151983138983155983156983137983139983148983141983155
Use sticky-notes or index cards torecord details about your charactersmonsters and obstacles Write downDescriptors Gear and other ino Asthey suffer Conditions record those onthe card
Use index cards to record importantterrain eatures too Write down anyDescriptor(s) pertaining to the eature
so players can take them into accountas they plan their actions
W983144983137983156 983140983151 I 983155983144983137983154983141 983159983145983156983144 983152983148983137983161983141983154983155
Some groups play open making nosecret o the Descriptors and details ocreatures and monsters Other groups(andor Narrators) keep this inorma-tion hidden rom players Both options
provide or different styles o play
Playing an open table means eve-ryone is clear about what is going onwhat opportunities exist or cool scenesand actions Players can see what GearConditions and Descriptors are ldquoin
playrdquo and incorporate them into scenes
Keeping the details o villains trapsand other obstacles rom the playerswill push them to test their enemies ex-
plore the environment and try differentthings Tey can manoeuvre themselvesand situations in directions they thinkwill be advantageous It is always satis-
ying to be rewarded with bonus dice oraccurately guessing an enemyrsquos Descrip-tors
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 182318
ennessee Smith amed explorer has finally got a solid lead on the whereabouts o the ancientIdol o ot an object o reported supernatural power Unortunately Smithrsquos arch enemy Giles
Fishburne is also on the trail o the Idol and hasthrown his lot in with the Nazis
Tis short adventure will get you into the actionquickly It illustrates one way you might prepare yourown adventures adversaries and obstacles Use thepre-generated characters presented at the end o theadventure Race to the emple o ot consists o a serieso set-piece encounters that you can use rearrange andignore at your leisure Remember that beat the oddsrolls will lead to all kinds o interesting twists and
turns and once the characters set out on the adventureanything is possible
B983141983142983151983154983141 983161983151983157 983138983141983143983145983150Beore starting play have a quick discussion about
the tone and style o the game Te scenario is clas-sic pulp - over the top action outrageous villains andlarger than lie heroes Make sure everyone is on thesame page here - talk about what makes this genre cooland perhaps point out examples o the genre (Indiana Jones Te Mummy Te Rocketeer ) and what parts o
these you enjoyedRead the flavour text above (the stuff in italics) and
get everyone at the table to throw around some ideaso cool stuff they would like to see happen during theadventure Note it all down - when things slow or iyou get stuck or what to do next chuck one o theseideas into the mix
S983139983141983150983141983155Te scenes presented here have a description o
where the action takes place and suggest Descriptorsyou or the players might incorporate into the actionTe italics set up the action o the scene and the objec-tive Paraphrase the details or your players
C98314498313710486841048684983141983150983143983141983155Te challenges and adversaries in this adventure
are recorded in boxes with relevant Descriptors Con-ditions and Notes Tese are to guide you and do nothave to be used Your own cool ideas should alwaystrump anything written here
E983155983139983137983152983141 983156983144983141 B9831571048684983137983147 M983137983154983147983141983156S983139983141983150983141 Central Asia - a bustling market in the city
o Bulak - Midday all stone and mud-brick buildingswith narrow arched windows surround the central
market stalls and caes bars and emporiums run offin all directions along winding narrow streets
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Crowded streets Exotic goods
Te characters have just acquired a map to theemple o ot Unortunately Nazi goons have ar-rived and want the map too Tere are a lot o goons and while the characters could fight themit might be easier to flee Do the characters escape
NAZI GOONS
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Lots o goons Beey AryansNot too bright
G983141983137983154 Noisy Sub-machine guns
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 ConusedrappedSlowedOut o Action
N983151983156983141983155 Tere are a number o goon squads equal tothe number o characters
W983144983137983156 983139983137983150 983143983151 983159983154983151983150983143983103 Te characters are cap-tured Te map is lost
9831549831379831509831551048684983137983156983145983150983143 983156983144983141 M983137983152S983139983141983150983141 A dark coffee lounge cae or back roomsomewhere in the city o Bulak Te smell o strongcoffee and exotic ood permeates the room
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Private
ennessee Smith and his companions have themap but must now translate it puzzling out thestrange symbols and markings Do they translatethe map
TRANSLATING THE MAP
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Ancient glyphs Brittle paperC983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 ornRuinedSmudged
Burnt to a crisp
W983144983137983156 983139983137983150 983143983151 983159983154983151983150983143983103 Te map is damaged Techaracters misread the map Tey cannot read the mapand must get help rom an expert in ancient languages
RACE TO THE TEMPLE OF TOT
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
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983144983141 G983151983157 Z983151983157 G983151983154983143983141S983139983141983150983141 Te majestic Gou Zou Gorge hal a mile
deep and crossed by a single iron girder railway bridgeWide open plains lie on either side o the gorge and theKow Mountains lie in the distance
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Open plains Impassible Gorge
Te characters ollow the map to Gou ZouGorge by car or horse back Giles Fishburne is ap- proaching ast aboard the German dirigible DerVogel Do the characters cross the bridge saelyDo they keep their lead on the Germans
NAZI BIRD TRUPPEN
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Tey Fly Agile
G983141983137983154 Delicate Flying Harness DeadlyStick Grenade
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 ConusedGrounded
SlowedOut o ActionN983151983156983141983155 Tere are a number o Bird ruppen equalto the number o characters
GOU ZOU BRIDGE
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Wide but narrow
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 RicketyBlown all to hell
N983151983156983141983155 You know you must introduce an approach-ing train right
W983144983137983156 983139983137983150 983143983151 983159983154983151983150983143983103 Te bridge is destroyed
Te map is lost the characters are captured
983144983141 98314110486859831521048684983141S983139983141983150983141 An ancient temple ashioned into the side
o a mountain Grand statues o sinister looking godsand daemons line the walls Dust covers everythingTe tunnel leads deeper into the mountain
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Dark Silent
Te characters must penetrate the heart o thetemple but the map warned o nearious traps
and terrible guardians Do they get past the trapsand guardians
NEFARIOUS TRAPS
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Hidden Deadly
G983141983137983154 Poison Darts Rusting Spears
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 DisarmedSet-offRevealed
N983151983156983141983155 Challenge characters with one or two trapsell them the passage is trapped but donrsquot tell themhow or where the traps are until they are sprung
STONE STATUE GUARDIAN
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Big Heavy Slow Relentless
G983141983137983154 Heavy Stone Weapons
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 DamagedOff balanceSlowedOut o Action
N983151983156983141983155 Tere is one Statue Guardian or every two
characters Te large heavy weapons can strikemultiple characters at once
W983144983137983156 983139983137983150 983143983151 983159983154983151983150983143983103 Characters cannot getpast traps characters are injured by traps
983144983141 I9831409831511048684 C9831449831371048685983138983141983154S983139983141983150983141 A large stone chamber ingeniously lit by
mirrors reflecting sunlight Te Idol o ot - a gold-en statue o a seven-headed monkey - sits on a stoneplinth in the centre o the room
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Large bronze mirrors
Te characters enter the chamber o the idolonly to find that Giles Fishburne and his Nazi goons are here too Do they deeat Giles and es-cape with the Idol
GILES FISHBURNE
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Smart Arrogant Sword fighter
G983141983137983154 Polished Sabre
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 ConusedInjuredSlowedOut o Action
N983151983156983141983155 Giles is a greedy arrogant villain but heisnrsquot stupid I things start looking dire he will attemptto escape make a deal andor double-cross anyone inhis way He has no loyalty to the Nazis
C983144983137983154983137983139983156983141983154983155Four pre-made characters can be ound on the next
page Tey are each examples o classic pulp charac-ter archetypes Players may tweak or adjust them atthe Narratorrsquos discretion beore play starts perhapschanging a Descriptor or two or switching out an item
o Gear Beore starting the game each player shoulddefine one or two relationships describing how thecharacters know each other A quick and easy way todo this is or everyone to describe how they know thecharacter to their lef
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 202320
TENNESSEE SMITH DAREDEVIL EXPLORER
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Nimble Level Headed Use BullWhip Araid o Heights
G983141983137983154 Bull Whip Worn Leather Jacket
D983154983145983158983141983155 Find the Idol o ot
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 AngryScaredired
rapped
Blinded
HungryDazedInjuredDying
ennessee Smith is a mild-mannered proes-sor o history but in his spare time he travelsinto the wilderness in search o lost arteacts andtreasure Ruggedly handsome he always seemsto keep his cool no matter how much danger heis inmdashand he tends to get into a lot o it
R983141983148983137983156983145983151983150983155983144983145983152983155
N983151983156983141983155
HARVEY REED RETIRED BOXER
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Strong Tinks-on-his-Feet BoxerUgly as Sin
G983141983137983154 Roll o quarters Poor fitting suitD983154983145983158983141983155 Look out or ennessee Smith
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 AngryScarediredrappedBlindedHungryDazedInjuredDying
Harvey Reed is a recently retired championboxer Finding the sedentary lie a little too bor-ing he has joined his old riend ennessee insearch o adventure
R983141983148983137983156983145983151983150983155983144983145983152983155
N983151983156983141983155
JIMMY SWEET PLUCKY KID
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Quick Smart-aleckUnderestimated Young
G983141983137983154 Noisy Firecrackers Dirty BaseballCap
D983154983145983158983141983155 See the 7 wonders o the world
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155
Angry
Scared
iredrappedBlindedHungryDazedInjuredDying
Jimmy Sweet is a happy-go-lucky kid who hasnever had anyone to rely on but himsel He iswiry tough and quick with a cheeky attitudethat requently gets him into trouble Jimmystowed away on a tramp steamer with the inten-tion o seeing the world and making his ortune
R983141983148983137983156983145983151983150983155983144983145983152983155
N983151983156983141983155
OCTOBER JONES GIRL REPORTER
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Beautiul Witty Good MemoryCurious
G983141983137983154 rusty Camera Tick Notebook D983154983145983158983141983155 Get the scoop on the real ennes-
see Smith
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 AngryScarediredrappedBlindedHungryDazedInjuredDying
October Jones is a reporter and adventurerafforded a great deal o reedom by her atherrsquosimmense wealth Beautiul intelligent and spoiltshe is a woman used to getting what she wants
R983141983148983137983156983145983151983150983155983144983145983152983155
N983151983156983141983155
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 212321
Tis list is by no means exhaustive but itrsquos a goodplace to start Each entry lists the kinds o things aDescriptor might be an advantage or hindrance orwhich makes it a handy reerence or both players and
Narrators
B983151983140983161 D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155A983143983145983148983141 helpul when dancing leaping doing gym-
nastics crawling through tight spaces and balancingA983149983138983145983140983141983160983156983154983151983157983155 great when shooting two guns at
the same time or doing slight-o-hand magic tricksB983148983151983150983140983141 good or getting people to underestimate
you not good i you spend too much time in the sunF983137983147983141 O983154983137983150983143983141 T983137983150 great or passing as an aging
celebrity and or drawing attention to yoursel
F983157983154983154983161 useul or resisting cold weather and livingin the woods
H983137983150983140983155983151983149983141 useul or flirting selling stuff gettingroles on V modelling and being popular
H983157983143983141 good or looking menacing reaching highplaces acting like a body builder or getting stuck insmall spaces
O983158983141983154983159983141983145983143983144983156 a problem when exercising andborrowing clothes
P983151983151983154 C983151983150983155983156983145983156983157983156983145983151983150 a hindrance when long dis-
tance running resisting damage perorming eats oendurance and healingQ983157983145983139983147 handy or ducking to and rom places
slight-o-hand dodging and other actions that requirespeed o action
R983137983162983151983154-983155983144983137983154983152 C983148983137983159983155 great or slicing up en-emies cutting vegetables and maybe climbing trees
S983144983151983154983156 a pain or reaching the top shel but use-ul or crawling under low objects and getting lost ina crowd
S983148983151983159 a problem when running dodging and re-
acting to thingsS983156983154983151983150983143 useul or lifing carrying smashing
and throwing things Wrestling and avoiding beingcrushed might also be aided
T983137983148983148 good or reaching the top shel climbingand seeing over other peoplersquos heads
T983144983145983150 handy or squeezing into places and clotheshiding behind poles and perorming on the catwalk
U983143983148983161 a problem when trying to seduce someoneor get a role on V
V983145983143983151983157983154 great or resisting poison long distancerunning and other eats o endurance
Weak a pain when lifing carrying smashing andthrowing stuff
W983141983138983138983141983140 F983141983141983156 great or swimming but terriblewhen buying shoes
M983145983150983140 D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155A983138983155983141983150983156-M983145983150983140983141983140 good or being distracted but a
problem when remembering where you lef the keysor that you just pulled the pin rom a hand grenade
B983151983151983147-S983149983137983154983156 great when doing exams knowingmath ormulas remembering dates in history andgenerally getting into Law at Harvard
C983151983149983152983157983156983141983154-W983145983162 good or programming fixing
your laptop and getting into PC vs Apple flame-warsD983145983149-W983145983156983156983141983140 a problem when listening to jokes
recognizing a trick or generally keeping up appear-ances in social settings
E983149983152983137983156983144983141983156983145983139 good or reading peoples emotionsdoing psychological evaluations and knowing how tocomort distressed people
F983151983139983157983155983141983140 good or staying on task not getting dis-tracted and looking serious
L983137983156983141983154983137983148 T983144983145983150983147983141983154 handy or problem solving
and approaching issues in new or unusual waysM983137983156983144983141983149983137983156983145983139983145983137983150 great or doing sums solvingequations and doing your tax
O983138983155983141983154983158983137983150983156 great or spotting hidden clues no-ticing details doing find-a-words and reading bodylanguage
O983154983137983156983151983154 good or public speaking debating andgetting people to see your point o view
S983148983151983159 a pain when trying to understand plans orlearn new things
T983137983139983156983145983139983145983137983150 great or planning battles remember-
ing military history and quoting sun suU983150983141983140983157983139983137983156983141983140 a pain when reading doing math
remembering important dates in history and doingany school-type tests
W983145983155983141 handy or sprouting proverbs giving adviceputting unrelated clues together interpreting peoplersquosreactions and saying lsquoI told you sorsquo
W983145983156983156983161 good or making unny comments beingcharming and or entertaining and always knowingthe right thing to say
APPENDIX - DESCRIPTORS
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7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
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E983140983143983141 D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155A983139983154983151983138983137983156983145983139983155 great or joining the circus leaping
through narrow gaps and doing impressive flipsA983154983139983137983150983141 K983150983151983159983148983141983140983143983141 good or identiying mys-
tic arteacts recognizing the presence o evil magicand reading ancient scrolls
C983151983157983154983137983143983141 handy when seeing something scary
telling your wie you orgot your anniversary and at-tempting other dangerous acts
D983154983145983158983145983150983143 great or car racing car chases and pass-ing your driving exam
F983141983150983139983145983150983143 good or sword fighting and other civi-lized orms o melee
G983151983151983140 M983141983149983151983154983161 handy or remembering namesand aces vital clues and mathematical ormulas
H983157983150983156983145983150983143 good when tracking and stalking look-ing good in camouflage and knowing what an angryrhinoceros sounds like
K983141983141983150 S983145983143983144983156 great or seeing a long way or evendoing stuff by moonlight
L983145983150983143983157983145983155983156983145983139983155 good or speaking one (or more)oreign languages and generally communicating withothers
M983137983143983145983139 great or knowing the mystic arts castingspells or acting like a stage magician
M983141983140983145983139983145983150983141 good or perorming operations diag-nosing illness and administering first aid
N983137983155983156983161 B983145983156983141 great or really hurting someone in
combat chewing your own arm off or winning a pieeating contestR983145983139983144 handy or buying luxury sports cars getting
invited to exclusive parties and bribing city officialsW983154983141983155983156983148983145983150983143 good or fighting unarmed combat
and pinning opponents to the ground
F1048684983137983159 D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155B983148983145983150983140 a pain when doing anything that requires
sight such as shooting navigating an unamiliar spaceor painting
B983154983137983158983141 good or charging into mortal danger act-ing oolhardy and getting into deep trouble
C983148983157983149983155983161 a problem when carrying a valuable vase
visiting an antique store or trying to cross a booby-trapped room
G983154983141983141983140983161 a pain when resisting the urge to steal lieor in some other way keep or obtain wealth
I983150-H983157983149983137983150 A983152983152983141983137983154983137983150983139983141 a hindrance when try-ing not to get noticed avoiding attention or finding apair o pants that fit just right
M983145983155983155983145983150983143 L983141983143 a problem when running climbingor perorming any other activity that involves move-ment without prosthetics or a wheel chair
O983148983140 a pain when trying to look cool climb stairsuse a computer or be positive about your health
P983151983151983154 a hindrance when wanting to buy ood orclothes or trying to get into an exclusive party
P983151983151983154 S983145983143983144983156 a pain when trying to recognizesomeone or thing driving at night or noticing visualclues
P983154983145983149983145983156983145983158983141 a problem when using mobile phonescars and door bells as well as interacting at more civi-lized social occasions
S983149983141983148983148983161 a hindrance when trying to impress peo-
ple or hiding rom wild animals or trackersW983137983150983156983141983140 a pain when trying to keep out o trou-ble or needing something rom your apartment
Y983151983157983150983143 a problem when trying to get into clubs betaken seriously by adults avoid school or see over thedash in a car
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7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
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NAME CONCEPT
BODY
MIND
EDGE
FLAW
DESCRIPTION
ROLL RESULT
6 Yes and
4 Yes
2 Yes but
5 No but
3 No
1 No and
A983150983143983154983161 983154983137983152983152983141983140 D983137983162983141983140
S983139983137983154983141983140 B1048684983145983150983140983141983140 I983150983146983157983154983141983140
983145983154983141983140 H983157983150983143983154983161 D983161983145983150983143
DRIVESWHAT DO YOU WANT
WHAT IS STOPPING YOU
WHAT WILL YOU DO
RELATIONSHIPS
C O N D I T I O N S
F U
P O I N T S
T H E O D D S
NOTES
G E A R
FU
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 2232
I983150983156983154983151983140983157983139983156983145983151983150 983091U983155983145983150983143 983156983144983145983155 983138983151983151983147 983091
983144983141 B983137983155983145983139983155 983092W983144983137983156 983161983151983157 983150983141983141983140 983092
W983144983137983156 983161983151983157 983140983151 983092
H983151983159 983161983151983157 983140983151 983145983156 983092
B983141983142983151983154983141 983152983148983137983161 983092
alk beore play 4
Te Insta-Genre-Generator 4
C983144983137983154983137983139983156983141983154983155 983093C983151983150983139983141983152983156 983093
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 983093
E983160983137983149983152983148983141 D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 983093
Clicheacutes are your riend 6
Choosing Descriptors 6
Descriptors are clear 6
Descriptors are innate 6
Descriptors are finite 6
What type o
Descriptor is this 6
What makes a good
Edge amp Flaw 6
Should I specialise 6
Alternative Descriptors 6
G983141983137983154 983095
E983160983137983149983152983148983141 G983141983137983154 983095
Choosing Gear 7
Gear is equipment 7
Describing Gear 7 One adjective only 7
Specific nouns 7
alk about your Gear 7
Good Gear Bad Gear 7
Stuff that isnrsquot Gear 7
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983145983151983150 983096
D983154983145983158983141983155 983096
R983141983148983137983156983145983151983150983155983144983145983152983155 983096
Itrsquos all about roleplaying now 8
Long or short term goals 8
How many Relationships 8Donrsquot be antagonistic 8
C983144983137983154983137983139983156983141983154
C983154983141983137983156983145983151983150 S983157983149983149983137983154983161 983097
A983139983156983145983151983150 983089983088S983139983141983150983141983155 983078 T983157983154983150983155 983089983088
Who ldquosetsrdquo the scene 10
How do you ldquoset a scenerdquo 10
What is an objective 10
Do scenes have to be in order 10
Do I have to use turns 10
B983141983137983156983145983150983143 983156983144983141 O983140983140983155 983089983089
Closed Questions 11
Alternative Questions 11
Alternative Dice Rolls 11
S983157983139983139983141983155983155 983078 F983137983145983148983157983154983141 983089983090
M983151983140983145983142983145983141983154983155 983089983091
Example o Modifiers 13
Other types o rolls 13
How do ldquoopposedrdquo
actions work 13
Dialing in on Your action 13
Option Matching Dice 13
FU P983151983145983150983156983155 983089983092
Starting FU Points 14
Can I give share FU Points 14Do Narrators get FU points 14
Other ways to earn FU 14
Other ways to use FU 14
FU as Health 14
Re-Roll Everything 14
Flip a Pip 14
Use a Prop 14
Stunts and Powers 14
aking a Hit 14
A983139983156983145983151983150 S983157983149983149983137983154983161 983089983093
N983137983154983154983137983156983151983154 983089983094T983137983148983147983145983150983143 983145983155 983143983151983151983140 983089983094
L983145983155983156983141983150983145983150983143 983145983155 983143983151983151983140 983089983094
W983144983141983150 983152983148983137983161983145983150983143 983089983094
3 Questions to
rame your game 16
What will characters do 16
How do players want to eel 16
What is the Narratorrsquos role 16
R983141983139983151983158983141983154983161 983089983095
R983141983159983137983154983140983155 983089983095
C983144983137983154983137983139983156983141983154983155 983078 O983138983155983156983137983139983148983141983155 983089983095
Te Bowl 17
Advancement 17
racking obstacles 17
What do I share with players 17
RACE 983156983151 983156983144983141EMPLE 983151983142 O 18B983141983142983151983154983141 983161983151983157 983138983141983143983145983150 983089983096
S983139983141983150983141983155 983089983096
C983144983137983148983148983141983150983143983141983155 983089983096
C983144983137983154983137983139983156983141983154983155 983089983097
A983152983152983141983150983140983145983160D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 983090983089B983151983140983161 D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 983090983089
M983145983150983140 D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 983090983089E983140983143983141 D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 983090983090
F983148983137983159 D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 983090983090
C983144983137983154983137983139983156983141983154 S983144983141983141983156 983090983091
CONTENTS
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7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 3233
FU is a game o action adventure and un It is arole playing game o grand proportions and stupey-ing simplicity FU lets you create exciting stories in anysetting imaginable with a minimum o uss or even
preparationFU is first and oremost an easy game Tis book
will help you move rom the thought ldquoLets roleplayin this settingrdquo to actually playing within a matter ominutes Character creation is quick and intuitive al-lowing you to play any kind o character you desireand the game system itsel is easy to learn and verysimple to use
FU is universal Or generic Or whatever you wantto call it Tese core rules are not wrapped around aspecific background or setting and make an effort toassume nothing It is a basic system around which youmay create your own settings and stories With thatsaid however FU avours certain kinds o play FUlends itsel to a lsquoseat o your pantsrsquo style where littlepreparation is needed Narrators that enjoy runningadventures lsquoon the flyrsquo will certainly enjoy FU as willplayers that are tired o being told what they canrsquot doinstead o what they might achieve
U983155983145983150983143 983156983144983145983155 983138983151983151983147Tis book is filled with two types o inormation
Te first are the rules proper - the inormation thattells you how to play Te rules are laid out like the
inormation on this page with clear headings and sub-headings FU is pretty straightorward and you arenrsquotlikely to need to do much reerring to the rule bookafer your first game but everything you need to knowis presented clearly in this way
Examples o rules are ormatted like this Teyare scattered amongst the main text and will help you see the rules in action You probably wonrsquotneed to read them either afer your first game
Tere are also sidebars at the bottom o many pagesHere you will find explanations o rules detailed ex-amples guidelines on using rules in play and optionalrules that you can incorporate into your games Tesidebars are easy to spot as they are separated rom themain text by a line and presented in three columnsReer to this inormation i you need to clariy theldquohowrdquo or ldquowhyrdquo o a particular rule
INTRODUCTION
FU Freeorm Universal Roleplaying GameA game by Nathan Russell
FU by Nathan Russell is licensed under a CreativeCommons Attribution 30 Unported License
For more details on what this license means attributionrequirements and a cool Powered By FU logo visit
httpnathanrussellnetu
wwwPerilPlanetcom
Tis game was completed as part o the National Game Design MonthFind out more at wwwnagademoncom
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FU is written with the assumption that at least oneplayer is amiliar with roleplaying games and has a vague idea o how they work I you donrsquot have a cluewhat an RPG is then start by finding someone who
does
W983144983137983156 983161983151983157 983150983141983141983140o play FU you will need to gather a ew things
Here is your shopping listD983145983139983141 Standard six-sided dice are used to resolve
action in FU You will need at least one but it wouldbe better i players had about three each Six sided diceare reerred to throughout the rules as d6 I a numberappears in ront (such as 2d6 or 4d6) this indicates youshould roll that many dice
P983141983150983139983145983148 983137983150983140 P983137983152983141983154 Players will need to record thedetails o their character important notes about theirmission and all kinds o other things Te Narratorwill also need paper or keeping track o different ele-ments o the story
S983139983154983137983152 P983137983152983141983154 Narrators will find it useul to keepa supply o paper handy in order to draw rough dia-grams or keep track o the events o a story A smallwhite board is also handy or such purposes
W983144983137983156 983161983151983157 983140983151You and your riends are going to work together totell a dramatic exciting story You will establish partso the setting and everyone will have a chance to in-fluence that world Most o the players will create acharacter who is going to be a major protagonist oneo the cool guys that gets things done Each characterhas their own strengths weaknesses and goals that willhelp you roleplay them One player will be the Nar-rator who helps everyone along presents challenges
or the characters to overcome and adjudicate the ruleswhen needed
Play is a kind o conversation where everyoneworks together to put the characters in cool andor
entertaining situations Ten you will use the dice tohelp work out what happens next Sometimes you willall be working together throwing ideas around sug-gesting things and talking over the top o each other Itis chaos but hopeully productive un chaos At othertimes you are going to take it in turns to describe whatyour character is doing and seeing how that turns out
H983151983159 983161983151983157 983140983151 983145983156o resolve any action where the outcome is not
clear roll a d6 Your objective is to lsquobeat the oddsrsquo by
rolling an even number Te higher the even numberthe better the result I you roll an odd number theaction either ailed or wasnrsquot quite as good as neededor expected Te lower the odd number the worse theresult When the environment skills equipment orabilities make an action easier or harder you will getto roll multiple dice and keep the best or worst result
B983141983142983151983154983141 9831521048684983137983161Beore anything else you and your riends must
decide what type o game you want to play who thecharacters are going to be and where your story takesplace Knowing this will help players create cool char-acters and direct the Narrator in the role they will take
Tese decisions might already be made either bythe Narrator or a pre-made setting module I notwork together to come up with something everyone isexcited to play
THE BASICS
T983137983148983147 983138983141983142983151983154983141 983152983148983137983161
Have a conversation about the typeo game you will play so everyonestarts in the same ldquospacerdquo Establishtone theme andor expectations It isimportant to know whether you will becheered or jeered or outrageous over-acting or bloody acts o violence
Trow around ideas on setting im-agery set-pieces cool clicheacutes and unky
scenes Tis way everyone gets a clear picture o what the game is going to beabout
Tis discussion will also clue theNarrator in on what players want (orneed) out o the game It establisheswhether players want to eel like epicheroes down-trodden underdogs ortragic anti-heroes
T983144983141 I983150983155983156983137-G983141983150983154983141-G983141983150983141983154983137983156983151983154
For quick pick-up games get every-one to write two genres or settings onbits o paper Stick them all in a hat and
pick out two Now you have ldquoApocalypseSuburbiardquo ldquoMedieval Super-heroesrdquoldquoKung-Fu High Schoolrdquo or whateverhave a discussion about tone theme
possible plots and characters Now play
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In FU a character is your alter-ego During a storyyou describe what the character does how they re-spond to situations and react to others
C983151983150983139983141983152983156When you know the kind o setting or premiseo the adventures you will be playing you can beginthinking about your character Tis is the kernel owho or what the character is and should be summedup in just a ew words or a phrase
Te concept might define the characterrsquos back-ground or occupation such as lsquoparanormal detectiversquoor lsquochild prodigyrsquo Or it might give insight into theirpersonality such as lsquonoble savagersquo or lsquonutty proessorrsquo
O course the characterrsquos concept should fit into the
setting background or types o adventures that youwill be playing A lsquostreetwise coprsquo may be out o placein medieval England though a lsquoworldly sheriff rsquo mightbe just right Use the setting to inspire your character
Troughout this chapter we will ollow Daveand Nina as they create their own charactersWith im the Narrator they have decided to playa game based on the pulp serials o the 1930rsquos andthat it will be airly whimsical and action-packedDave thinks o a couple o his avourite movies
and decides that the concept or his character willbe lsquoDaredevil Explorerrsquo Nina wants to play some-thing a little unusual and afer discussing herideas with im and Dave decides her characterwill be an lsquoAlien Emissaryrsquo
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155Descriptors are adjectives or very short phrases that
identiy a characterrsquos skills and flaws the things thatmake their lie easier and harder and ultimately make
them who they are Tey indicate the kinds o thingsthat a character is good at their physical and mentaltraits and any abilities or drawbacks they might haveTey are both guides or your roleplaying and modi-fiers to lsquobeat the oddsrsquo rolls
Characters have our Descriptors Body MindEdge and Flaw Choose an adjective or phrase to de-scribe the most distinctive eatures o your character
Tinking about his Daredevil Explorer and thekinds o things he might have gotten up to duringhis lie Dave decides on the ollowing Descriptors
Body Nimble Mind Level HeadedEdge Use bull whipFlaw Araid o heights
Nina inspired by classic pulp science fictionstories has decided on the ollowing Descriptors or her character the Alien Emissary
Body Fragile Mind Observant
Edge Read MindsFlaw Alien Perspective
E98316098313710486859831521048684983141 D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Tis is by no means an exhaustive list just some
ideas to get you started Each o these is described inmore detail in the Appendix (page 20)
B983151983140983161 Agile Ambidextrous Blonde FurryFake Orange an Handsome Huge OverweightPoor Constitution Quick Razor-sharp Claws
Short Slow Strong all Tin Ugly Vigour Weak
M983145983150983140 Absent Minded Book Smart Comput-er-Wiz Dim-Witted Empathetic Focused Lat-eral Tinker Mathematician Observant SlowUneducated Wise Witty
E983140983143983141 Acrobatics Arcane Knowledge Cour-age Driving Fencing Good Memory HuntingKeen Sight Linguistics Magic Medicine NastyBite Rich Wrestling
F983148983137983159 Blind Brave Clumsy Greedy In-hu-man Appearance Missing Leg Old Poor PoorSight Primitive Smelly Wanted Young
CHARACTERS
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7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
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C983148983145983139983144983273983155 983137983154983141 983161983151983157983154 983142983154983145983141983150983140
It is totally okay to use clicheacutes whencoming up with your concept Clicheacutescontain a host o ideas and conceptsthat we are immediately amiliar withWhen somebody says their character is
a barbarian we automatically picturethem as heavily muscled and uncivi-lised Using clicheacutes is a kind o a short-hand way to describe your character
C983144983151983151983155983145983150983143 D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155
You should strive to be imaginativeand honest Consider both your conceptand the setting Giving a character theFlaw lsquo canrsquot swimrsquo when you know allthe stories will take place in the desert ishardly sporting
Be imaginative keep your concept inmind and discuss your ideas with theNarrator Te possibilities are endless
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 983137983154983141 983139983148983141983137983154
A good Descriptor is understood byeveryone at the table I you or another
player think a Descriptor is ambiguoustalk about it It might need to be re-written but it might not either You justwant everyone to be on the same page
when it comes time to using itD983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 983137983154983141 983145983150983150983137983156983141
Each Descriptor is an integral andinnate part o the character Tey can-not normally be taken away lost orremoved (though they might be orgot-ten or restricted under the right circum-stances) Do not make your Descriptorsitems o equipment
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 983137983154983141 983142983145983150983145983156983141
Each Descriptor should have one ortwo obvious uses or a specific purposeIt might also be applicable in a rangeo other unoreseen circumstances but
you will find that out in play Medicine is better than Doctor or example asthe latter could be used in a variety onon-medical situations (ldquoAs a Doctor Iam well educated and quite wealthyrdquo)
W983144983137983156 983156983161983152983141 983151983142 D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154 983145983155 983156983144983145983155
Some Descriptors could easily allinto more than one categorymdashGood
Memory might or example be a MindDescriptor or an Edge Ugly could be aFlaw or a Body Descriptor Tatrsquos fine It
is up to you the Narrator and the other players to make a decision on whether aspecific Descriptor is appropriate or not
or the stories you are telling
W983144983137983156 983149983137983147983141983155 983137 983143983151983151983140 E983140983143983141 983078 F983148983137983159
Tings that might be called ldquoskillsrdquo orldquoeatsrdquo or ldquostuntsrdquo in other games make
great Edges - stuff like lsquo sword fighting rsquolsquo breath underwater rsquo and lsquo winningsmilersquo are all good examples
Te best Flaws are personality traitsor physical shortcomings Tings likelsquo always smells bad rsquo or lsquo deaf rsquo are better
flaws than lsquo canrsquot driversquo or lsquo canrsquot speakFrenchrsquo O course there are alwaysexceptions I the characters are Britishspies during the Napoleonic wars notspeaking French would be a real draw-back Likewise the Flaw lsquo canrsquot swimrsquobecomes a great eature in a game o
pirates and sea battles Look or waysto challenge your character add spice
to games and present obstacles to over-come
S983144983151983157983148983140 I 983155983152983141983139983145983137983148983145983155983141
You can ocus your Descriptors ona single concept and ldquospecialiserdquo Fora really awesome warrior give themBody Strong Mind Tactician Edge
Melee and Flaw Reckless It would bevery easy to bring most o these descrip-tors into play whenever you get intoa fight BU there isnrsquot a lot o depth
there and you are going to be in a bindwhen in noncombat situations Instead
you might replace a couple o Descrip-tors with more versatile options BodyTough Mind Focused Edge Melee and Flaw Reckless
Describe your characterrsquos Body asHuge and their Edge as Strong i you
want a wrestler body builder or angry green super hero Give your brilliantscientist Mind Book-Smart and EdgeRocket Science Just be aware the more
you specialise the harder you will haveto work in scenes unrelated to your
orte Some players like this challenge
A983148983156983141983154983150983137983156983145983158983141 D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155
Te our deault Descriptors (Body Mind Edge amp Flaw) are not the onlyway to define your characters Changeor replace them to suit your game set-ting and stories In a game about giantmecha you might replace Body and
Mind with Chassis and Pilot or ex-ample In a game where everyone playsdifferent types o were-creatures one
Descriptor might become Animal FormIn these cases some o the advice in thissidebar might also need to be adjusted
Animal Form Jaguar is broader thanthe Descriptors discussed here but is to-tally appropriate to capture the ideas o
your game Use your imagination andmodiy things as needed
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7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 7237
G983141983137983154Gear is the equipment gadgets and weapons that
a character will use on their adventures All charactershave the basic clothes or items that are appropriate totheir concept Gear is the important and cool stuff thata character carries
Like Descriptors a characterrsquos Gear will modiy
lsquobeat the oddsrsquo rolls Gear can be anything - guns andknives to ancy clothes credit cards a horse mobilephone or even a star ship Like Descriptors your char-acterrsquos Gear depends on character concept game set-ting and the stories you want to tell Unlike Descrip-tors Gear is always made up o an adjective and nounRusting Sword Long Rope Fast Horse Long-rangedRifle Dadrsquos Camero Heavy Armour
Your character has two items o Gear Choose twoitems or your character
Dave decides his Daredevil Explorer to have aSturdy Bull Whip since he is quite skilled with itand a Worn Leather Jacket to keep out the coldand offer a little protection rom scrapes and alls
Nina thinks about her Alien Emissary beoredeciding on some Official Documents that indi-cating her political status and some Exotic Robes designed to impress and inspire awe
E98316098313710486859831521048684983141 G983141983137983154Like the example Descriptors this list is not in any
way exhaustive It barely scratches the surace o whatyour character might possess
C983148983151983156983144983141983155 Designer Jeans Slinky Black Dress(letrsquos count ldquoblack dressrdquo as the noun) Filthy Un-derpants Worn Jacket State-o-the-art SpaceSuit Silk Smoking Jacket Beat-up Fedora allPowdered Wig
W983141983137983152983151983150983155 Rusting Sabre Heavy Axe MyFatherrsquos Service Revolver Concealed Dagger Ex- perimental Flamethrower Fake Revolver Reliable AK-47 Rubber Mallet
Transport Faithul Horse Beat-up BuickBullet-proo Limo Squeaky Clown Shoes uned-up Street Racer Girls Bicycle Unreliable Coupe
Rickety Wagon Fast Motorcycle Grandmarsquos Run-about
O983156983144983141983154 S983156983157983142983142 Huge Backpack MiniatureFlag Heavy RPG Books Faithul Hound DentedFrying Pan Water-damaged Notebook AncientSpell Book My Favourite Pet Rock
C983144983151983151983155983145983150983143 G983141983137983154Items should be ldquoiconicrdquo to your
character Tink Batmanrsquos SinisterBatsuit the Ghostbusterrsquos Unstable
Proton-packs James Bondrsquos ReliableBerretta or Zorrorsquos Flashing Blade
Each piece o Gear should add some-thing to your characterrsquos background
personality or goals It should make astatement about who the character is orwhat they do
G983141983137983154 983145983155 983141983153983157983145983152983149983141983150983156
Gear is never innate - it can bedropped lost broken and stolen A Cy-bernetic Arm is not Gear but an Ar-moured Power Glove is
D983141983155983139983154983145983138983145983150983143 G983141983137983154
When describing gear make the ad- jective tell us something useul andorinteresting about it A Long Dagger isokay a Broken Dagger is better
Like Descriptors the description o your Gear should be clear - you donrsquotwant to be guessing at the purpose ormain eature o an item
O983150983141 983137983140983146983141983139983156983145983158983141 983151983150983148983161
Te description o your gear shouldhave a single adjective - no less and nomore A Sharp Sabre is okay as is a
Magic Sword but a Sharp Magic Sabreis not allowed
S983152983141983139983145983142983145983139 983150983151983157983150983155
Choose specific descriptive nounsSabre is better than Sword BaseballCap is better than Hat You can usemore than one noun but keep the de-scription to as ew words as possible
T983137983148983147 983137983138983151983157983156 983161983151983157983154 G983141983137983154
Discuss your Gear Everyone needsto be clear on what you are describingwhat the Gear will be useul or andwhen it might be a hindrance
Gear is not innately ldquogoodrdquo or ldquobadrdquoWhat you do with it and the situations you find yoursel in will dictate whetherhaving an item is useul or not
G983151983151983140 G983141983137983154 B983137983140 G983141983137983154
You can i you want dictate thatone piece o Gear must have a ldquogoodrdquoadjective and the other a ldquobadrdquo oneYou might have a Warm Jacket and anOld Gun or a Fast Motorcycle and a
Maxed-out Credit Card
S983156983157983142983142 983156983144983137983156 983145983155983150rsquo983156 G983141983137983154
Any objects items or equipment thatare not listed as Gear are props Propshave no effect on a characterrsquos chanceo success at an action - they are merelywindow-dressing However you canswap steal and pick-up another charac-terrsquos Gear and use that
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 8238
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983145983151983150By now you should have a good idea o who your
character is Now it is time to fill in all the other detailsTis is the bit where you describe the characterrsquos
appearance and personality their past goals riendsenemies and any other detail you think important orinteresting
Dave takes a moment to note a ew thingsabout the Daredevil Explorer
ennessee Smith is a mild-mannered proessoro history but in his spare time he travels into thewilderness in search o lost arteacts and treasureRuggedly handsome he always seems to keep hiscool no matter how much danger he is inmdashandhe tends to get into a lot o it
Ninarsquos description o the Alien Emissary is
Lumina is an important diplomat rom the planet Jupiter which is ruled by the Dread LordKang Like all her kind she has purple skin a baldhead and delicate eatures Lumina works or the Jupiter Underground attempting to overthrowDread Lord Kang
D983154983145983158983141983155Every character has a purpose - a goal they are striv-
ing to achieve It may not be world changing (thoughit can be) but it should be important to that characterAsk the ollowing questions o your character
W983144983137983156 983140983151 983161983151983157 983159983137983150983156 What is it that you desirethe thing that drives you to action
W983144983137983156 983145983155 983155983156983151983152983152983145983150983143 983161983151983157 What obstacle or adver-sary is stopping you rom getting what you want
W983144983137983156 983159983145983148983148 983161983151983157 983140983151 What is the next step to getwhat you want What are you willing to do to succeed
ennessee Smith is in search o the Idol o otan arteact he has coveted or decades His rivalGiles Fishburne is also afer the idol and always
seems to be one step ahead ennessee is desperateto succeed this time and will do almost anythingto get the idol - though he would never kill or it
Lumina seeks reedom or all the people o Jupi-ter Dread Lord Kang rules the planet with an iron fist and his agents are always on the look out orrenegades Lumina is willing to put her own lie onthe line to achieve her vision
R9831411048684983137983156983145983151983150983155983144983145983152983155Choose at least one other character that will takepart in the story and write a short statement aboutyour relationship with them Tis should be clear andadd some interesting depth to both characters back-grounds For example Old drinking buddies Datedthe same woman Fought in the war together Weretrained by the same master
Dave writes ennessee Smith and Lumina metat Harvard where Lumina was giving a presen-tation on the ancient cultures o Jupiter Nina is
happy with this adding only that both characterswere attracted to each other but Lumina is too o-cussed on her mission to have any romantic dal-liance
I983156rsquo983155 983137983148983148 983137983138983151983157983156 983154983151983148983141983152983148983137983161983145983150983143 983150983151983159
Your Description Drives and Re-lationships all help develop your char-acter and put them into the ldquoworldrdquo o
your stories and adventures Te Narra-tor might occasionally give you a bonusto dice rolls because o the inormation
you reveal here but that is by no meansrequired
Use your Drives and Relationshipsto inorm the way you roleplay yourcharacter the way they interact with theother playerrsquos characters and the worldaround them
L983151983150983143 983151983154 983155983144983151983154983156 983156983141983154983149 983143983151983137983148983155
When choosing your Drive you are ree to pick long or short term goals I you are only playing a one-off game
then it is a better idea to pick somethingthat will have an immediate impact onthe plot I you are planning a series o
games then by all means come up witha longer-term goal or your character
H983151983159 983149983137983150983161 R983141983148983137983156983145983151983150983155983144983145983152983155
wo is a good number o Relation-ships to begin with Pick two differentcharacters and decide how they knoweach other You and another player can
work together to decide on a relation-ship or you can have separate unre-lated or ldquoopposedrdquo relationships (orexample ldquoIn love withrdquoldquoRepulsed byrdquo)
D983151983150rsquo983156 983138983141 983137983150983156983137983143983151983150983145983155983156983145983139
Donrsquot create Drives or Relationshipsthat will have characters constantly ateach others throats It is okay to havecharacters that donrsquot see eye-to-eye (in
act that can be un) but donrsquot havethem hate each other You want thecharacters to unction together in orderto deeat the antagonist solve the mys-tery or complete the mission
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 9239
CHARACTER CREATION
SUMMARY
CONCEPTWho is your character What is the ldquoHigh ConceptrdquoClicheacutes and archetypes are okay
DESCRIPTORSIdentiy the our most important or interesting eatures o your characterone each or Body Mind Edge and FlawEach Descriptor should be short punchy clear innate and finite
GEARWhat cool iconic stuff does your character carryChoose two items o gear describing each with an adjective and noun(eg Sharp Sabre Fast Motorcycle)
DESCRIPTIONWhat does your character look like What is their name Where are theyrom What makes them interesting and unique
DRIVESWhat does your character want What is stopping them What will they doto get it
RELATIONSHIPSHow do the characters know each other What connections do they have
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 102310
In FU you and the other players work together totell exciting stories about your characters It is notabout winning or even competing with anyone but itis about everyone having un while you create this col-
laborative story
S983139983141983150983141983155 983078 983157983154983150983155Play is broken into scenes and turns A scene is a
period o story involving a specific situation locationor group o characters Scenes are the primary buildingblocks o the story and can represent anything rom aew seconds to many hours o time Each scene shouldhave a specific objective and the scene ends when thatobjective has been addressed A scene should advancethe plot o the story reveal inormation about a char-
acter or add background colour to the events beingdescribed Ofen a scene will do all o these things atthe same time
During a scene players and Narrator describe whatthe characters are doing Players ldquoact outrdquo their char-acters speaking or them and declaring what actionsthey take while the Narrator does the same or all theother characters creatures and monsters in the scene
Scenes might be resolved through dice rolls but theydonrsquot have to be It is entirely possible that a scenersquosobjective is met through roleplaying and character in-teraction
When it is important to know the specific actionso each character and the order in which they occura scene is broken into turns A turn is a period longenough or each character to take a single actionwhether that be to make an attack deliver a rousingspeech throw an object to a companion look up someinormation on their iPhone or perorm some othertask
Players declare what action their characters aretaking while the Narrator decides what the othercharacters and creatures are going to do Everyonethen works together to decide what order everythingoccurs When all the characters involved have had achance to act the turn ends A new turn will begin inecessary
It is worth pointing out at this point that only play-ers roll dice Tis leaves the Narratorrsquos hands and mindree to scheme and plot and prepare or the next excit-ing encounter
ACTION
W983144983151 ldquo983155983141983156983155rdquo 983156983144983141 983155983139983141983150983141 Players might suggest scenes they
would like to see or be involved in butmost o the time the Narrator decideswhat scenes occur and in what orderthey happen Discussion might occurabout the order events occur in whatis happening where it is happening andwho is involved beore the Narratormakes a final call on all these matters
Some groups like to give everyone a
turn at setting a scene and that is to-tally cool too
H983151983159 983140983151 983161983151983157 ldquo983155983141983156 983137 983155983139983141983150983141rdquo
Setting a scene is a matter o defin-ing where and when the action takes
place who is there and what has justhappened or what is about to happenLocation Characters Event or WhereWhen Who amp What
When describing the scene draw on
all the senses point out interesting orimportant details o the location andall the characters involved Consider theobjective o the scene as you create it
W983144983137983156 983145983155 983137983150 983151983138983146983141983139983156983145983158983141
An objective can be anything thata player or character wants Characterobjectives might include finding a pieceo inormation deeating an enemytalking to someone travelling a small or
great distance preparing or battle con-
ning a mark or stealing an object Play-er objectives could include seeing theircharacter in a cool fight solving themystery revealing a secret about theircharacter or interacting with a specificcharacter or player Ofen player andcharacter goals overlap
D983151 983155983139983141983150983141983155 983144983137983158983141 983156983151 983138983141 983145983150 983151983154983140983141983154
You can use all the techniques o sto-ries novels and movies which means
flashbacks and flash orwards parallel
story lines and even montages can be played out in scenes While most o thetime your scenes will occur in a chrono-logical order you do not have to be re-stricted by this
D983151 I 983144983137983158983141 983156983151 983157983155983141 983156983157983154983150983155
urns are an optional measuremento time useul or when a variety o stuffis being attempted by several charac-ters Use them to organise the action asneeded Some scenes will naturally all
into turns while others will be resolvedwithout ever considering them
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 112311
B983141983137983156983145983150983143 983156983144983141 O983140983140983155When a character attempts an action where the
outcome is not immediately andor completely obvi-ous you make a beat the odds roll
o resolve an action roll a d6 Your objective is tolsquobeat the oddsrsquo by rolling an even number Te higherthe even number the better the result I you roll an
odd number the action either ailed or wasnrsquot quite asgood as needed or expected Te lower the odd num-ber the worse the result Tere is a handy chart belowthat helps illustrate this idea
Te beat the odds roll is the heart o FU While mosto the time even numbers are good and odd numbersare bad the precise situation will dictate the actual re-sults It may be that the roll o a 1 does not indicate anoutrageous ailure so much as a success in the mostminimal or ragile o ways
We are going to ollow the trials and tribula-tions o two characters rom two different settingsin this chapter
Sir Camden is riding afer the evil Lord KaneHe sees Lord Kane leap a tall hedgerow disappear-ing into the orest beyond Sir Camden now triesto leap the hedge so you roll a d6 scoring 2 SirCamdenrsquos horse clears the hedge but Sir Camdenis jostled about in the saddle and is momentarilyconused
Captain Vance ducks as another hail o bullets peppers the wall he is hiding behind Grabbing adamaged radio he flicks some switches and triesto call HQ or back-up You roll a d6 and score a 1Vance ails to find the right requency and a straybullet hits the radio destroying it
R983151983148983148 D983151 983161983151983157 983143983141983156 983159983144983137983156 983161983151983157 983159983137983150983156983103
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 donrsquot get what you want but itrsquos not a total loss
3 No You donrsquot get what you were afer
1 No and You donrsquot get what you want and things get worse
C983148983151983155983141983140 Q983157983141983155983156983145983151983150983155
FU uses a closed question ormat tohelp resolve actions A closed questioncan only be answered with a ldquoyesrdquo orldquonordquo statement When you reach a situ-ation that needs to be resolved by dice
propose a closed question ldquoDo I leapthe chasmrdquo ldquoDo I punch that jerk inthe noserdquo ldquoDoes the tavern wench all
or my easy charm and winning smilerdquoTe roll o the die will answer the ques-tion and guide your response
A lot o the time you wonrsquot need toask the question explicitly - it will be ob-vious rom the action you attempt ldquoyoutake a run up and leap rom the edge othe chasm Rollrdquo
A983148983156983141983154983150983137983156983145983158983141 Q983157983141983155983156983145983151983150983155
You can pose different questionsi you want though you will have tochange the result chart An obviousquestion is ldquoHow well do I succeedrdquoTis might garner the ollowing results
Roll How well do you succeed
6 Legendary success
4 Complete success
2 Only just succeed
5 Fail by the smallest margin
3 Complete ailure
1 Epic ailure and then some
Feel ree to come up with your ownquestions and answers as suits theneeds o your group game and story
A983148983156983141983154983150983137983156983145983158983141 D983145983139983141 R983151983148983148983155
Some players are not ans o theevenodd results Many preer a 1-3Bad 4-6 Good result In that case theresult chart would look like this
Roll Do you get what you want
6 Yes and
5 Yes
4 Yes but
3 No but
2 No
1 No and
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 122312
S983157983139983139983141983155983155 983078 F9831379831451048684983157983154983141When you make a beat the odds roll your character
will either succeed at what they were attempting orthey wont Tis is usually enough to push your storyurther along but other things can happen too
When you attempt an action you are asking ldquoDoesmy character get what they wantrdquo Tere are six pos-
sible answers to this questionYes and
Yes
Yes but
No but
No
No and
Yes and No are pretty straight orward - they tell youwhether the action succeeded or not Te and and but are qualifiers that modiy how good the success or howbad the ailure was When you get a qualifier you makean extra statement about how the action succeeded orailed Tis extra statement can add a Condition to acharacter or a Detail to a scene
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 Tese are physical mental or socialeffects that impact on the way a character behaves orattempts actions Conditions include things like an- gry conused tired and unconscious Tere are severallisted on the FU character sheet and there is space oryou to write your own
D983141983156983137983145983148983155 Tese are eatures o an environment orscene that might change as a result o an action Detailsmight include curtains catching fire windows break-ing animals running off or machinery stalling De-tails are always closely tied to the scene and the action
E983160983137983149983152983148983141983155 983151983142 S983157983139983139983141983155983155 983078 F983137983145983148983157983154983141
Going back to an earlier exampleletrsquos see what might have happenedwhen we apply each possible answer tothe question
ldquoDoes Sir Camden leap the hedgerdquo
Yes and he catches up with LordKane Tis is a Detail that changes thescene
Yes he leaps the hedge Tere is noandbut qualifier so no Condition orDetail is added
Yes but Sir Camden is disorientedand momentarily confused Tis is aCondition applied to the character
No but he spots a gap in the hedge urther along Tis Detail gives the char-acter another way to continue the chase
No the horse shies away rom the jump Tere is no andbut qualifier sono Condition or Detail is added
No and his horse rears up throwinghim to the ground causing an injury Tis is a Condition
W983144983151 983139983144983151983151983155983141983155 C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 983078D983141983156983137983145983148983155
Anyone can suggest a Condition orDetail that they eel is appropriate tothe action taken and result achievedUsually the player that rolled the diceand the Narrator will work together tocome up with a suitably dramatic effectBut really anyone at the table shouldthrow in whatever cool idea they have
Te Narrator always has final sayover what Condition or Detail is ap-
plied to a result
W983144983141983150 983155983144983151983157983148983140 I 983157983155983141 C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155
Like all qualifiers it depends onsituation In the examples above Con-ditions are applied to the acting playerwhen things donrsquot quite go right orthem ( Yes but No and ) Te Condi-tions make lie a bit more difficult or
the character because o the minimalsuccess or outright ailure
You can also apply Conditions tothe target o an action when things are
going right or your character I youare debating with a bureaucrat and geta Yes and result you might apply theconfused Condition to the target I youattempt to outrun an enemy and get the
No but result they might catch up with
you but have the tired Condition Ap- plying Conditions in this way will likely give player characters an advantagelater in the scene
W983144983141983150 983155983144983151983157983148983140 I 983157983155983141 D983141983156983137983145983148983155
Apply Details when the action is like-ly to change the scene or environment insome way Tis might be a change in the
power dynamic o the scene (ldquo Yes he
leaps the hedge and he catches up withLord Kanerdquo) or a change in the physicalenvironment (ldquo No but he spots a gap inthe hedgerdquo)
Details are ofen applied when theacting character gains some advantage( Yes and No but ) Tey can be usedto great effect however to make situa-tions more entertaining and or dan-
gerous
ldquoDo you swing across the room on
the chandelier Yes but candles allloose and set fire to the tavernrdquo
Details can provide instant or on- going effects depending on the circum-stances A gap in the hedge can be usedimmediately to continue the chase aburning tavern will continue to be ahazard until someone puts the fire out
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 132313
M983151983140983145983142983145983141983154983155Sometimes circumstances equipment and skill will
make actions easier or harder Modifiers change thenumber o dice you get to roll when taking action
M983137983147983145983150983143 T983144983145983150983143983155 E983137983155983145983141983154 Roll an additional dieor each Descriptor piece o Gear Condition or De-tail that provides some advantage to the action being
taken Te result is the single best (not necessarilyhighest) die roll as the player chooses
In the woods Sir Camden tries to track LordKane You point out that the knight is a goodhunter so you get an extra d6 Rolling 2d6 youscore a 5 and a 4 Keeping the 4 it is decided thatafer a brie search Sir Camden finds Lord Kanersquostracks and ollows them to a sinister citadel
M983137983147983145983150983143 T983144983145983150983143983155 H983137983154983140983141983154 Roll an extra die oreach Descriptor bit o Gear Condition or Detail that
makes the action harder Te result is the single worstdie roll
Captain Vance decides to run to a near-by jeepTe Narrator points out there is no cover betweenVancersquos hiding spot and the vehicle ldquoDoes Vance get to the jeep uninjuredrdquo You roll 2d6 scoringa 3 and a 5 You must accept the 3 and CaptainVance is injured as he reaches the jeep
C983137983150983139983141983148983148983145983150983143 O983157983156 One beneficial die cancels out
one hindering die so you will never be rolling lsquonega-tiversquo and lsquopositiversquo dice at the same time
Later in his quest Sir Camden must scale asheer (-) cliff Te knight is strong (+) and hasa rope (+) Overall this means a single bonus tothe action (the sheer cliff and the knightrsquos strengthcancel each other out just leaving the rope) Youroll 2d6 scoring a 3 and 6
E983160983137983149983152983148983141 983151983142 M983151983140983145983142983145983141983154983155
Captain Vance hurtles along in the jeep when a guard tries to drag himout through the window ldquoWill Vanceshake the guard offrdquo It is hard (+) todrag Vance out the window but he iswounded (-) and surprised (-) and the
attacker is very strong (-) In total youmust roll 2 penalty dice You roll 3d6scoring a 2 4 and 3 and must take theworst result the 3 Te guard wrestlesVance out o the jeep
O983156983144983141983154 983156983161983152983141983155 983151983142 983154983151983148983148983155
FU has no such thing as lsquoopposedrollsrsquo or lsquocontested actionsrsquo lsquodamagerollsrsquo and lsquorolling to hitrsquo Te beat theodds roll is the only kind o roll usedin FU whether you are trying to drive
a car through a crowded mall armwrestle a giant or shrug off the damagecaused by a stray bullet
H983151983159 983140983151 ldquo983151983152983152983151983155983141983140rdquo 983137983139983156983145983151983150983155 983159983151983154983147
For a start only players ever rolldice You begin by actoring in all thebonuses (+) and penalties (-) that applyto your character Ten you take stocko all the actors that would apply tothe opponent and apply those into your
roll too Is the opponent weak You geta bonus die Is the opponent a worldchampion arm wrestler You actor ina penalty die And so on until every-thing is actored in When you knowhow many bonus andor penalty dice
you have roll I the result is an even
number you win the contest i the finalresult is an odd number your opponenthas the advantage
D983145983137983148983145983150983143 983145983150 983151983150 Y983151983157983154 983137983139983156983145983151983150
Sword fights political debates spaceraces international wars argumentsand gun battles are all resolved usingthe beat the odds roll Te key is to dialin or out o the action through the kindo questions you attempt to resolve Youcan fight a dramatic sword fight and ex-
change a series o blows by asking ldquoDoI hit the Count De Montierdquo But youcould also resolve the entire fight witha single roll by asking ldquoDo I deeat theCount De Montie in a duelrdquo Or takeit to the next level and ask ldquoDo my men-at-arms storm the Count De Montiersquoscastlerdquo Adjust the dial as necessary
O983152983156983145983151983150 M983137983156983139983144983145983150983143 D983145983139983141
Rolling doubles triples or quadru- ples can make a success much better ora ailure ar worse I your result die hasa match the effects will be much moredramatic You may add one ldquoandrdquostatement or each matching die I the
action is ailed this statement shouldmake the situation worse I the actionis a success the additional statement(s)should make the situation even better
For example Sir Camden aces LordKanersquos henchmen ldquoWill Sir Camden de-
eat the henchmenrdquo He is injured andoutnumbered so you will roll 2 penaltydice You roll and score 3 3 and 2 Youmust take the worst result - the double3 Normally this would be a ldquo Nordquo re-
sult but the matching 3 turns it into aldquo No andrdquo I you had rolled triple 3the result would have been ldquo No andandrdquo
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 142314
FU P983151983145983150983156983155FU Points are a resource that you spend to improve
a characterrsquos chance o success at an action Tey canbe used in two ways
B983151983150983157983155 D983145983141 Spend a FU Point beore a beat theodds roll to add a single bonus die Tis works like anyother bonus die You can add as many bonus dice as
you have FU Points but they must all be declared atthe same time
R983141-983154983151983148983148 Spend a FU Point afer a beat the oddsroll to re-roll a single die Te second result must stand- you cannot re-roll a re-roll You can re-roll as manydice as you have FU Points but you must declare themall at the same time beore the first die is re-rolled
You can spend multiple FU Points on any givenaction and or either or both effects It is completelywithin the rules to spend a FU Point to add a bonus
die beore a roll then another FU Point to re-roll a dieaferwards
Back at HQ Captain Vance tries to convinceGeneral Wallace to deploy the Rocket roops un-der his command Vance doesnrsquot have much going or him in this situation in terms o Descriptorsso you decide to spend 2 FU Points on the roll You
roll the basic die plus the two bonus dice gettinga 1 1 and 3 Not happy with this you spends yourlast FU Point on a re-roll You pick up one o the1rsquos and throw the die again
E983137983154983150983145983150983143 FU P983151983145983150983156983155 FU Points are earned duringplay or doing cool stuff and roleplaying your charac-ter Whenever you do something that stops play andmakes everyone go ldquoWowrdquo or laugh out loud at yourantics or anything else that everyone thinks should berewarded you earn a FU Point
S983156983137983154983156983145983150983143 FU P983151983145983150983156983155
Te number o FU Points you begina game with should be discussed beore
play begins Te more FU Points play-ers begin with the more easily they willachieve successes I playing games ohigh adventure or over-the-top actionit would be reasonable to begin with 2FU Points Super-powered heroes mightbegin with as many as 3 FU Points For
grittier games each player might onlybegin with 1 FU Point or even none
C983137983150 I 983143983145983158983141 983155983144983137983154983141 FU P983151983145983150983156983155
Tat is up to you and your groupTe deault is ldquonordquo but
D983151 N983137983154983154983137983156983151983154983155 983143983141983156 FU 983152983151983145983150983156983155
Usually no but they might allow a powerul villain or monster to have onetwo or three
O983156983144983141983154 983159983137983161983155 983156983151 983141983137983154983150 FU
You might like to change the way youearn FU Points You might earn them
or dealing the killing blow to monstersachieving your characterrsquos goal or roll-ing multiple 1rsquos or 6rsquos
Tis is a really good way to changethe tone or style o the game Want to
play a dungeon crawl Reward FU orkilling monsters A gritty dystopian
game Reward FU when the characters
lose out to Te Man Decide i these arethe only ways to earn FU or i they arein addition to the normal roleplayingrewards Tis decision will also have adramatic effect on the tone o play Seewhat you can do with it
O983156983144983141983154 983159983137983161983155 983156983151 983157983155983141 FU
Play around with FU Points Experi-ment or adjust the ways you use them
to suit your gaming group or the typeo story you are playing Here are somesuggestions
FU 983137983155 H983141983137983148983156983144
Rather than having a varying andchangeable number o FU points everycharacter begins with 3 Tey can bespent as normal but can also be lostwhen the character suffers physical ormental stress (injuries atigue earetc) FU in this instance can be rereshed
(brought back up to 3) by roleplayingout a (non-dice rolling) scene with an-other character that reveals somethingabout your relationship
R983141-R983151983148983148 E983158983141983154983161983156983144983145983150983143
Spend a FU point to re-roll all yourdice Tis is an all-or-nothing thing so
you canrsquot keep a couple o good resultsand roll the rest Use this variant in-stead o the normal re-roll rule
F983148983145983152 983137 P983145983152
Spend a FU Point to adjust a singledie up or down by one pip Spend mul-tiple FU points to adjust a die multiple
pips Tis option is more reliable thana re-roll as you will always be able toturn a ldquonordquo into a ldquoyesrdquo I you used thisvariant the normal re-roll rule shouldnot be used
U983155983141 983137 P983154983151983152Spend a FU point to turn a prop into
an item o Gear or the duration o thescene
S983156983157983150983156983155 983137983150983140 P983151983159983141983154983155
Give characters special abilitiesskills or powers that can only be used byspending a FU Point Tese should bemore powerul than Descriptors - makethem break the rules or give a superhu-man knack like the ability to fly or read
minds teleport or whatever
T983137983147983145983150983143 983137 H983145983156
Instead o rolling declare you areldquotaking a hitrdquo All the dice you shouldhave rolled are treated as i they rolled1rsquos (yes i you are holding 5 dice theycount as five 1rsquos) In return or your su-
ering you earn a FU Point
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 152315
ACTION
SUMMARY
SET THE SCENEWhere does the scene take place Who is there What do they want Doyou need to break down into turns
ACTRoleplay your character and describe what is going on Push toward theobjective
ASK A QUESTIONWhen you need to resolve a conflict or complete an action ask a closedquestion (eg ldquoDo I succeedrdquo)
FACTOR IN MODIFIERS+1 bonus die or every Descriptor item o Gear Detail Condition or other
eature that makes the action easier+1 penalty die or every Descriptor item o Gear Detail Condition or othereature that makes the action harder
ROLLRoll all your dice Te result is the single best die (i rolling bonus dice) orsingle worst die (i rolling penalty dice)
DESCRIBE RESULTUse the die result to describe how the conflict or action turned out Apply
Conditions or Details as necessary
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 162316
Following is some simple straightorward adviceor Narrators It is all airly generic because all the spe-cific stuff is going to relate to the genre tone and styleo game that you and your players choose to play
9831371048684983147983145983150983143 983145983155 983143983151983151983140Start your game with a conversation alk about
what players want out o the game what you want andwhere those ideas overlap Tose overlaps are likelywhere everyone is going to have the most un At the very least you should work together to establish thegenre and tone o your shared story alk about thisstuff too so that everyone is clear o the specifics (thereis a world o difference between Gothic horror andsplatter films or example)
alk during the game too Encourage players toshare ideas and give input into scenes objectives andthe challenges characters ace I you need to clariyideas themes or issues then do that
L983145983155983156983141983150983145983150983143 983145983155 983143983151983151983140I there is going to be talk there needs to be listen-
ing Listen to your players and the things they tell youeither in conversation or when they do things withtheir character Do stuff that relates to the Descriptors
written on the playerrsquos character sheets because that iswhat they think is cool
W983144983141983150 9831521048684983137983161983145983150983143When running games donrsquot plan too much ahead
o time Te dice rolls are going to direct a lot o theaction and you and the players will fill in the gaps byapplying Conditions and Details Here are some tipsto keep things moving and help you enjoy the game as
much as the players doK983141983141983152 983156983144983145983150983143983155 983155983145983149983152983148983141 Do not complicate your job
by introducing lots o sub-plots or convoluted twistsTings will get all messed about by themselves and the
story will run off on tangents that you never dreamedo
Y983151983157 983137983154983141 983150983151983156 983156983144983141 983141983150983141983149983161 this may seem obviousbut is worth stating Your role is to help guide the storyin interesting directions not to kill everyone You cangive players hints and ideas i you think this will lead toa better story Sometimes you will portray the adver-saries and are expected to do so vigorously but airlyOther times you will get to be an ally companion orpeer and once again you should be true to the spirit othe game
S983137983161 ldquoY983141983155rdquo i players make suggestions or ask ques-tions it is probably because they are interested in whatis going on Tey probably have a cool idea to introduceto the story Encourage this and confidently say ldquoyesrdquoto requests Tis doesnrsquot mean you should let playersget anything they want ndash but you should let players in-troduce elements into the story when the time is right
M983137983147983141 983154983151983148983148983155 983149983141983137983150983145983150983143983142983157983148 Every time you callor a die roll it should mean something interesting isgoing to happen NO MAER HE RESUL Donrsquot
have players make rolls i the result is not important tothe story or i ailure will stop the momentum o thestory
NARRATOR
983091 Q983157983141983155983156983145983151983150983155 983156983151 983142983154983137983149983141 983161983151983157983154 983143983137983149983141
When you begin a game talk withthe players about their expectations ryto answer the ollowing three questions
W983144983137983156 983159983145983148983148 983139983144983137983154983137983139983156983141983154983155 983140983151983103
Do players want to kick in doorskill monsters and take home piles otreasure Do they want to eel like epicheroes Or the underdogs strugglingagainst ridiculous odds
H983151983159 983140983151 983152983148983137983161983141983154983155 983159983137983150983156 983156983151 983142983141983141983148983103
Do the players want to eel like theyare changing the world Like their char-acter is gaining in wealth prestige or
power Or do they want to eel like theirbacks are against the wall and their livesconstantly at risk
W983144983137983156 983145983155 983156983144983141 N983137983154983154983137983156983151983154rsquo983155 983154983151983148983141983103
What kinds o challenges encoun-ters and situations are you going to pre-
sent the characters in order to achievethe above Do you need to ensure everychallenge is accompanied by a generousreward Are you going to make every
fight hard but air Will you be relent-less in the pursuit o the antagonistrsquos
goals
Answer these questions and every-one at the table will be clear on theirrole in the coming adventure
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 172317
R983141983139983151983158983141983154983161During games characters can suffer injuries be-
come physically or mentally stressed and be afflictedby a range o other Conditions Conditions are alwaysrecovered at a time andor rate appropriate to the sto-ry Tis is usually with the passing o time but doesnot have to be A good rule o thumb is that one or
more Conditions can be removedrecovered betweenscenes though this will depend on the timing o suchencounters
R983141983159983137983154983140983155Reward players or good roleplaying and achieving
goals by giving them FU Points You may also rewardthem or a variety o other reasons as your group de-cides (see the sidebar on page 12) FU Points can beused to improve a characters chance o success and arethereore a great immediate tangible reward You donrsquot
have to be the only one at the table offering rewardsthough All players should speak up when someonehas done something cool unny or awesome and re-ward a FU Point
H983151983159 983149983157983139983144 983144983151983159 983151983142983156983141983150 Be generous with yourrewards as the positive reinorcement o earning FUPoints will inspire them on to greater acts o heroismspectacle or depravity as the case may be Also takeinto account whether this will be a ldquoone offrdquo game ora part o an ongoing story or campaign - players arelikely to burn through FU Points aster in a singe ses-
sion game and will need their resources replenishedaster
C983144983137983154983137983139983156983141983154983155 983078 O9831389831559831569831379831391048684983141983155All the characters monsters traps villains terrain
eatures creatures and obstacles that are encounteredduring a story are defined in much the same way ascharacters You are not confined by any rules or re-strictions when creating characters or obstacles theonly thing you must do is make them entertaining andinteresting
T983144983141 B983151983159983148
One technique or rewarding FUPoints is to place a bowl o beads chitsor tokens in the centre o the table Eachbead is a FU Point Te Narrator cantell players to ldquotake one rom the bowlrdquoand other players can reach in when it isappropriate to reward a player by pass-ing a bead rom the bowl Tis requirestrust between players and Narrator butmakes the running o the game verysmooth as no-one has to stop and askldquoDoes that deserve a FU Pointrdquo
A983140983158983137983150983139983141983149983141983150983156
FU is not a game about ldquolevellinguprdquo While characters might have avariety o experiences and learn romthem the real advancement comes romthe changing story andor world
I appropriate players can changeone Descriptor between game sessionsTis alteration should relate in someway to the experiences and story theircharacter just participated in Gear canbe changed between sessions at the Nar-ratorrsquos discretion
Goals might also change rom gamesession to game session Give playerstime to consider their goals at the starto each session and let them adjust orchange them as necessary
T983154983137983139983147983145983150983143 983151983138983155983156983137983139983148983141983155
Use sticky-notes or index cards torecord details about your charactersmonsters and obstacles Write downDescriptors Gear and other ino Asthey suffer Conditions record those onthe card
Use index cards to record importantterrain eatures too Write down anyDescriptor(s) pertaining to the eature
so players can take them into accountas they plan their actions
W983144983137983156 983140983151 I 983155983144983137983154983141 983159983145983156983144 983152983148983137983161983141983154983155
Some groups play open making nosecret o the Descriptors and details ocreatures and monsters Other groups(andor Narrators) keep this inorma-tion hidden rom players Both options
provide or different styles o play
Playing an open table means eve-ryone is clear about what is going onwhat opportunities exist or cool scenesand actions Players can see what GearConditions and Descriptors are ldquoin
playrdquo and incorporate them into scenes
Keeping the details o villains trapsand other obstacles rom the playerswill push them to test their enemies ex-
plore the environment and try differentthings Tey can manoeuvre themselvesand situations in directions they thinkwill be advantageous It is always satis-
ying to be rewarded with bonus dice oraccurately guessing an enemyrsquos Descrip-tors
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 182318
ennessee Smith amed explorer has finally got a solid lead on the whereabouts o the ancientIdol o ot an object o reported supernatural power Unortunately Smithrsquos arch enemy Giles
Fishburne is also on the trail o the Idol and hasthrown his lot in with the Nazis
Tis short adventure will get you into the actionquickly It illustrates one way you might prepare yourown adventures adversaries and obstacles Use thepre-generated characters presented at the end o theadventure Race to the emple o ot consists o a serieso set-piece encounters that you can use rearrange andignore at your leisure Remember that beat the oddsrolls will lead to all kinds o interesting twists and
turns and once the characters set out on the adventureanything is possible
B983141983142983151983154983141 983161983151983157 983138983141983143983145983150Beore starting play have a quick discussion about
the tone and style o the game Te scenario is clas-sic pulp - over the top action outrageous villains andlarger than lie heroes Make sure everyone is on thesame page here - talk about what makes this genre cooland perhaps point out examples o the genre (Indiana Jones Te Mummy Te Rocketeer ) and what parts o
these you enjoyedRead the flavour text above (the stuff in italics) and
get everyone at the table to throw around some ideaso cool stuff they would like to see happen during theadventure Note it all down - when things slow or iyou get stuck or what to do next chuck one o theseideas into the mix
S983139983141983150983141983155Te scenes presented here have a description o
where the action takes place and suggest Descriptorsyou or the players might incorporate into the actionTe italics set up the action o the scene and the objec-tive Paraphrase the details or your players
C98314498313710486841048684983141983150983143983141983155Te challenges and adversaries in this adventure
are recorded in boxes with relevant Descriptors Con-ditions and Notes Tese are to guide you and do nothave to be used Your own cool ideas should alwaystrump anything written here
E983155983139983137983152983141 983156983144983141 B9831571048684983137983147 M983137983154983147983141983156S983139983141983150983141 Central Asia - a bustling market in the city
o Bulak - Midday all stone and mud-brick buildingswith narrow arched windows surround the central
market stalls and caes bars and emporiums run offin all directions along winding narrow streets
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Crowded streets Exotic goods
Te characters have just acquired a map to theemple o ot Unortunately Nazi goons have ar-rived and want the map too Tere are a lot o goons and while the characters could fight themit might be easier to flee Do the characters escape
NAZI GOONS
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Lots o goons Beey AryansNot too bright
G983141983137983154 Noisy Sub-machine guns
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 ConusedrappedSlowedOut o Action
N983151983156983141983155 Tere are a number o goon squads equal tothe number o characters
W983144983137983156 983139983137983150 983143983151 983159983154983151983150983143983103 Te characters are cap-tured Te map is lost
9831549831379831509831551048684983137983156983145983150983143 983156983144983141 M983137983152S983139983141983150983141 A dark coffee lounge cae or back roomsomewhere in the city o Bulak Te smell o strongcoffee and exotic ood permeates the room
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Private
ennessee Smith and his companions have themap but must now translate it puzzling out thestrange symbols and markings Do they translatethe map
TRANSLATING THE MAP
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Ancient glyphs Brittle paperC983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 ornRuinedSmudged
Burnt to a crisp
W983144983137983156 983139983137983150 983143983151 983159983154983151983150983143983103 Te map is damaged Techaracters misread the map Tey cannot read the mapand must get help rom an expert in ancient languages
RACE TO THE TEMPLE OF TOT
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 192319
983144983141 G983151983157 Z983151983157 G983151983154983143983141S983139983141983150983141 Te majestic Gou Zou Gorge hal a mile
deep and crossed by a single iron girder railway bridgeWide open plains lie on either side o the gorge and theKow Mountains lie in the distance
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Open plains Impassible Gorge
Te characters ollow the map to Gou ZouGorge by car or horse back Giles Fishburne is ap- proaching ast aboard the German dirigible DerVogel Do the characters cross the bridge saelyDo they keep their lead on the Germans
NAZI BIRD TRUPPEN
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Tey Fly Agile
G983141983137983154 Delicate Flying Harness DeadlyStick Grenade
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 ConusedGrounded
SlowedOut o ActionN983151983156983141983155 Tere are a number o Bird ruppen equalto the number o characters
GOU ZOU BRIDGE
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Wide but narrow
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 RicketyBlown all to hell
N983151983156983141983155 You know you must introduce an approach-ing train right
W983144983137983156 983139983137983150 983143983151 983159983154983151983150983143983103 Te bridge is destroyed
Te map is lost the characters are captured
983144983141 98314110486859831521048684983141S983139983141983150983141 An ancient temple ashioned into the side
o a mountain Grand statues o sinister looking godsand daemons line the walls Dust covers everythingTe tunnel leads deeper into the mountain
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Dark Silent
Te characters must penetrate the heart o thetemple but the map warned o nearious traps
and terrible guardians Do they get past the trapsand guardians
NEFARIOUS TRAPS
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Hidden Deadly
G983141983137983154 Poison Darts Rusting Spears
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 DisarmedSet-offRevealed
N983151983156983141983155 Challenge characters with one or two trapsell them the passage is trapped but donrsquot tell themhow or where the traps are until they are sprung
STONE STATUE GUARDIAN
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Big Heavy Slow Relentless
G983141983137983154 Heavy Stone Weapons
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 DamagedOff balanceSlowedOut o Action
N983151983156983141983155 Tere is one Statue Guardian or every two
characters Te large heavy weapons can strikemultiple characters at once
W983144983137983156 983139983137983150 983143983151 983159983154983151983150983143983103 Characters cannot getpast traps characters are injured by traps
983144983141 I9831409831511048684 C9831449831371048685983138983141983154S983139983141983150983141 A large stone chamber ingeniously lit by
mirrors reflecting sunlight Te Idol o ot - a gold-en statue o a seven-headed monkey - sits on a stoneplinth in the centre o the room
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Large bronze mirrors
Te characters enter the chamber o the idolonly to find that Giles Fishburne and his Nazi goons are here too Do they deeat Giles and es-cape with the Idol
GILES FISHBURNE
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Smart Arrogant Sword fighter
G983141983137983154 Polished Sabre
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 ConusedInjuredSlowedOut o Action
N983151983156983141983155 Giles is a greedy arrogant villain but heisnrsquot stupid I things start looking dire he will attemptto escape make a deal andor double-cross anyone inhis way He has no loyalty to the Nazis
C983144983137983154983137983139983156983141983154983155Four pre-made characters can be ound on the next
page Tey are each examples o classic pulp charac-ter archetypes Players may tweak or adjust them atthe Narratorrsquos discretion beore play starts perhapschanging a Descriptor or two or switching out an item
o Gear Beore starting the game each player shoulddefine one or two relationships describing how thecharacters know each other A quick and easy way todo this is or everyone to describe how they know thecharacter to their lef
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 202320
TENNESSEE SMITH DAREDEVIL EXPLORER
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Nimble Level Headed Use BullWhip Araid o Heights
G983141983137983154 Bull Whip Worn Leather Jacket
D983154983145983158983141983155 Find the Idol o ot
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 AngryScaredired
rapped
Blinded
HungryDazedInjuredDying
ennessee Smith is a mild-mannered proes-sor o history but in his spare time he travelsinto the wilderness in search o lost arteacts andtreasure Ruggedly handsome he always seemsto keep his cool no matter how much danger heis inmdashand he tends to get into a lot o it
R983141983148983137983156983145983151983150983155983144983145983152983155
N983151983156983141983155
HARVEY REED RETIRED BOXER
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Strong Tinks-on-his-Feet BoxerUgly as Sin
G983141983137983154 Roll o quarters Poor fitting suitD983154983145983158983141983155 Look out or ennessee Smith
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 AngryScarediredrappedBlindedHungryDazedInjuredDying
Harvey Reed is a recently retired championboxer Finding the sedentary lie a little too bor-ing he has joined his old riend ennessee insearch o adventure
R983141983148983137983156983145983151983150983155983144983145983152983155
N983151983156983141983155
JIMMY SWEET PLUCKY KID
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Quick Smart-aleckUnderestimated Young
G983141983137983154 Noisy Firecrackers Dirty BaseballCap
D983154983145983158983141983155 See the 7 wonders o the world
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155
Angry
Scared
iredrappedBlindedHungryDazedInjuredDying
Jimmy Sweet is a happy-go-lucky kid who hasnever had anyone to rely on but himsel He iswiry tough and quick with a cheeky attitudethat requently gets him into trouble Jimmystowed away on a tramp steamer with the inten-tion o seeing the world and making his ortune
R983141983148983137983156983145983151983150983155983144983145983152983155
N983151983156983141983155
OCTOBER JONES GIRL REPORTER
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Beautiul Witty Good MemoryCurious
G983141983137983154 rusty Camera Tick Notebook D983154983145983158983141983155 Get the scoop on the real ennes-
see Smith
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 AngryScarediredrappedBlindedHungryDazedInjuredDying
October Jones is a reporter and adventurerafforded a great deal o reedom by her atherrsquosimmense wealth Beautiul intelligent and spoiltshe is a woman used to getting what she wants
R983141983148983137983156983145983151983150983155983144983145983152983155
N983151983156983141983155
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 212321
Tis list is by no means exhaustive but itrsquos a goodplace to start Each entry lists the kinds o things aDescriptor might be an advantage or hindrance orwhich makes it a handy reerence or both players and
Narrators
B983151983140983161 D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155A983143983145983148983141 helpul when dancing leaping doing gym-
nastics crawling through tight spaces and balancingA983149983138983145983140983141983160983156983154983151983157983155 great when shooting two guns at
the same time or doing slight-o-hand magic tricksB983148983151983150983140983141 good or getting people to underestimate
you not good i you spend too much time in the sunF983137983147983141 O983154983137983150983143983141 T983137983150 great or passing as an aging
celebrity and or drawing attention to yoursel
F983157983154983154983161 useul or resisting cold weather and livingin the woods
H983137983150983140983155983151983149983141 useul or flirting selling stuff gettingroles on V modelling and being popular
H983157983143983141 good or looking menacing reaching highplaces acting like a body builder or getting stuck insmall spaces
O983158983141983154983159983141983145983143983144983156 a problem when exercising andborrowing clothes
P983151983151983154 C983151983150983155983156983145983156983157983156983145983151983150 a hindrance when long dis-
tance running resisting damage perorming eats oendurance and healingQ983157983145983139983147 handy or ducking to and rom places
slight-o-hand dodging and other actions that requirespeed o action
R983137983162983151983154-983155983144983137983154983152 C983148983137983159983155 great or slicing up en-emies cutting vegetables and maybe climbing trees
S983144983151983154983156 a pain or reaching the top shel but use-ul or crawling under low objects and getting lost ina crowd
S983148983151983159 a problem when running dodging and re-
acting to thingsS983156983154983151983150983143 useul or lifing carrying smashing
and throwing things Wrestling and avoiding beingcrushed might also be aided
T983137983148983148 good or reaching the top shel climbingand seeing over other peoplersquos heads
T983144983145983150 handy or squeezing into places and clotheshiding behind poles and perorming on the catwalk
U983143983148983161 a problem when trying to seduce someoneor get a role on V
V983145983143983151983157983154 great or resisting poison long distancerunning and other eats o endurance
Weak a pain when lifing carrying smashing andthrowing stuff
W983141983138983138983141983140 F983141983141983156 great or swimming but terriblewhen buying shoes
M983145983150983140 D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155A983138983155983141983150983156-M983145983150983140983141983140 good or being distracted but a
problem when remembering where you lef the keysor that you just pulled the pin rom a hand grenade
B983151983151983147-S983149983137983154983156 great when doing exams knowingmath ormulas remembering dates in history andgenerally getting into Law at Harvard
C983151983149983152983157983156983141983154-W983145983162 good or programming fixing
your laptop and getting into PC vs Apple flame-warsD983145983149-W983145983156983156983141983140 a problem when listening to jokes
recognizing a trick or generally keeping up appear-ances in social settings
E983149983152983137983156983144983141983156983145983139 good or reading peoples emotionsdoing psychological evaluations and knowing how tocomort distressed people
F983151983139983157983155983141983140 good or staying on task not getting dis-tracted and looking serious
L983137983156983141983154983137983148 T983144983145983150983147983141983154 handy or problem solving
and approaching issues in new or unusual waysM983137983156983144983141983149983137983156983145983139983145983137983150 great or doing sums solvingequations and doing your tax
O983138983155983141983154983158983137983150983156 great or spotting hidden clues no-ticing details doing find-a-words and reading bodylanguage
O983154983137983156983151983154 good or public speaking debating andgetting people to see your point o view
S983148983151983159 a pain when trying to understand plans orlearn new things
T983137983139983156983145983139983145983137983150 great or planning battles remember-
ing military history and quoting sun suU983150983141983140983157983139983137983156983141983140 a pain when reading doing math
remembering important dates in history and doingany school-type tests
W983145983155983141 handy or sprouting proverbs giving adviceputting unrelated clues together interpreting peoplersquosreactions and saying lsquoI told you sorsquo
W983145983156983156983161 good or making unny comments beingcharming and or entertaining and always knowingthe right thing to say
APPENDIX - DESCRIPTORS
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E983140983143983141 D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155A983139983154983151983138983137983156983145983139983155 great or joining the circus leaping
through narrow gaps and doing impressive flipsA983154983139983137983150983141 K983150983151983159983148983141983140983143983141 good or identiying mys-
tic arteacts recognizing the presence o evil magicand reading ancient scrolls
C983151983157983154983137983143983141 handy when seeing something scary
telling your wie you orgot your anniversary and at-tempting other dangerous acts
D983154983145983158983145983150983143 great or car racing car chases and pass-ing your driving exam
F983141983150983139983145983150983143 good or sword fighting and other civi-lized orms o melee
G983151983151983140 M983141983149983151983154983161 handy or remembering namesand aces vital clues and mathematical ormulas
H983157983150983156983145983150983143 good when tracking and stalking look-ing good in camouflage and knowing what an angryrhinoceros sounds like
K983141983141983150 S983145983143983144983156 great or seeing a long way or evendoing stuff by moonlight
L983145983150983143983157983145983155983156983145983139983155 good or speaking one (or more)oreign languages and generally communicating withothers
M983137983143983145983139 great or knowing the mystic arts castingspells or acting like a stage magician
M983141983140983145983139983145983150983141 good or perorming operations diag-nosing illness and administering first aid
N983137983155983156983161 B983145983156983141 great or really hurting someone in
combat chewing your own arm off or winning a pieeating contestR983145983139983144 handy or buying luxury sports cars getting
invited to exclusive parties and bribing city officialsW983154983141983155983156983148983145983150983143 good or fighting unarmed combat
and pinning opponents to the ground
F1048684983137983159 D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155B983148983145983150983140 a pain when doing anything that requires
sight such as shooting navigating an unamiliar spaceor painting
B983154983137983158983141 good or charging into mortal danger act-ing oolhardy and getting into deep trouble
C983148983157983149983155983161 a problem when carrying a valuable vase
visiting an antique store or trying to cross a booby-trapped room
G983154983141983141983140983161 a pain when resisting the urge to steal lieor in some other way keep or obtain wealth
I983150-H983157983149983137983150 A983152983152983141983137983154983137983150983139983141 a hindrance when try-ing not to get noticed avoiding attention or finding apair o pants that fit just right
M983145983155983155983145983150983143 L983141983143 a problem when running climbingor perorming any other activity that involves move-ment without prosthetics or a wheel chair
O983148983140 a pain when trying to look cool climb stairsuse a computer or be positive about your health
P983151983151983154 a hindrance when wanting to buy ood orclothes or trying to get into an exclusive party
P983151983151983154 S983145983143983144983156 a pain when trying to recognizesomeone or thing driving at night or noticing visualclues
P983154983145983149983145983156983145983158983141 a problem when using mobile phonescars and door bells as well as interacting at more civi-lized social occasions
S983149983141983148983148983161 a hindrance when trying to impress peo-
ple or hiding rom wild animals or trackersW983137983150983156983141983140 a pain when trying to keep out o trou-ble or needing something rom your apartment
Y983151983157983150983143 a problem when trying to get into clubs betaken seriously by adults avoid school or see over thedash in a car
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NAME CONCEPT
BODY
MIND
EDGE
FLAW
DESCRIPTION
ROLL RESULT
6 Yes and
4 Yes
2 Yes but
5 No but
3 No
1 No and
A983150983143983154983161 983154983137983152983152983141983140 D983137983162983141983140
S983139983137983154983141983140 B1048684983145983150983140983141983140 I983150983146983157983154983141983140
983145983154983141983140 H983157983150983143983154983161 D983161983145983150983143
DRIVESWHAT DO YOU WANT
WHAT IS STOPPING YOU
WHAT WILL YOU DO
RELATIONSHIPS
C O N D I T I O N S
F U
P O I N T S
T H E O D D S
NOTES
G E A R
FU
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
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FU is a game o action adventure and un It is arole playing game o grand proportions and stupey-ing simplicity FU lets you create exciting stories in anysetting imaginable with a minimum o uss or even
preparationFU is first and oremost an easy game Tis book
will help you move rom the thought ldquoLets roleplayin this settingrdquo to actually playing within a matter ominutes Character creation is quick and intuitive al-lowing you to play any kind o character you desireand the game system itsel is easy to learn and verysimple to use
FU is universal Or generic Or whatever you wantto call it Tese core rules are not wrapped around aspecific background or setting and make an effort toassume nothing It is a basic system around which youmay create your own settings and stories With thatsaid however FU avours certain kinds o play FUlends itsel to a lsquoseat o your pantsrsquo style where littlepreparation is needed Narrators that enjoy runningadventures lsquoon the flyrsquo will certainly enjoy FU as willplayers that are tired o being told what they canrsquot doinstead o what they might achieve
U983155983145983150983143 983156983144983145983155 983138983151983151983147Tis book is filled with two types o inormation
Te first are the rules proper - the inormation thattells you how to play Te rules are laid out like the
inormation on this page with clear headings and sub-headings FU is pretty straightorward and you arenrsquotlikely to need to do much reerring to the rule bookafer your first game but everything you need to knowis presented clearly in this way
Examples o rules are ormatted like this Teyare scattered amongst the main text and will help you see the rules in action You probably wonrsquotneed to read them either afer your first game
Tere are also sidebars at the bottom o many pagesHere you will find explanations o rules detailed ex-amples guidelines on using rules in play and optionalrules that you can incorporate into your games Tesidebars are easy to spot as they are separated rom themain text by a line and presented in three columnsReer to this inormation i you need to clariy theldquohowrdquo or ldquowhyrdquo o a particular rule
INTRODUCTION
FU Freeorm Universal Roleplaying GameA game by Nathan Russell
FU by Nathan Russell is licensed under a CreativeCommons Attribution 30 Unported License
For more details on what this license means attributionrequirements and a cool Powered By FU logo visit
httpnathanrussellnetu
wwwPerilPlanetcom
Tis game was completed as part o the National Game Design MonthFind out more at wwwnagademoncom
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FU is written with the assumption that at least oneplayer is amiliar with roleplaying games and has a vague idea o how they work I you donrsquot have a cluewhat an RPG is then start by finding someone who
does
W983144983137983156 983161983151983157 983150983141983141983140o play FU you will need to gather a ew things
Here is your shopping listD983145983139983141 Standard six-sided dice are used to resolve
action in FU You will need at least one but it wouldbe better i players had about three each Six sided diceare reerred to throughout the rules as d6 I a numberappears in ront (such as 2d6 or 4d6) this indicates youshould roll that many dice
P983141983150983139983145983148 983137983150983140 P983137983152983141983154 Players will need to record thedetails o their character important notes about theirmission and all kinds o other things Te Narratorwill also need paper or keeping track o different ele-ments o the story
S983139983154983137983152 P983137983152983141983154 Narrators will find it useul to keepa supply o paper handy in order to draw rough dia-grams or keep track o the events o a story A smallwhite board is also handy or such purposes
W983144983137983156 983161983151983157 983140983151You and your riends are going to work together totell a dramatic exciting story You will establish partso the setting and everyone will have a chance to in-fluence that world Most o the players will create acharacter who is going to be a major protagonist oneo the cool guys that gets things done Each characterhas their own strengths weaknesses and goals that willhelp you roleplay them One player will be the Nar-rator who helps everyone along presents challenges
or the characters to overcome and adjudicate the ruleswhen needed
Play is a kind o conversation where everyoneworks together to put the characters in cool andor
entertaining situations Ten you will use the dice tohelp work out what happens next Sometimes you willall be working together throwing ideas around sug-gesting things and talking over the top o each other Itis chaos but hopeully productive un chaos At othertimes you are going to take it in turns to describe whatyour character is doing and seeing how that turns out
H983151983159 983161983151983157 983140983151 983145983156o resolve any action where the outcome is not
clear roll a d6 Your objective is to lsquobeat the oddsrsquo by
rolling an even number Te higher the even numberthe better the result I you roll an odd number theaction either ailed or wasnrsquot quite as good as neededor expected Te lower the odd number the worse theresult When the environment skills equipment orabilities make an action easier or harder you will getto roll multiple dice and keep the best or worst result
B983141983142983151983154983141 9831521048684983137983161Beore anything else you and your riends must
decide what type o game you want to play who thecharacters are going to be and where your story takesplace Knowing this will help players create cool char-acters and direct the Narrator in the role they will take
Tese decisions might already be made either bythe Narrator or a pre-made setting module I notwork together to come up with something everyone isexcited to play
THE BASICS
T983137983148983147 983138983141983142983151983154983141 983152983148983137983161
Have a conversation about the typeo game you will play so everyonestarts in the same ldquospacerdquo Establishtone theme andor expectations It isimportant to know whether you will becheered or jeered or outrageous over-acting or bloody acts o violence
Trow around ideas on setting im-agery set-pieces cool clicheacutes and unky
scenes Tis way everyone gets a clear picture o what the game is going to beabout
Tis discussion will also clue theNarrator in on what players want (orneed) out o the game It establisheswhether players want to eel like epicheroes down-trodden underdogs ortragic anti-heroes
T983144983141 I983150983155983156983137-G983141983150983154983141-G983141983150983141983154983137983156983151983154
For quick pick-up games get every-one to write two genres or settings onbits o paper Stick them all in a hat and
pick out two Now you have ldquoApocalypseSuburbiardquo ldquoMedieval Super-heroesrdquoldquoKung-Fu High Schoolrdquo or whateverhave a discussion about tone theme
possible plots and characters Now play
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In FU a character is your alter-ego During a storyyou describe what the character does how they re-spond to situations and react to others
C983151983150983139983141983152983156When you know the kind o setting or premiseo the adventures you will be playing you can beginthinking about your character Tis is the kernel owho or what the character is and should be summedup in just a ew words or a phrase
Te concept might define the characterrsquos back-ground or occupation such as lsquoparanormal detectiversquoor lsquochild prodigyrsquo Or it might give insight into theirpersonality such as lsquonoble savagersquo or lsquonutty proessorrsquo
O course the characterrsquos concept should fit into the
setting background or types o adventures that youwill be playing A lsquostreetwise coprsquo may be out o placein medieval England though a lsquoworldly sheriff rsquo mightbe just right Use the setting to inspire your character
Troughout this chapter we will ollow Daveand Nina as they create their own charactersWith im the Narrator they have decided to playa game based on the pulp serials o the 1930rsquos andthat it will be airly whimsical and action-packedDave thinks o a couple o his avourite movies
and decides that the concept or his character willbe lsquoDaredevil Explorerrsquo Nina wants to play some-thing a little unusual and afer discussing herideas with im and Dave decides her characterwill be an lsquoAlien Emissaryrsquo
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155Descriptors are adjectives or very short phrases that
identiy a characterrsquos skills and flaws the things thatmake their lie easier and harder and ultimately make
them who they are Tey indicate the kinds o thingsthat a character is good at their physical and mentaltraits and any abilities or drawbacks they might haveTey are both guides or your roleplaying and modi-fiers to lsquobeat the oddsrsquo rolls
Characters have our Descriptors Body MindEdge and Flaw Choose an adjective or phrase to de-scribe the most distinctive eatures o your character
Tinking about his Daredevil Explorer and thekinds o things he might have gotten up to duringhis lie Dave decides on the ollowing Descriptors
Body Nimble Mind Level HeadedEdge Use bull whipFlaw Araid o heights
Nina inspired by classic pulp science fictionstories has decided on the ollowing Descriptors or her character the Alien Emissary
Body Fragile Mind Observant
Edge Read MindsFlaw Alien Perspective
E98316098313710486859831521048684983141 D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Tis is by no means an exhaustive list just some
ideas to get you started Each o these is described inmore detail in the Appendix (page 20)
B983151983140983161 Agile Ambidextrous Blonde FurryFake Orange an Handsome Huge OverweightPoor Constitution Quick Razor-sharp Claws
Short Slow Strong all Tin Ugly Vigour Weak
M983145983150983140 Absent Minded Book Smart Comput-er-Wiz Dim-Witted Empathetic Focused Lat-eral Tinker Mathematician Observant SlowUneducated Wise Witty
E983140983143983141 Acrobatics Arcane Knowledge Cour-age Driving Fencing Good Memory HuntingKeen Sight Linguistics Magic Medicine NastyBite Rich Wrestling
F983148983137983159 Blind Brave Clumsy Greedy In-hu-man Appearance Missing Leg Old Poor PoorSight Primitive Smelly Wanted Young
CHARACTERS
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C983148983145983139983144983273983155 983137983154983141 983161983151983157983154 983142983154983145983141983150983140
It is totally okay to use clicheacutes whencoming up with your concept Clicheacutescontain a host o ideas and conceptsthat we are immediately amiliar withWhen somebody says their character is
a barbarian we automatically picturethem as heavily muscled and uncivi-lised Using clicheacutes is a kind o a short-hand way to describe your character
C983144983151983151983155983145983150983143 D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155
You should strive to be imaginativeand honest Consider both your conceptand the setting Giving a character theFlaw lsquo canrsquot swimrsquo when you know allthe stories will take place in the desert ishardly sporting
Be imaginative keep your concept inmind and discuss your ideas with theNarrator Te possibilities are endless
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 983137983154983141 983139983148983141983137983154
A good Descriptor is understood byeveryone at the table I you or another
player think a Descriptor is ambiguoustalk about it It might need to be re-written but it might not either You justwant everyone to be on the same page
when it comes time to using itD983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 983137983154983141 983145983150983150983137983156983141
Each Descriptor is an integral andinnate part o the character Tey can-not normally be taken away lost orremoved (though they might be orgot-ten or restricted under the right circum-stances) Do not make your Descriptorsitems o equipment
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 983137983154983141 983142983145983150983145983156983141
Each Descriptor should have one ortwo obvious uses or a specific purposeIt might also be applicable in a rangeo other unoreseen circumstances but
you will find that out in play Medicine is better than Doctor or example asthe latter could be used in a variety onon-medical situations (ldquoAs a Doctor Iam well educated and quite wealthyrdquo)
W983144983137983156 983156983161983152983141 983151983142 D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154 983145983155 983156983144983145983155
Some Descriptors could easily allinto more than one categorymdashGood
Memory might or example be a MindDescriptor or an Edge Ugly could be aFlaw or a Body Descriptor Tatrsquos fine It
is up to you the Narrator and the other players to make a decision on whether aspecific Descriptor is appropriate or not
or the stories you are telling
W983144983137983156 983149983137983147983141983155 983137 983143983151983151983140 E983140983143983141 983078 F983148983137983159
Tings that might be called ldquoskillsrdquo orldquoeatsrdquo or ldquostuntsrdquo in other games make
great Edges - stuff like lsquo sword fighting rsquolsquo breath underwater rsquo and lsquo winningsmilersquo are all good examples
Te best Flaws are personality traitsor physical shortcomings Tings likelsquo always smells bad rsquo or lsquo deaf rsquo are better
flaws than lsquo canrsquot driversquo or lsquo canrsquot speakFrenchrsquo O course there are alwaysexceptions I the characters are Britishspies during the Napoleonic wars notspeaking French would be a real draw-back Likewise the Flaw lsquo canrsquot swimrsquobecomes a great eature in a game o
pirates and sea battles Look or waysto challenge your character add spice
to games and present obstacles to over-come
S983144983151983157983148983140 I 983155983152983141983139983145983137983148983145983155983141
You can ocus your Descriptors ona single concept and ldquospecialiserdquo Fora really awesome warrior give themBody Strong Mind Tactician Edge
Melee and Flaw Reckless It would bevery easy to bring most o these descrip-tors into play whenever you get intoa fight BU there isnrsquot a lot o depth
there and you are going to be in a bindwhen in noncombat situations Instead
you might replace a couple o Descrip-tors with more versatile options BodyTough Mind Focused Edge Melee and Flaw Reckless
Describe your characterrsquos Body asHuge and their Edge as Strong i you
want a wrestler body builder or angry green super hero Give your brilliantscientist Mind Book-Smart and EdgeRocket Science Just be aware the more
you specialise the harder you will haveto work in scenes unrelated to your
orte Some players like this challenge
A983148983156983141983154983150983137983156983145983158983141 D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155
Te our deault Descriptors (Body Mind Edge amp Flaw) are not the onlyway to define your characters Changeor replace them to suit your game set-ting and stories In a game about giantmecha you might replace Body and
Mind with Chassis and Pilot or ex-ample In a game where everyone playsdifferent types o were-creatures one
Descriptor might become Animal FormIn these cases some o the advice in thissidebar might also need to be adjusted
Animal Form Jaguar is broader thanthe Descriptors discussed here but is to-tally appropriate to capture the ideas o
your game Use your imagination andmodiy things as needed
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G983141983137983154Gear is the equipment gadgets and weapons that
a character will use on their adventures All charactershave the basic clothes or items that are appropriate totheir concept Gear is the important and cool stuff thata character carries
Like Descriptors a characterrsquos Gear will modiy
lsquobeat the oddsrsquo rolls Gear can be anything - guns andknives to ancy clothes credit cards a horse mobilephone or even a star ship Like Descriptors your char-acterrsquos Gear depends on character concept game set-ting and the stories you want to tell Unlike Descrip-tors Gear is always made up o an adjective and nounRusting Sword Long Rope Fast Horse Long-rangedRifle Dadrsquos Camero Heavy Armour
Your character has two items o Gear Choose twoitems or your character
Dave decides his Daredevil Explorer to have aSturdy Bull Whip since he is quite skilled with itand a Worn Leather Jacket to keep out the coldand offer a little protection rom scrapes and alls
Nina thinks about her Alien Emissary beoredeciding on some Official Documents that indi-cating her political status and some Exotic Robes designed to impress and inspire awe
E98316098313710486859831521048684983141 G983141983137983154Like the example Descriptors this list is not in any
way exhaustive It barely scratches the surace o whatyour character might possess
C983148983151983156983144983141983155 Designer Jeans Slinky Black Dress(letrsquos count ldquoblack dressrdquo as the noun) Filthy Un-derpants Worn Jacket State-o-the-art SpaceSuit Silk Smoking Jacket Beat-up Fedora allPowdered Wig
W983141983137983152983151983150983155 Rusting Sabre Heavy Axe MyFatherrsquos Service Revolver Concealed Dagger Ex- perimental Flamethrower Fake Revolver Reliable AK-47 Rubber Mallet
Transport Faithul Horse Beat-up BuickBullet-proo Limo Squeaky Clown Shoes uned-up Street Racer Girls Bicycle Unreliable Coupe
Rickety Wagon Fast Motorcycle Grandmarsquos Run-about
O983156983144983141983154 S983156983157983142983142 Huge Backpack MiniatureFlag Heavy RPG Books Faithul Hound DentedFrying Pan Water-damaged Notebook AncientSpell Book My Favourite Pet Rock
C983144983151983151983155983145983150983143 G983141983137983154Items should be ldquoiconicrdquo to your
character Tink Batmanrsquos SinisterBatsuit the Ghostbusterrsquos Unstable
Proton-packs James Bondrsquos ReliableBerretta or Zorrorsquos Flashing Blade
Each piece o Gear should add some-thing to your characterrsquos background
personality or goals It should make astatement about who the character is orwhat they do
G983141983137983154 983145983155 983141983153983157983145983152983149983141983150983156
Gear is never innate - it can bedropped lost broken and stolen A Cy-bernetic Arm is not Gear but an Ar-moured Power Glove is
D983141983155983139983154983145983138983145983150983143 G983141983137983154
When describing gear make the ad- jective tell us something useul andorinteresting about it A Long Dagger isokay a Broken Dagger is better
Like Descriptors the description o your Gear should be clear - you donrsquotwant to be guessing at the purpose ormain eature o an item
O983150983141 983137983140983146983141983139983156983145983158983141 983151983150983148983161
Te description o your gear shouldhave a single adjective - no less and nomore A Sharp Sabre is okay as is a
Magic Sword but a Sharp Magic Sabreis not allowed
S983152983141983139983145983142983145983139 983150983151983157983150983155
Choose specific descriptive nounsSabre is better than Sword BaseballCap is better than Hat You can usemore than one noun but keep the de-scription to as ew words as possible
T983137983148983147 983137983138983151983157983156 983161983151983157983154 G983141983137983154
Discuss your Gear Everyone needsto be clear on what you are describingwhat the Gear will be useul or andwhen it might be a hindrance
Gear is not innately ldquogoodrdquo or ldquobadrdquoWhat you do with it and the situations you find yoursel in will dictate whetherhaving an item is useul or not
G983151983151983140 G983141983137983154 B983137983140 G983141983137983154
You can i you want dictate thatone piece o Gear must have a ldquogoodrdquoadjective and the other a ldquobadrdquo oneYou might have a Warm Jacket and anOld Gun or a Fast Motorcycle and a
Maxed-out Credit Card
S983156983157983142983142 983156983144983137983156 983145983155983150rsquo983156 G983141983137983154
Any objects items or equipment thatare not listed as Gear are props Propshave no effect on a characterrsquos chanceo success at an action - they are merelywindow-dressing However you canswap steal and pick-up another charac-terrsquos Gear and use that
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 8238
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983145983151983150By now you should have a good idea o who your
character is Now it is time to fill in all the other detailsTis is the bit where you describe the characterrsquos
appearance and personality their past goals riendsenemies and any other detail you think important orinteresting
Dave takes a moment to note a ew thingsabout the Daredevil Explorer
ennessee Smith is a mild-mannered proessoro history but in his spare time he travels into thewilderness in search o lost arteacts and treasureRuggedly handsome he always seems to keep hiscool no matter how much danger he is inmdashandhe tends to get into a lot o it
Ninarsquos description o the Alien Emissary is
Lumina is an important diplomat rom the planet Jupiter which is ruled by the Dread LordKang Like all her kind she has purple skin a baldhead and delicate eatures Lumina works or the Jupiter Underground attempting to overthrowDread Lord Kang
D983154983145983158983141983155Every character has a purpose - a goal they are striv-
ing to achieve It may not be world changing (thoughit can be) but it should be important to that characterAsk the ollowing questions o your character
W983144983137983156 983140983151 983161983151983157 983159983137983150983156 What is it that you desirethe thing that drives you to action
W983144983137983156 983145983155 983155983156983151983152983152983145983150983143 983161983151983157 What obstacle or adver-sary is stopping you rom getting what you want
W983144983137983156 983159983145983148983148 983161983151983157 983140983151 What is the next step to getwhat you want What are you willing to do to succeed
ennessee Smith is in search o the Idol o otan arteact he has coveted or decades His rivalGiles Fishburne is also afer the idol and always
seems to be one step ahead ennessee is desperateto succeed this time and will do almost anythingto get the idol - though he would never kill or it
Lumina seeks reedom or all the people o Jupi-ter Dread Lord Kang rules the planet with an iron fist and his agents are always on the look out orrenegades Lumina is willing to put her own lie onthe line to achieve her vision
R9831411048684983137983156983145983151983150983155983144983145983152983155Choose at least one other character that will takepart in the story and write a short statement aboutyour relationship with them Tis should be clear andadd some interesting depth to both characters back-grounds For example Old drinking buddies Datedthe same woman Fought in the war together Weretrained by the same master
Dave writes ennessee Smith and Lumina metat Harvard where Lumina was giving a presen-tation on the ancient cultures o Jupiter Nina is
happy with this adding only that both characterswere attracted to each other but Lumina is too o-cussed on her mission to have any romantic dal-liance
I983156rsquo983155 983137983148983148 983137983138983151983157983156 983154983151983148983141983152983148983137983161983145983150983143 983150983151983159
Your Description Drives and Re-lationships all help develop your char-acter and put them into the ldquoworldrdquo o
your stories and adventures Te Narra-tor might occasionally give you a bonusto dice rolls because o the inormation
you reveal here but that is by no meansrequired
Use your Drives and Relationshipsto inorm the way you roleplay yourcharacter the way they interact with theother playerrsquos characters and the worldaround them
L983151983150983143 983151983154 983155983144983151983154983156 983156983141983154983149 983143983151983137983148983155
When choosing your Drive you are ree to pick long or short term goals I you are only playing a one-off game
then it is a better idea to pick somethingthat will have an immediate impact onthe plot I you are planning a series o
games then by all means come up witha longer-term goal or your character
H983151983159 983149983137983150983161 R983141983148983137983156983145983151983150983155983144983145983152983155
wo is a good number o Relation-ships to begin with Pick two differentcharacters and decide how they knoweach other You and another player can
work together to decide on a relation-ship or you can have separate unre-lated or ldquoopposedrdquo relationships (orexample ldquoIn love withrdquoldquoRepulsed byrdquo)
D983151983150rsquo983156 983138983141 983137983150983156983137983143983151983150983145983155983156983145983139
Donrsquot create Drives or Relationshipsthat will have characters constantly ateach others throats It is okay to havecharacters that donrsquot see eye-to-eye (in
act that can be un) but donrsquot havethem hate each other You want thecharacters to unction together in orderto deeat the antagonist solve the mys-tery or complete the mission
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 9239
CHARACTER CREATION
SUMMARY
CONCEPTWho is your character What is the ldquoHigh ConceptrdquoClicheacutes and archetypes are okay
DESCRIPTORSIdentiy the our most important or interesting eatures o your characterone each or Body Mind Edge and FlawEach Descriptor should be short punchy clear innate and finite
GEARWhat cool iconic stuff does your character carryChoose two items o gear describing each with an adjective and noun(eg Sharp Sabre Fast Motorcycle)
DESCRIPTIONWhat does your character look like What is their name Where are theyrom What makes them interesting and unique
DRIVESWhat does your character want What is stopping them What will they doto get it
RELATIONSHIPSHow do the characters know each other What connections do they have
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 102310
In FU you and the other players work together totell exciting stories about your characters It is notabout winning or even competing with anyone but itis about everyone having un while you create this col-
laborative story
S983139983141983150983141983155 983078 983157983154983150983155Play is broken into scenes and turns A scene is a
period o story involving a specific situation locationor group o characters Scenes are the primary buildingblocks o the story and can represent anything rom aew seconds to many hours o time Each scene shouldhave a specific objective and the scene ends when thatobjective has been addressed A scene should advancethe plot o the story reveal inormation about a char-
acter or add background colour to the events beingdescribed Ofen a scene will do all o these things atthe same time
During a scene players and Narrator describe whatthe characters are doing Players ldquoact outrdquo their char-acters speaking or them and declaring what actionsthey take while the Narrator does the same or all theother characters creatures and monsters in the scene
Scenes might be resolved through dice rolls but theydonrsquot have to be It is entirely possible that a scenersquosobjective is met through roleplaying and character in-teraction
When it is important to know the specific actionso each character and the order in which they occura scene is broken into turns A turn is a period longenough or each character to take a single actionwhether that be to make an attack deliver a rousingspeech throw an object to a companion look up someinormation on their iPhone or perorm some othertask
Players declare what action their characters aretaking while the Narrator decides what the othercharacters and creatures are going to do Everyonethen works together to decide what order everythingoccurs When all the characters involved have had achance to act the turn ends A new turn will begin inecessary
It is worth pointing out at this point that only play-ers roll dice Tis leaves the Narratorrsquos hands and mindree to scheme and plot and prepare or the next excit-ing encounter
ACTION
W983144983151 ldquo983155983141983156983155rdquo 983156983144983141 983155983139983141983150983141 Players might suggest scenes they
would like to see or be involved in butmost o the time the Narrator decideswhat scenes occur and in what orderthey happen Discussion might occurabout the order events occur in whatis happening where it is happening andwho is involved beore the Narratormakes a final call on all these matters
Some groups like to give everyone a
turn at setting a scene and that is to-tally cool too
H983151983159 983140983151 983161983151983157 ldquo983155983141983156 983137 983155983139983141983150983141rdquo
Setting a scene is a matter o defin-ing where and when the action takes
place who is there and what has justhappened or what is about to happenLocation Characters Event or WhereWhen Who amp What
When describing the scene draw on
all the senses point out interesting orimportant details o the location andall the characters involved Consider theobjective o the scene as you create it
W983144983137983156 983145983155 983137983150 983151983138983146983141983139983156983145983158983141
An objective can be anything thata player or character wants Characterobjectives might include finding a pieceo inormation deeating an enemytalking to someone travelling a small or
great distance preparing or battle con-
ning a mark or stealing an object Play-er objectives could include seeing theircharacter in a cool fight solving themystery revealing a secret about theircharacter or interacting with a specificcharacter or player Ofen player andcharacter goals overlap
D983151 983155983139983141983150983141983155 983144983137983158983141 983156983151 983138983141 983145983150 983151983154983140983141983154
You can use all the techniques o sto-ries novels and movies which means
flashbacks and flash orwards parallel
story lines and even montages can be played out in scenes While most o thetime your scenes will occur in a chrono-logical order you do not have to be re-stricted by this
D983151 I 983144983137983158983141 983156983151 983157983155983141 983156983157983154983150983155
urns are an optional measuremento time useul or when a variety o stuffis being attempted by several charac-ters Use them to organise the action asneeded Some scenes will naturally all
into turns while others will be resolvedwithout ever considering them
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 112311
B983141983137983156983145983150983143 983156983144983141 O983140983140983155When a character attempts an action where the
outcome is not immediately andor completely obvi-ous you make a beat the odds roll
o resolve an action roll a d6 Your objective is tolsquobeat the oddsrsquo by rolling an even number Te higherthe even number the better the result I you roll an
odd number the action either ailed or wasnrsquot quite asgood as needed or expected Te lower the odd num-ber the worse the result Tere is a handy chart belowthat helps illustrate this idea
Te beat the odds roll is the heart o FU While mosto the time even numbers are good and odd numbersare bad the precise situation will dictate the actual re-sults It may be that the roll o a 1 does not indicate anoutrageous ailure so much as a success in the mostminimal or ragile o ways
We are going to ollow the trials and tribula-tions o two characters rom two different settingsin this chapter
Sir Camden is riding afer the evil Lord KaneHe sees Lord Kane leap a tall hedgerow disappear-ing into the orest beyond Sir Camden now triesto leap the hedge so you roll a d6 scoring 2 SirCamdenrsquos horse clears the hedge but Sir Camdenis jostled about in the saddle and is momentarilyconused
Captain Vance ducks as another hail o bullets peppers the wall he is hiding behind Grabbing adamaged radio he flicks some switches and triesto call HQ or back-up You roll a d6 and score a 1Vance ails to find the right requency and a straybullet hits the radio destroying it
R983151983148983148 D983151 983161983151983157 983143983141983156 983159983144983137983156 983161983151983157 983159983137983150983156983103
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 donrsquot get what you want but itrsquos not a total loss
3 No You donrsquot get what you were afer
1 No and You donrsquot get what you want and things get worse
C983148983151983155983141983140 Q983157983141983155983156983145983151983150983155
FU uses a closed question ormat tohelp resolve actions A closed questioncan only be answered with a ldquoyesrdquo orldquonordquo statement When you reach a situ-ation that needs to be resolved by dice
propose a closed question ldquoDo I leapthe chasmrdquo ldquoDo I punch that jerk inthe noserdquo ldquoDoes the tavern wench all
or my easy charm and winning smilerdquoTe roll o the die will answer the ques-tion and guide your response
A lot o the time you wonrsquot need toask the question explicitly - it will be ob-vious rom the action you attempt ldquoyoutake a run up and leap rom the edge othe chasm Rollrdquo
A983148983156983141983154983150983137983156983145983158983141 Q983157983141983155983156983145983151983150983155
You can pose different questionsi you want though you will have tochange the result chart An obviousquestion is ldquoHow well do I succeedrdquoTis might garner the ollowing results
Roll How well do you succeed
6 Legendary success
4 Complete success
2 Only just succeed
5 Fail by the smallest margin
3 Complete ailure
1 Epic ailure and then some
Feel ree to come up with your ownquestions and answers as suits theneeds o your group game and story
A983148983156983141983154983150983137983156983145983158983141 D983145983139983141 R983151983148983148983155
Some players are not ans o theevenodd results Many preer a 1-3Bad 4-6 Good result In that case theresult chart would look like this
Roll Do you get what you want
6 Yes and
5 Yes
4 Yes but
3 No but
2 No
1 No and
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 122312
S983157983139983139983141983155983155 983078 F9831379831451048684983157983154983141When you make a beat the odds roll your character
will either succeed at what they were attempting orthey wont Tis is usually enough to push your storyurther along but other things can happen too
When you attempt an action you are asking ldquoDoesmy character get what they wantrdquo Tere are six pos-
sible answers to this questionYes and
Yes
Yes but
No but
No
No and
Yes and No are pretty straight orward - they tell youwhether the action succeeded or not Te and and but are qualifiers that modiy how good the success or howbad the ailure was When you get a qualifier you makean extra statement about how the action succeeded orailed Tis extra statement can add a Condition to acharacter or a Detail to a scene
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 Tese are physical mental or socialeffects that impact on the way a character behaves orattempts actions Conditions include things like an- gry conused tired and unconscious Tere are severallisted on the FU character sheet and there is space oryou to write your own
D983141983156983137983145983148983155 Tese are eatures o an environment orscene that might change as a result o an action Detailsmight include curtains catching fire windows break-ing animals running off or machinery stalling De-tails are always closely tied to the scene and the action
E983160983137983149983152983148983141983155 983151983142 S983157983139983139983141983155983155 983078 F983137983145983148983157983154983141
Going back to an earlier exampleletrsquos see what might have happenedwhen we apply each possible answer tothe question
ldquoDoes Sir Camden leap the hedgerdquo
Yes and he catches up with LordKane Tis is a Detail that changes thescene
Yes he leaps the hedge Tere is noandbut qualifier so no Condition orDetail is added
Yes but Sir Camden is disorientedand momentarily confused Tis is aCondition applied to the character
No but he spots a gap in the hedge urther along Tis Detail gives the char-acter another way to continue the chase
No the horse shies away rom the jump Tere is no andbut qualifier sono Condition or Detail is added
No and his horse rears up throwinghim to the ground causing an injury Tis is a Condition
W983144983151 983139983144983151983151983155983141983155 C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 983078D983141983156983137983145983148983155
Anyone can suggest a Condition orDetail that they eel is appropriate tothe action taken and result achievedUsually the player that rolled the diceand the Narrator will work together tocome up with a suitably dramatic effectBut really anyone at the table shouldthrow in whatever cool idea they have
Te Narrator always has final sayover what Condition or Detail is ap-
plied to a result
W983144983141983150 983155983144983151983157983148983140 I 983157983155983141 C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155
Like all qualifiers it depends onsituation In the examples above Con-ditions are applied to the acting playerwhen things donrsquot quite go right orthem ( Yes but No and ) Te Condi-tions make lie a bit more difficult or
the character because o the minimalsuccess or outright ailure
You can also apply Conditions tothe target o an action when things are
going right or your character I youare debating with a bureaucrat and geta Yes and result you might apply theconfused Condition to the target I youattempt to outrun an enemy and get the
No but result they might catch up with
you but have the tired Condition Ap- plying Conditions in this way will likely give player characters an advantagelater in the scene
W983144983141983150 983155983144983151983157983148983140 I 983157983155983141 D983141983156983137983145983148983155
Apply Details when the action is like-ly to change the scene or environment insome way Tis might be a change in the
power dynamic o the scene (ldquo Yes he
leaps the hedge and he catches up withLord Kanerdquo) or a change in the physicalenvironment (ldquo No but he spots a gap inthe hedgerdquo)
Details are ofen applied when theacting character gains some advantage( Yes and No but ) Tey can be usedto great effect however to make situa-tions more entertaining and or dan-
gerous
ldquoDo you swing across the room on
the chandelier Yes but candles allloose and set fire to the tavernrdquo
Details can provide instant or on- going effects depending on the circum-stances A gap in the hedge can be usedimmediately to continue the chase aburning tavern will continue to be ahazard until someone puts the fire out
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 132313
M983151983140983145983142983145983141983154983155Sometimes circumstances equipment and skill will
make actions easier or harder Modifiers change thenumber o dice you get to roll when taking action
M983137983147983145983150983143 T983144983145983150983143983155 E983137983155983145983141983154 Roll an additional dieor each Descriptor piece o Gear Condition or De-tail that provides some advantage to the action being
taken Te result is the single best (not necessarilyhighest) die roll as the player chooses
In the woods Sir Camden tries to track LordKane You point out that the knight is a goodhunter so you get an extra d6 Rolling 2d6 youscore a 5 and a 4 Keeping the 4 it is decided thatafer a brie search Sir Camden finds Lord Kanersquostracks and ollows them to a sinister citadel
M983137983147983145983150983143 T983144983145983150983143983155 H983137983154983140983141983154 Roll an extra die oreach Descriptor bit o Gear Condition or Detail that
makes the action harder Te result is the single worstdie roll
Captain Vance decides to run to a near-by jeepTe Narrator points out there is no cover betweenVancersquos hiding spot and the vehicle ldquoDoes Vance get to the jeep uninjuredrdquo You roll 2d6 scoringa 3 and a 5 You must accept the 3 and CaptainVance is injured as he reaches the jeep
C983137983150983139983141983148983148983145983150983143 O983157983156 One beneficial die cancels out
one hindering die so you will never be rolling lsquonega-tiversquo and lsquopositiversquo dice at the same time
Later in his quest Sir Camden must scale asheer (-) cliff Te knight is strong (+) and hasa rope (+) Overall this means a single bonus tothe action (the sheer cliff and the knightrsquos strengthcancel each other out just leaving the rope) Youroll 2d6 scoring a 3 and 6
E983160983137983149983152983148983141 983151983142 M983151983140983145983142983145983141983154983155
Captain Vance hurtles along in the jeep when a guard tries to drag himout through the window ldquoWill Vanceshake the guard offrdquo It is hard (+) todrag Vance out the window but he iswounded (-) and surprised (-) and the
attacker is very strong (-) In total youmust roll 2 penalty dice You roll 3d6scoring a 2 4 and 3 and must take theworst result the 3 Te guard wrestlesVance out o the jeep
O983156983144983141983154 983156983161983152983141983155 983151983142 983154983151983148983148983155
FU has no such thing as lsquoopposedrollsrsquo or lsquocontested actionsrsquo lsquodamagerollsrsquo and lsquorolling to hitrsquo Te beat theodds roll is the only kind o roll usedin FU whether you are trying to drive
a car through a crowded mall armwrestle a giant or shrug off the damagecaused by a stray bullet
H983151983159 983140983151 ldquo983151983152983152983151983155983141983140rdquo 983137983139983156983145983151983150983155 983159983151983154983147
For a start only players ever rolldice You begin by actoring in all thebonuses (+) and penalties (-) that applyto your character Ten you take stocko all the actors that would apply tothe opponent and apply those into your
roll too Is the opponent weak You geta bonus die Is the opponent a worldchampion arm wrestler You actor ina penalty die And so on until every-thing is actored in When you knowhow many bonus andor penalty dice
you have roll I the result is an even
number you win the contest i the finalresult is an odd number your opponenthas the advantage
D983145983137983148983145983150983143 983145983150 983151983150 Y983151983157983154 983137983139983156983145983151983150
Sword fights political debates spaceraces international wars argumentsand gun battles are all resolved usingthe beat the odds roll Te key is to dialin or out o the action through the kindo questions you attempt to resolve Youcan fight a dramatic sword fight and ex-
change a series o blows by asking ldquoDoI hit the Count De Montierdquo But youcould also resolve the entire fight witha single roll by asking ldquoDo I deeat theCount De Montie in a duelrdquo Or takeit to the next level and ask ldquoDo my men-at-arms storm the Count De Montiersquoscastlerdquo Adjust the dial as necessary
O983152983156983145983151983150 M983137983156983139983144983145983150983143 D983145983139983141
Rolling doubles triples or quadru- ples can make a success much better ora ailure ar worse I your result die hasa match the effects will be much moredramatic You may add one ldquoandrdquostatement or each matching die I the
action is ailed this statement shouldmake the situation worse I the actionis a success the additional statement(s)should make the situation even better
For example Sir Camden aces LordKanersquos henchmen ldquoWill Sir Camden de-
eat the henchmenrdquo He is injured andoutnumbered so you will roll 2 penaltydice You roll and score 3 3 and 2 Youmust take the worst result - the double3 Normally this would be a ldquo Nordquo re-
sult but the matching 3 turns it into aldquo No andrdquo I you had rolled triple 3the result would have been ldquo No andandrdquo
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 142314
FU P983151983145983150983156983155FU Points are a resource that you spend to improve
a characterrsquos chance o success at an action Tey canbe used in two ways
B983151983150983157983155 D983145983141 Spend a FU Point beore a beat theodds roll to add a single bonus die Tis works like anyother bonus die You can add as many bonus dice as
you have FU Points but they must all be declared atthe same time
R983141-983154983151983148983148 Spend a FU Point afer a beat the oddsroll to re-roll a single die Te second result must stand- you cannot re-roll a re-roll You can re-roll as manydice as you have FU Points but you must declare themall at the same time beore the first die is re-rolled
You can spend multiple FU Points on any givenaction and or either or both effects It is completelywithin the rules to spend a FU Point to add a bonus
die beore a roll then another FU Point to re-roll a dieaferwards
Back at HQ Captain Vance tries to convinceGeneral Wallace to deploy the Rocket roops un-der his command Vance doesnrsquot have much going or him in this situation in terms o Descriptorsso you decide to spend 2 FU Points on the roll You
roll the basic die plus the two bonus dice gettinga 1 1 and 3 Not happy with this you spends yourlast FU Point on a re-roll You pick up one o the1rsquos and throw the die again
E983137983154983150983145983150983143 FU P983151983145983150983156983155 FU Points are earned duringplay or doing cool stuff and roleplaying your charac-ter Whenever you do something that stops play andmakes everyone go ldquoWowrdquo or laugh out loud at yourantics or anything else that everyone thinks should berewarded you earn a FU Point
S983156983137983154983156983145983150983143 FU P983151983145983150983156983155
Te number o FU Points you begina game with should be discussed beore
play begins Te more FU Points play-ers begin with the more easily they willachieve successes I playing games ohigh adventure or over-the-top actionit would be reasonable to begin with 2FU Points Super-powered heroes mightbegin with as many as 3 FU Points For
grittier games each player might onlybegin with 1 FU Point or even none
C983137983150 I 983143983145983158983141 983155983144983137983154983141 FU P983151983145983150983156983155
Tat is up to you and your groupTe deault is ldquonordquo but
D983151 N983137983154983154983137983156983151983154983155 983143983141983156 FU 983152983151983145983150983156983155
Usually no but they might allow a powerul villain or monster to have onetwo or three
O983156983144983141983154 983159983137983161983155 983156983151 983141983137983154983150 FU
You might like to change the way youearn FU Points You might earn them
or dealing the killing blow to monstersachieving your characterrsquos goal or roll-ing multiple 1rsquos or 6rsquos
Tis is a really good way to changethe tone or style o the game Want to
play a dungeon crawl Reward FU orkilling monsters A gritty dystopian
game Reward FU when the characters
lose out to Te Man Decide i these arethe only ways to earn FU or i they arein addition to the normal roleplayingrewards Tis decision will also have adramatic effect on the tone o play Seewhat you can do with it
O983156983144983141983154 983159983137983161983155 983156983151 983157983155983141 FU
Play around with FU Points Experi-ment or adjust the ways you use them
to suit your gaming group or the typeo story you are playing Here are somesuggestions
FU 983137983155 H983141983137983148983156983144
Rather than having a varying andchangeable number o FU points everycharacter begins with 3 Tey can bespent as normal but can also be lostwhen the character suffers physical ormental stress (injuries atigue earetc) FU in this instance can be rereshed
(brought back up to 3) by roleplayingout a (non-dice rolling) scene with an-other character that reveals somethingabout your relationship
R983141-R983151983148983148 E983158983141983154983161983156983144983145983150983143
Spend a FU point to re-roll all yourdice Tis is an all-or-nothing thing so
you canrsquot keep a couple o good resultsand roll the rest Use this variant in-stead o the normal re-roll rule
F983148983145983152 983137 P983145983152
Spend a FU Point to adjust a singledie up or down by one pip Spend mul-tiple FU points to adjust a die multiple
pips Tis option is more reliable thana re-roll as you will always be able toturn a ldquonordquo into a ldquoyesrdquo I you used thisvariant the normal re-roll rule shouldnot be used
U983155983141 983137 P983154983151983152Spend a FU point to turn a prop into
an item o Gear or the duration o thescene
S983156983157983150983156983155 983137983150983140 P983151983159983141983154983155
Give characters special abilitiesskills or powers that can only be used byspending a FU Point Tese should bemore powerul than Descriptors - makethem break the rules or give a superhu-man knack like the ability to fly or read
minds teleport or whatever
T983137983147983145983150983143 983137 H983145983156
Instead o rolling declare you areldquotaking a hitrdquo All the dice you shouldhave rolled are treated as i they rolled1rsquos (yes i you are holding 5 dice theycount as five 1rsquos) In return or your su-
ering you earn a FU Point
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 152315
ACTION
SUMMARY
SET THE SCENEWhere does the scene take place Who is there What do they want Doyou need to break down into turns
ACTRoleplay your character and describe what is going on Push toward theobjective
ASK A QUESTIONWhen you need to resolve a conflict or complete an action ask a closedquestion (eg ldquoDo I succeedrdquo)
FACTOR IN MODIFIERS+1 bonus die or every Descriptor item o Gear Detail Condition or other
eature that makes the action easier+1 penalty die or every Descriptor item o Gear Detail Condition or othereature that makes the action harder
ROLLRoll all your dice Te result is the single best die (i rolling bonus dice) orsingle worst die (i rolling penalty dice)
DESCRIBE RESULTUse the die result to describe how the conflict or action turned out Apply
Conditions or Details as necessary
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 162316
Following is some simple straightorward adviceor Narrators It is all airly generic because all the spe-cific stuff is going to relate to the genre tone and styleo game that you and your players choose to play
9831371048684983147983145983150983143 983145983155 983143983151983151983140Start your game with a conversation alk about
what players want out o the game what you want andwhere those ideas overlap Tose overlaps are likelywhere everyone is going to have the most un At the very least you should work together to establish thegenre and tone o your shared story alk about thisstuff too so that everyone is clear o the specifics (thereis a world o difference between Gothic horror andsplatter films or example)
alk during the game too Encourage players toshare ideas and give input into scenes objectives andthe challenges characters ace I you need to clariyideas themes or issues then do that
L983145983155983156983141983150983145983150983143 983145983155 983143983151983151983140I there is going to be talk there needs to be listen-
ing Listen to your players and the things they tell youeither in conversation or when they do things withtheir character Do stuff that relates to the Descriptors
written on the playerrsquos character sheets because that iswhat they think is cool
W983144983141983150 9831521048684983137983161983145983150983143When running games donrsquot plan too much ahead
o time Te dice rolls are going to direct a lot o theaction and you and the players will fill in the gaps byapplying Conditions and Details Here are some tipsto keep things moving and help you enjoy the game as
much as the players doK983141983141983152 983156983144983145983150983143983155 983155983145983149983152983148983141 Do not complicate your job
by introducing lots o sub-plots or convoluted twistsTings will get all messed about by themselves and the
story will run off on tangents that you never dreamedo
Y983151983157 983137983154983141 983150983151983156 983156983144983141 983141983150983141983149983161 this may seem obviousbut is worth stating Your role is to help guide the storyin interesting directions not to kill everyone You cangive players hints and ideas i you think this will lead toa better story Sometimes you will portray the adver-saries and are expected to do so vigorously but airlyOther times you will get to be an ally companion orpeer and once again you should be true to the spirit othe game
S983137983161 ldquoY983141983155rdquo i players make suggestions or ask ques-tions it is probably because they are interested in whatis going on Tey probably have a cool idea to introduceto the story Encourage this and confidently say ldquoyesrdquoto requests Tis doesnrsquot mean you should let playersget anything they want ndash but you should let players in-troduce elements into the story when the time is right
M983137983147983141 983154983151983148983148983155 983149983141983137983150983145983150983143983142983157983148 Every time you callor a die roll it should mean something interesting isgoing to happen NO MAER HE RESUL Donrsquot
have players make rolls i the result is not important tothe story or i ailure will stop the momentum o thestory
NARRATOR
983091 Q983157983141983155983156983145983151983150983155 983156983151 983142983154983137983149983141 983161983151983157983154 983143983137983149983141
When you begin a game talk withthe players about their expectations ryto answer the ollowing three questions
W983144983137983156 983159983145983148983148 983139983144983137983154983137983139983156983141983154983155 983140983151983103
Do players want to kick in doorskill monsters and take home piles otreasure Do they want to eel like epicheroes Or the underdogs strugglingagainst ridiculous odds
H983151983159 983140983151 983152983148983137983161983141983154983155 983159983137983150983156 983156983151 983142983141983141983148983103
Do the players want to eel like theyare changing the world Like their char-acter is gaining in wealth prestige or
power Or do they want to eel like theirbacks are against the wall and their livesconstantly at risk
W983144983137983156 983145983155 983156983144983141 N983137983154983154983137983156983151983154rsquo983155 983154983151983148983141983103
What kinds o challenges encoun-ters and situations are you going to pre-
sent the characters in order to achievethe above Do you need to ensure everychallenge is accompanied by a generousreward Are you going to make every
fight hard but air Will you be relent-less in the pursuit o the antagonistrsquos
goals
Answer these questions and every-one at the table will be clear on theirrole in the coming adventure
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 172317
R983141983139983151983158983141983154983161During games characters can suffer injuries be-
come physically or mentally stressed and be afflictedby a range o other Conditions Conditions are alwaysrecovered at a time andor rate appropriate to the sto-ry Tis is usually with the passing o time but doesnot have to be A good rule o thumb is that one or
more Conditions can be removedrecovered betweenscenes though this will depend on the timing o suchencounters
R983141983159983137983154983140983155Reward players or good roleplaying and achieving
goals by giving them FU Points You may also rewardthem or a variety o other reasons as your group de-cides (see the sidebar on page 12) FU Points can beused to improve a characters chance o success and arethereore a great immediate tangible reward You donrsquot
have to be the only one at the table offering rewardsthough All players should speak up when someonehas done something cool unny or awesome and re-ward a FU Point
H983151983159 983149983157983139983144 983144983151983159 983151983142983156983141983150 Be generous with yourrewards as the positive reinorcement o earning FUPoints will inspire them on to greater acts o heroismspectacle or depravity as the case may be Also takeinto account whether this will be a ldquoone offrdquo game ora part o an ongoing story or campaign - players arelikely to burn through FU Points aster in a singe ses-
sion game and will need their resources replenishedaster
C983144983137983154983137983139983156983141983154983155 983078 O9831389831559831569831379831391048684983141983155All the characters monsters traps villains terrain
eatures creatures and obstacles that are encounteredduring a story are defined in much the same way ascharacters You are not confined by any rules or re-strictions when creating characters or obstacles theonly thing you must do is make them entertaining andinteresting
T983144983141 B983151983159983148
One technique or rewarding FUPoints is to place a bowl o beads chitsor tokens in the centre o the table Eachbead is a FU Point Te Narrator cantell players to ldquotake one rom the bowlrdquoand other players can reach in when it isappropriate to reward a player by pass-ing a bead rom the bowl Tis requirestrust between players and Narrator butmakes the running o the game verysmooth as no-one has to stop and askldquoDoes that deserve a FU Pointrdquo
A983140983158983137983150983139983141983149983141983150983156
FU is not a game about ldquolevellinguprdquo While characters might have avariety o experiences and learn romthem the real advancement comes romthe changing story andor world
I appropriate players can changeone Descriptor between game sessionsTis alteration should relate in someway to the experiences and story theircharacter just participated in Gear canbe changed between sessions at the Nar-ratorrsquos discretion
Goals might also change rom gamesession to game session Give playerstime to consider their goals at the starto each session and let them adjust orchange them as necessary
T983154983137983139983147983145983150983143 983151983138983155983156983137983139983148983141983155
Use sticky-notes or index cards torecord details about your charactersmonsters and obstacles Write downDescriptors Gear and other ino Asthey suffer Conditions record those onthe card
Use index cards to record importantterrain eatures too Write down anyDescriptor(s) pertaining to the eature
so players can take them into accountas they plan their actions
W983144983137983156 983140983151 I 983155983144983137983154983141 983159983145983156983144 983152983148983137983161983141983154983155
Some groups play open making nosecret o the Descriptors and details ocreatures and monsters Other groups(andor Narrators) keep this inorma-tion hidden rom players Both options
provide or different styles o play
Playing an open table means eve-ryone is clear about what is going onwhat opportunities exist or cool scenesand actions Players can see what GearConditions and Descriptors are ldquoin
playrdquo and incorporate them into scenes
Keeping the details o villains trapsand other obstacles rom the playerswill push them to test their enemies ex-
plore the environment and try differentthings Tey can manoeuvre themselvesand situations in directions they thinkwill be advantageous It is always satis-
ying to be rewarded with bonus dice oraccurately guessing an enemyrsquos Descrip-tors
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 182318
ennessee Smith amed explorer has finally got a solid lead on the whereabouts o the ancientIdol o ot an object o reported supernatural power Unortunately Smithrsquos arch enemy Giles
Fishburne is also on the trail o the Idol and hasthrown his lot in with the Nazis
Tis short adventure will get you into the actionquickly It illustrates one way you might prepare yourown adventures adversaries and obstacles Use thepre-generated characters presented at the end o theadventure Race to the emple o ot consists o a serieso set-piece encounters that you can use rearrange andignore at your leisure Remember that beat the oddsrolls will lead to all kinds o interesting twists and
turns and once the characters set out on the adventureanything is possible
B983141983142983151983154983141 983161983151983157 983138983141983143983145983150Beore starting play have a quick discussion about
the tone and style o the game Te scenario is clas-sic pulp - over the top action outrageous villains andlarger than lie heroes Make sure everyone is on thesame page here - talk about what makes this genre cooland perhaps point out examples o the genre (Indiana Jones Te Mummy Te Rocketeer ) and what parts o
these you enjoyedRead the flavour text above (the stuff in italics) and
get everyone at the table to throw around some ideaso cool stuff they would like to see happen during theadventure Note it all down - when things slow or iyou get stuck or what to do next chuck one o theseideas into the mix
S983139983141983150983141983155Te scenes presented here have a description o
where the action takes place and suggest Descriptorsyou or the players might incorporate into the actionTe italics set up the action o the scene and the objec-tive Paraphrase the details or your players
C98314498313710486841048684983141983150983143983141983155Te challenges and adversaries in this adventure
are recorded in boxes with relevant Descriptors Con-ditions and Notes Tese are to guide you and do nothave to be used Your own cool ideas should alwaystrump anything written here
E983155983139983137983152983141 983156983144983141 B9831571048684983137983147 M983137983154983147983141983156S983139983141983150983141 Central Asia - a bustling market in the city
o Bulak - Midday all stone and mud-brick buildingswith narrow arched windows surround the central
market stalls and caes bars and emporiums run offin all directions along winding narrow streets
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Crowded streets Exotic goods
Te characters have just acquired a map to theemple o ot Unortunately Nazi goons have ar-rived and want the map too Tere are a lot o goons and while the characters could fight themit might be easier to flee Do the characters escape
NAZI GOONS
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Lots o goons Beey AryansNot too bright
G983141983137983154 Noisy Sub-machine guns
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 ConusedrappedSlowedOut o Action
N983151983156983141983155 Tere are a number o goon squads equal tothe number o characters
W983144983137983156 983139983137983150 983143983151 983159983154983151983150983143983103 Te characters are cap-tured Te map is lost
9831549831379831509831551048684983137983156983145983150983143 983156983144983141 M983137983152S983139983141983150983141 A dark coffee lounge cae or back roomsomewhere in the city o Bulak Te smell o strongcoffee and exotic ood permeates the room
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Private
ennessee Smith and his companions have themap but must now translate it puzzling out thestrange symbols and markings Do they translatethe map
TRANSLATING THE MAP
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Ancient glyphs Brittle paperC983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 ornRuinedSmudged
Burnt to a crisp
W983144983137983156 983139983137983150 983143983151 983159983154983151983150983143983103 Te map is damaged Techaracters misread the map Tey cannot read the mapand must get help rom an expert in ancient languages
RACE TO THE TEMPLE OF TOT
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 192319
983144983141 G983151983157 Z983151983157 G983151983154983143983141S983139983141983150983141 Te majestic Gou Zou Gorge hal a mile
deep and crossed by a single iron girder railway bridgeWide open plains lie on either side o the gorge and theKow Mountains lie in the distance
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Open plains Impassible Gorge
Te characters ollow the map to Gou ZouGorge by car or horse back Giles Fishburne is ap- proaching ast aboard the German dirigible DerVogel Do the characters cross the bridge saelyDo they keep their lead on the Germans
NAZI BIRD TRUPPEN
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Tey Fly Agile
G983141983137983154 Delicate Flying Harness DeadlyStick Grenade
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 ConusedGrounded
SlowedOut o ActionN983151983156983141983155 Tere are a number o Bird ruppen equalto the number o characters
GOU ZOU BRIDGE
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Wide but narrow
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 RicketyBlown all to hell
N983151983156983141983155 You know you must introduce an approach-ing train right
W983144983137983156 983139983137983150 983143983151 983159983154983151983150983143983103 Te bridge is destroyed
Te map is lost the characters are captured
983144983141 98314110486859831521048684983141S983139983141983150983141 An ancient temple ashioned into the side
o a mountain Grand statues o sinister looking godsand daemons line the walls Dust covers everythingTe tunnel leads deeper into the mountain
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Dark Silent
Te characters must penetrate the heart o thetemple but the map warned o nearious traps
and terrible guardians Do they get past the trapsand guardians
NEFARIOUS TRAPS
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Hidden Deadly
G983141983137983154 Poison Darts Rusting Spears
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 DisarmedSet-offRevealed
N983151983156983141983155 Challenge characters with one or two trapsell them the passage is trapped but donrsquot tell themhow or where the traps are until they are sprung
STONE STATUE GUARDIAN
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Big Heavy Slow Relentless
G983141983137983154 Heavy Stone Weapons
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 DamagedOff balanceSlowedOut o Action
N983151983156983141983155 Tere is one Statue Guardian or every two
characters Te large heavy weapons can strikemultiple characters at once
W983144983137983156 983139983137983150 983143983151 983159983154983151983150983143983103 Characters cannot getpast traps characters are injured by traps
983144983141 I9831409831511048684 C9831449831371048685983138983141983154S983139983141983150983141 A large stone chamber ingeniously lit by
mirrors reflecting sunlight Te Idol o ot - a gold-en statue o a seven-headed monkey - sits on a stoneplinth in the centre o the room
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Large bronze mirrors
Te characters enter the chamber o the idolonly to find that Giles Fishburne and his Nazi goons are here too Do they deeat Giles and es-cape with the Idol
GILES FISHBURNE
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Smart Arrogant Sword fighter
G983141983137983154 Polished Sabre
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 ConusedInjuredSlowedOut o Action
N983151983156983141983155 Giles is a greedy arrogant villain but heisnrsquot stupid I things start looking dire he will attemptto escape make a deal andor double-cross anyone inhis way He has no loyalty to the Nazis
C983144983137983154983137983139983156983141983154983155Four pre-made characters can be ound on the next
page Tey are each examples o classic pulp charac-ter archetypes Players may tweak or adjust them atthe Narratorrsquos discretion beore play starts perhapschanging a Descriptor or two or switching out an item
o Gear Beore starting the game each player shoulddefine one or two relationships describing how thecharacters know each other A quick and easy way todo this is or everyone to describe how they know thecharacter to their lef
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 202320
TENNESSEE SMITH DAREDEVIL EXPLORER
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Nimble Level Headed Use BullWhip Araid o Heights
G983141983137983154 Bull Whip Worn Leather Jacket
D983154983145983158983141983155 Find the Idol o ot
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 AngryScaredired
rapped
Blinded
HungryDazedInjuredDying
ennessee Smith is a mild-mannered proes-sor o history but in his spare time he travelsinto the wilderness in search o lost arteacts andtreasure Ruggedly handsome he always seemsto keep his cool no matter how much danger heis inmdashand he tends to get into a lot o it
R983141983148983137983156983145983151983150983155983144983145983152983155
N983151983156983141983155
HARVEY REED RETIRED BOXER
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Strong Tinks-on-his-Feet BoxerUgly as Sin
G983141983137983154 Roll o quarters Poor fitting suitD983154983145983158983141983155 Look out or ennessee Smith
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 AngryScarediredrappedBlindedHungryDazedInjuredDying
Harvey Reed is a recently retired championboxer Finding the sedentary lie a little too bor-ing he has joined his old riend ennessee insearch o adventure
R983141983148983137983156983145983151983150983155983144983145983152983155
N983151983156983141983155
JIMMY SWEET PLUCKY KID
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Quick Smart-aleckUnderestimated Young
G983141983137983154 Noisy Firecrackers Dirty BaseballCap
D983154983145983158983141983155 See the 7 wonders o the world
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155
Angry
Scared
iredrappedBlindedHungryDazedInjuredDying
Jimmy Sweet is a happy-go-lucky kid who hasnever had anyone to rely on but himsel He iswiry tough and quick with a cheeky attitudethat requently gets him into trouble Jimmystowed away on a tramp steamer with the inten-tion o seeing the world and making his ortune
R983141983148983137983156983145983151983150983155983144983145983152983155
N983151983156983141983155
OCTOBER JONES GIRL REPORTER
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Beautiul Witty Good MemoryCurious
G983141983137983154 rusty Camera Tick Notebook D983154983145983158983141983155 Get the scoop on the real ennes-
see Smith
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 AngryScarediredrappedBlindedHungryDazedInjuredDying
October Jones is a reporter and adventurerafforded a great deal o reedom by her atherrsquosimmense wealth Beautiul intelligent and spoiltshe is a woman used to getting what she wants
R983141983148983137983156983145983151983150983155983144983145983152983155
N983151983156983141983155
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 212321
Tis list is by no means exhaustive but itrsquos a goodplace to start Each entry lists the kinds o things aDescriptor might be an advantage or hindrance orwhich makes it a handy reerence or both players and
Narrators
B983151983140983161 D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155A983143983145983148983141 helpul when dancing leaping doing gym-
nastics crawling through tight spaces and balancingA983149983138983145983140983141983160983156983154983151983157983155 great when shooting two guns at
the same time or doing slight-o-hand magic tricksB983148983151983150983140983141 good or getting people to underestimate
you not good i you spend too much time in the sunF983137983147983141 O983154983137983150983143983141 T983137983150 great or passing as an aging
celebrity and or drawing attention to yoursel
F983157983154983154983161 useul or resisting cold weather and livingin the woods
H983137983150983140983155983151983149983141 useul or flirting selling stuff gettingroles on V modelling and being popular
H983157983143983141 good or looking menacing reaching highplaces acting like a body builder or getting stuck insmall spaces
O983158983141983154983159983141983145983143983144983156 a problem when exercising andborrowing clothes
P983151983151983154 C983151983150983155983156983145983156983157983156983145983151983150 a hindrance when long dis-
tance running resisting damage perorming eats oendurance and healingQ983157983145983139983147 handy or ducking to and rom places
slight-o-hand dodging and other actions that requirespeed o action
R983137983162983151983154-983155983144983137983154983152 C983148983137983159983155 great or slicing up en-emies cutting vegetables and maybe climbing trees
S983144983151983154983156 a pain or reaching the top shel but use-ul or crawling under low objects and getting lost ina crowd
S983148983151983159 a problem when running dodging and re-
acting to thingsS983156983154983151983150983143 useul or lifing carrying smashing
and throwing things Wrestling and avoiding beingcrushed might also be aided
T983137983148983148 good or reaching the top shel climbingand seeing over other peoplersquos heads
T983144983145983150 handy or squeezing into places and clotheshiding behind poles and perorming on the catwalk
U983143983148983161 a problem when trying to seduce someoneor get a role on V
V983145983143983151983157983154 great or resisting poison long distancerunning and other eats o endurance
Weak a pain when lifing carrying smashing andthrowing stuff
W983141983138983138983141983140 F983141983141983156 great or swimming but terriblewhen buying shoes
M983145983150983140 D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155A983138983155983141983150983156-M983145983150983140983141983140 good or being distracted but a
problem when remembering where you lef the keysor that you just pulled the pin rom a hand grenade
B983151983151983147-S983149983137983154983156 great when doing exams knowingmath ormulas remembering dates in history andgenerally getting into Law at Harvard
C983151983149983152983157983156983141983154-W983145983162 good or programming fixing
your laptop and getting into PC vs Apple flame-warsD983145983149-W983145983156983156983141983140 a problem when listening to jokes
recognizing a trick or generally keeping up appear-ances in social settings
E983149983152983137983156983144983141983156983145983139 good or reading peoples emotionsdoing psychological evaluations and knowing how tocomort distressed people
F983151983139983157983155983141983140 good or staying on task not getting dis-tracted and looking serious
L983137983156983141983154983137983148 T983144983145983150983147983141983154 handy or problem solving
and approaching issues in new or unusual waysM983137983156983144983141983149983137983156983145983139983145983137983150 great or doing sums solvingequations and doing your tax
O983138983155983141983154983158983137983150983156 great or spotting hidden clues no-ticing details doing find-a-words and reading bodylanguage
O983154983137983156983151983154 good or public speaking debating andgetting people to see your point o view
S983148983151983159 a pain when trying to understand plans orlearn new things
T983137983139983156983145983139983145983137983150 great or planning battles remember-
ing military history and quoting sun suU983150983141983140983157983139983137983156983141983140 a pain when reading doing math
remembering important dates in history and doingany school-type tests
W983145983155983141 handy or sprouting proverbs giving adviceputting unrelated clues together interpreting peoplersquosreactions and saying lsquoI told you sorsquo
W983145983156983156983161 good or making unny comments beingcharming and or entertaining and always knowingthe right thing to say
APPENDIX - DESCRIPTORS
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httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 222322
E983140983143983141 D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155A983139983154983151983138983137983156983145983139983155 great or joining the circus leaping
through narrow gaps and doing impressive flipsA983154983139983137983150983141 K983150983151983159983148983141983140983143983141 good or identiying mys-
tic arteacts recognizing the presence o evil magicand reading ancient scrolls
C983151983157983154983137983143983141 handy when seeing something scary
telling your wie you orgot your anniversary and at-tempting other dangerous acts
D983154983145983158983145983150983143 great or car racing car chases and pass-ing your driving exam
F983141983150983139983145983150983143 good or sword fighting and other civi-lized orms o melee
G983151983151983140 M983141983149983151983154983161 handy or remembering namesand aces vital clues and mathematical ormulas
H983157983150983156983145983150983143 good when tracking and stalking look-ing good in camouflage and knowing what an angryrhinoceros sounds like
K983141983141983150 S983145983143983144983156 great or seeing a long way or evendoing stuff by moonlight
L983145983150983143983157983145983155983156983145983139983155 good or speaking one (or more)oreign languages and generally communicating withothers
M983137983143983145983139 great or knowing the mystic arts castingspells or acting like a stage magician
M983141983140983145983139983145983150983141 good or perorming operations diag-nosing illness and administering first aid
N983137983155983156983161 B983145983156983141 great or really hurting someone in
combat chewing your own arm off or winning a pieeating contestR983145983139983144 handy or buying luxury sports cars getting
invited to exclusive parties and bribing city officialsW983154983141983155983156983148983145983150983143 good or fighting unarmed combat
and pinning opponents to the ground
F1048684983137983159 D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155B983148983145983150983140 a pain when doing anything that requires
sight such as shooting navigating an unamiliar spaceor painting
B983154983137983158983141 good or charging into mortal danger act-ing oolhardy and getting into deep trouble
C983148983157983149983155983161 a problem when carrying a valuable vase
visiting an antique store or trying to cross a booby-trapped room
G983154983141983141983140983161 a pain when resisting the urge to steal lieor in some other way keep or obtain wealth
I983150-H983157983149983137983150 A983152983152983141983137983154983137983150983139983141 a hindrance when try-ing not to get noticed avoiding attention or finding apair o pants that fit just right
M983145983155983155983145983150983143 L983141983143 a problem when running climbingor perorming any other activity that involves move-ment without prosthetics or a wheel chair
O983148983140 a pain when trying to look cool climb stairsuse a computer or be positive about your health
P983151983151983154 a hindrance when wanting to buy ood orclothes or trying to get into an exclusive party
P983151983151983154 S983145983143983144983156 a pain when trying to recognizesomeone or thing driving at night or noticing visualclues
P983154983145983149983145983156983145983158983141 a problem when using mobile phonescars and door bells as well as interacting at more civi-lized social occasions
S983149983141983148983148983161 a hindrance when trying to impress peo-
ple or hiding rom wild animals or trackersW983137983150983156983141983140 a pain when trying to keep out o trou-ble or needing something rom your apartment
Y983151983157983150983143 a problem when trying to get into clubs betaken seriously by adults avoid school or see over thedash in a car
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7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
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NAME CONCEPT
BODY
MIND
EDGE
FLAW
DESCRIPTION
ROLL RESULT
6 Yes and
4 Yes
2 Yes but
5 No but
3 No
1 No and
A983150983143983154983161 983154983137983152983152983141983140 D983137983162983141983140
S983139983137983154983141983140 B1048684983145983150983140983141983140 I983150983146983157983154983141983140
983145983154983141983140 H983157983150983143983154983161 D983161983145983150983143
DRIVESWHAT DO YOU WANT
WHAT IS STOPPING YOU
WHAT WILL YOU DO
RELATIONSHIPS
C O N D I T I O N S
F U
P O I N T S
T H E O D D S
NOTES
G E A R
FU
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
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FU is written with the assumption that at least oneplayer is amiliar with roleplaying games and has a vague idea o how they work I you donrsquot have a cluewhat an RPG is then start by finding someone who
does
W983144983137983156 983161983151983157 983150983141983141983140o play FU you will need to gather a ew things
Here is your shopping listD983145983139983141 Standard six-sided dice are used to resolve
action in FU You will need at least one but it wouldbe better i players had about three each Six sided diceare reerred to throughout the rules as d6 I a numberappears in ront (such as 2d6 or 4d6) this indicates youshould roll that many dice
P983141983150983139983145983148 983137983150983140 P983137983152983141983154 Players will need to record thedetails o their character important notes about theirmission and all kinds o other things Te Narratorwill also need paper or keeping track o different ele-ments o the story
S983139983154983137983152 P983137983152983141983154 Narrators will find it useul to keepa supply o paper handy in order to draw rough dia-grams or keep track o the events o a story A smallwhite board is also handy or such purposes
W983144983137983156 983161983151983157 983140983151You and your riends are going to work together totell a dramatic exciting story You will establish partso the setting and everyone will have a chance to in-fluence that world Most o the players will create acharacter who is going to be a major protagonist oneo the cool guys that gets things done Each characterhas their own strengths weaknesses and goals that willhelp you roleplay them One player will be the Nar-rator who helps everyone along presents challenges
or the characters to overcome and adjudicate the ruleswhen needed
Play is a kind o conversation where everyoneworks together to put the characters in cool andor
entertaining situations Ten you will use the dice tohelp work out what happens next Sometimes you willall be working together throwing ideas around sug-gesting things and talking over the top o each other Itis chaos but hopeully productive un chaos At othertimes you are going to take it in turns to describe whatyour character is doing and seeing how that turns out
H983151983159 983161983151983157 983140983151 983145983156o resolve any action where the outcome is not
clear roll a d6 Your objective is to lsquobeat the oddsrsquo by
rolling an even number Te higher the even numberthe better the result I you roll an odd number theaction either ailed or wasnrsquot quite as good as neededor expected Te lower the odd number the worse theresult When the environment skills equipment orabilities make an action easier or harder you will getto roll multiple dice and keep the best or worst result
B983141983142983151983154983141 9831521048684983137983161Beore anything else you and your riends must
decide what type o game you want to play who thecharacters are going to be and where your story takesplace Knowing this will help players create cool char-acters and direct the Narrator in the role they will take
Tese decisions might already be made either bythe Narrator or a pre-made setting module I notwork together to come up with something everyone isexcited to play
THE BASICS
T983137983148983147 983138983141983142983151983154983141 983152983148983137983161
Have a conversation about the typeo game you will play so everyonestarts in the same ldquospacerdquo Establishtone theme andor expectations It isimportant to know whether you will becheered or jeered or outrageous over-acting or bloody acts o violence
Trow around ideas on setting im-agery set-pieces cool clicheacutes and unky
scenes Tis way everyone gets a clear picture o what the game is going to beabout
Tis discussion will also clue theNarrator in on what players want (orneed) out o the game It establisheswhether players want to eel like epicheroes down-trodden underdogs ortragic anti-heroes
T983144983141 I983150983155983156983137-G983141983150983154983141-G983141983150983141983154983137983156983151983154
For quick pick-up games get every-one to write two genres or settings onbits o paper Stick them all in a hat and
pick out two Now you have ldquoApocalypseSuburbiardquo ldquoMedieval Super-heroesrdquoldquoKung-Fu High Schoolrdquo or whateverhave a discussion about tone theme
possible plots and characters Now play
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In FU a character is your alter-ego During a storyyou describe what the character does how they re-spond to situations and react to others
C983151983150983139983141983152983156When you know the kind o setting or premiseo the adventures you will be playing you can beginthinking about your character Tis is the kernel owho or what the character is and should be summedup in just a ew words or a phrase
Te concept might define the characterrsquos back-ground or occupation such as lsquoparanormal detectiversquoor lsquochild prodigyrsquo Or it might give insight into theirpersonality such as lsquonoble savagersquo or lsquonutty proessorrsquo
O course the characterrsquos concept should fit into the
setting background or types o adventures that youwill be playing A lsquostreetwise coprsquo may be out o placein medieval England though a lsquoworldly sheriff rsquo mightbe just right Use the setting to inspire your character
Troughout this chapter we will ollow Daveand Nina as they create their own charactersWith im the Narrator they have decided to playa game based on the pulp serials o the 1930rsquos andthat it will be airly whimsical and action-packedDave thinks o a couple o his avourite movies
and decides that the concept or his character willbe lsquoDaredevil Explorerrsquo Nina wants to play some-thing a little unusual and afer discussing herideas with im and Dave decides her characterwill be an lsquoAlien Emissaryrsquo
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155Descriptors are adjectives or very short phrases that
identiy a characterrsquos skills and flaws the things thatmake their lie easier and harder and ultimately make
them who they are Tey indicate the kinds o thingsthat a character is good at their physical and mentaltraits and any abilities or drawbacks they might haveTey are both guides or your roleplaying and modi-fiers to lsquobeat the oddsrsquo rolls
Characters have our Descriptors Body MindEdge and Flaw Choose an adjective or phrase to de-scribe the most distinctive eatures o your character
Tinking about his Daredevil Explorer and thekinds o things he might have gotten up to duringhis lie Dave decides on the ollowing Descriptors
Body Nimble Mind Level HeadedEdge Use bull whipFlaw Araid o heights
Nina inspired by classic pulp science fictionstories has decided on the ollowing Descriptors or her character the Alien Emissary
Body Fragile Mind Observant
Edge Read MindsFlaw Alien Perspective
E98316098313710486859831521048684983141 D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Tis is by no means an exhaustive list just some
ideas to get you started Each o these is described inmore detail in the Appendix (page 20)
B983151983140983161 Agile Ambidextrous Blonde FurryFake Orange an Handsome Huge OverweightPoor Constitution Quick Razor-sharp Claws
Short Slow Strong all Tin Ugly Vigour Weak
M983145983150983140 Absent Minded Book Smart Comput-er-Wiz Dim-Witted Empathetic Focused Lat-eral Tinker Mathematician Observant SlowUneducated Wise Witty
E983140983143983141 Acrobatics Arcane Knowledge Cour-age Driving Fencing Good Memory HuntingKeen Sight Linguistics Magic Medicine NastyBite Rich Wrestling
F983148983137983159 Blind Brave Clumsy Greedy In-hu-man Appearance Missing Leg Old Poor PoorSight Primitive Smelly Wanted Young
CHARACTERS
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C983148983145983139983144983273983155 983137983154983141 983161983151983157983154 983142983154983145983141983150983140
It is totally okay to use clicheacutes whencoming up with your concept Clicheacutescontain a host o ideas and conceptsthat we are immediately amiliar withWhen somebody says their character is
a barbarian we automatically picturethem as heavily muscled and uncivi-lised Using clicheacutes is a kind o a short-hand way to describe your character
C983144983151983151983155983145983150983143 D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155
You should strive to be imaginativeand honest Consider both your conceptand the setting Giving a character theFlaw lsquo canrsquot swimrsquo when you know allthe stories will take place in the desert ishardly sporting
Be imaginative keep your concept inmind and discuss your ideas with theNarrator Te possibilities are endless
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 983137983154983141 983139983148983141983137983154
A good Descriptor is understood byeveryone at the table I you or another
player think a Descriptor is ambiguoustalk about it It might need to be re-written but it might not either You justwant everyone to be on the same page
when it comes time to using itD983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 983137983154983141 983145983150983150983137983156983141
Each Descriptor is an integral andinnate part o the character Tey can-not normally be taken away lost orremoved (though they might be orgot-ten or restricted under the right circum-stances) Do not make your Descriptorsitems o equipment
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 983137983154983141 983142983145983150983145983156983141
Each Descriptor should have one ortwo obvious uses or a specific purposeIt might also be applicable in a rangeo other unoreseen circumstances but
you will find that out in play Medicine is better than Doctor or example asthe latter could be used in a variety onon-medical situations (ldquoAs a Doctor Iam well educated and quite wealthyrdquo)
W983144983137983156 983156983161983152983141 983151983142 D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154 983145983155 983156983144983145983155
Some Descriptors could easily allinto more than one categorymdashGood
Memory might or example be a MindDescriptor or an Edge Ugly could be aFlaw or a Body Descriptor Tatrsquos fine It
is up to you the Narrator and the other players to make a decision on whether aspecific Descriptor is appropriate or not
or the stories you are telling
W983144983137983156 983149983137983147983141983155 983137 983143983151983151983140 E983140983143983141 983078 F983148983137983159
Tings that might be called ldquoskillsrdquo orldquoeatsrdquo or ldquostuntsrdquo in other games make
great Edges - stuff like lsquo sword fighting rsquolsquo breath underwater rsquo and lsquo winningsmilersquo are all good examples
Te best Flaws are personality traitsor physical shortcomings Tings likelsquo always smells bad rsquo or lsquo deaf rsquo are better
flaws than lsquo canrsquot driversquo or lsquo canrsquot speakFrenchrsquo O course there are alwaysexceptions I the characters are Britishspies during the Napoleonic wars notspeaking French would be a real draw-back Likewise the Flaw lsquo canrsquot swimrsquobecomes a great eature in a game o
pirates and sea battles Look or waysto challenge your character add spice
to games and present obstacles to over-come
S983144983151983157983148983140 I 983155983152983141983139983145983137983148983145983155983141
You can ocus your Descriptors ona single concept and ldquospecialiserdquo Fora really awesome warrior give themBody Strong Mind Tactician Edge
Melee and Flaw Reckless It would bevery easy to bring most o these descrip-tors into play whenever you get intoa fight BU there isnrsquot a lot o depth
there and you are going to be in a bindwhen in noncombat situations Instead
you might replace a couple o Descrip-tors with more versatile options BodyTough Mind Focused Edge Melee and Flaw Reckless
Describe your characterrsquos Body asHuge and their Edge as Strong i you
want a wrestler body builder or angry green super hero Give your brilliantscientist Mind Book-Smart and EdgeRocket Science Just be aware the more
you specialise the harder you will haveto work in scenes unrelated to your
orte Some players like this challenge
A983148983156983141983154983150983137983156983145983158983141 D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155
Te our deault Descriptors (Body Mind Edge amp Flaw) are not the onlyway to define your characters Changeor replace them to suit your game set-ting and stories In a game about giantmecha you might replace Body and
Mind with Chassis and Pilot or ex-ample In a game where everyone playsdifferent types o were-creatures one
Descriptor might become Animal FormIn these cases some o the advice in thissidebar might also need to be adjusted
Animal Form Jaguar is broader thanthe Descriptors discussed here but is to-tally appropriate to capture the ideas o
your game Use your imagination andmodiy things as needed
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G983141983137983154Gear is the equipment gadgets and weapons that
a character will use on their adventures All charactershave the basic clothes or items that are appropriate totheir concept Gear is the important and cool stuff thata character carries
Like Descriptors a characterrsquos Gear will modiy
lsquobeat the oddsrsquo rolls Gear can be anything - guns andknives to ancy clothes credit cards a horse mobilephone or even a star ship Like Descriptors your char-acterrsquos Gear depends on character concept game set-ting and the stories you want to tell Unlike Descrip-tors Gear is always made up o an adjective and nounRusting Sword Long Rope Fast Horse Long-rangedRifle Dadrsquos Camero Heavy Armour
Your character has two items o Gear Choose twoitems or your character
Dave decides his Daredevil Explorer to have aSturdy Bull Whip since he is quite skilled with itand a Worn Leather Jacket to keep out the coldand offer a little protection rom scrapes and alls
Nina thinks about her Alien Emissary beoredeciding on some Official Documents that indi-cating her political status and some Exotic Robes designed to impress and inspire awe
E98316098313710486859831521048684983141 G983141983137983154Like the example Descriptors this list is not in any
way exhaustive It barely scratches the surace o whatyour character might possess
C983148983151983156983144983141983155 Designer Jeans Slinky Black Dress(letrsquos count ldquoblack dressrdquo as the noun) Filthy Un-derpants Worn Jacket State-o-the-art SpaceSuit Silk Smoking Jacket Beat-up Fedora allPowdered Wig
W983141983137983152983151983150983155 Rusting Sabre Heavy Axe MyFatherrsquos Service Revolver Concealed Dagger Ex- perimental Flamethrower Fake Revolver Reliable AK-47 Rubber Mallet
Transport Faithul Horse Beat-up BuickBullet-proo Limo Squeaky Clown Shoes uned-up Street Racer Girls Bicycle Unreliable Coupe
Rickety Wagon Fast Motorcycle Grandmarsquos Run-about
O983156983144983141983154 S983156983157983142983142 Huge Backpack MiniatureFlag Heavy RPG Books Faithul Hound DentedFrying Pan Water-damaged Notebook AncientSpell Book My Favourite Pet Rock
C983144983151983151983155983145983150983143 G983141983137983154Items should be ldquoiconicrdquo to your
character Tink Batmanrsquos SinisterBatsuit the Ghostbusterrsquos Unstable
Proton-packs James Bondrsquos ReliableBerretta or Zorrorsquos Flashing Blade
Each piece o Gear should add some-thing to your characterrsquos background
personality or goals It should make astatement about who the character is orwhat they do
G983141983137983154 983145983155 983141983153983157983145983152983149983141983150983156
Gear is never innate - it can bedropped lost broken and stolen A Cy-bernetic Arm is not Gear but an Ar-moured Power Glove is
D983141983155983139983154983145983138983145983150983143 G983141983137983154
When describing gear make the ad- jective tell us something useul andorinteresting about it A Long Dagger isokay a Broken Dagger is better
Like Descriptors the description o your Gear should be clear - you donrsquotwant to be guessing at the purpose ormain eature o an item
O983150983141 983137983140983146983141983139983156983145983158983141 983151983150983148983161
Te description o your gear shouldhave a single adjective - no less and nomore A Sharp Sabre is okay as is a
Magic Sword but a Sharp Magic Sabreis not allowed
S983152983141983139983145983142983145983139 983150983151983157983150983155
Choose specific descriptive nounsSabre is better than Sword BaseballCap is better than Hat You can usemore than one noun but keep the de-scription to as ew words as possible
T983137983148983147 983137983138983151983157983156 983161983151983157983154 G983141983137983154
Discuss your Gear Everyone needsto be clear on what you are describingwhat the Gear will be useul or andwhen it might be a hindrance
Gear is not innately ldquogoodrdquo or ldquobadrdquoWhat you do with it and the situations you find yoursel in will dictate whetherhaving an item is useul or not
G983151983151983140 G983141983137983154 B983137983140 G983141983137983154
You can i you want dictate thatone piece o Gear must have a ldquogoodrdquoadjective and the other a ldquobadrdquo oneYou might have a Warm Jacket and anOld Gun or a Fast Motorcycle and a
Maxed-out Credit Card
S983156983157983142983142 983156983144983137983156 983145983155983150rsquo983156 G983141983137983154
Any objects items or equipment thatare not listed as Gear are props Propshave no effect on a characterrsquos chanceo success at an action - they are merelywindow-dressing However you canswap steal and pick-up another charac-terrsquos Gear and use that
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D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983145983151983150By now you should have a good idea o who your
character is Now it is time to fill in all the other detailsTis is the bit where you describe the characterrsquos
appearance and personality their past goals riendsenemies and any other detail you think important orinteresting
Dave takes a moment to note a ew thingsabout the Daredevil Explorer
ennessee Smith is a mild-mannered proessoro history but in his spare time he travels into thewilderness in search o lost arteacts and treasureRuggedly handsome he always seems to keep hiscool no matter how much danger he is inmdashandhe tends to get into a lot o it
Ninarsquos description o the Alien Emissary is
Lumina is an important diplomat rom the planet Jupiter which is ruled by the Dread LordKang Like all her kind she has purple skin a baldhead and delicate eatures Lumina works or the Jupiter Underground attempting to overthrowDread Lord Kang
D983154983145983158983141983155Every character has a purpose - a goal they are striv-
ing to achieve It may not be world changing (thoughit can be) but it should be important to that characterAsk the ollowing questions o your character
W983144983137983156 983140983151 983161983151983157 983159983137983150983156 What is it that you desirethe thing that drives you to action
W983144983137983156 983145983155 983155983156983151983152983152983145983150983143 983161983151983157 What obstacle or adver-sary is stopping you rom getting what you want
W983144983137983156 983159983145983148983148 983161983151983157 983140983151 What is the next step to getwhat you want What are you willing to do to succeed
ennessee Smith is in search o the Idol o otan arteact he has coveted or decades His rivalGiles Fishburne is also afer the idol and always
seems to be one step ahead ennessee is desperateto succeed this time and will do almost anythingto get the idol - though he would never kill or it
Lumina seeks reedom or all the people o Jupi-ter Dread Lord Kang rules the planet with an iron fist and his agents are always on the look out orrenegades Lumina is willing to put her own lie onthe line to achieve her vision
R9831411048684983137983156983145983151983150983155983144983145983152983155Choose at least one other character that will takepart in the story and write a short statement aboutyour relationship with them Tis should be clear andadd some interesting depth to both characters back-grounds For example Old drinking buddies Datedthe same woman Fought in the war together Weretrained by the same master
Dave writes ennessee Smith and Lumina metat Harvard where Lumina was giving a presen-tation on the ancient cultures o Jupiter Nina is
happy with this adding only that both characterswere attracted to each other but Lumina is too o-cussed on her mission to have any romantic dal-liance
I983156rsquo983155 983137983148983148 983137983138983151983157983156 983154983151983148983141983152983148983137983161983145983150983143 983150983151983159
Your Description Drives and Re-lationships all help develop your char-acter and put them into the ldquoworldrdquo o
your stories and adventures Te Narra-tor might occasionally give you a bonusto dice rolls because o the inormation
you reveal here but that is by no meansrequired
Use your Drives and Relationshipsto inorm the way you roleplay yourcharacter the way they interact with theother playerrsquos characters and the worldaround them
L983151983150983143 983151983154 983155983144983151983154983156 983156983141983154983149 983143983151983137983148983155
When choosing your Drive you are ree to pick long or short term goals I you are only playing a one-off game
then it is a better idea to pick somethingthat will have an immediate impact onthe plot I you are planning a series o
games then by all means come up witha longer-term goal or your character
H983151983159 983149983137983150983161 R983141983148983137983156983145983151983150983155983144983145983152983155
wo is a good number o Relation-ships to begin with Pick two differentcharacters and decide how they knoweach other You and another player can
work together to decide on a relation-ship or you can have separate unre-lated or ldquoopposedrdquo relationships (orexample ldquoIn love withrdquoldquoRepulsed byrdquo)
D983151983150rsquo983156 983138983141 983137983150983156983137983143983151983150983145983155983156983145983139
Donrsquot create Drives or Relationshipsthat will have characters constantly ateach others throats It is okay to havecharacters that donrsquot see eye-to-eye (in
act that can be un) but donrsquot havethem hate each other You want thecharacters to unction together in orderto deeat the antagonist solve the mys-tery or complete the mission
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 9239
CHARACTER CREATION
SUMMARY
CONCEPTWho is your character What is the ldquoHigh ConceptrdquoClicheacutes and archetypes are okay
DESCRIPTORSIdentiy the our most important or interesting eatures o your characterone each or Body Mind Edge and FlawEach Descriptor should be short punchy clear innate and finite
GEARWhat cool iconic stuff does your character carryChoose two items o gear describing each with an adjective and noun(eg Sharp Sabre Fast Motorcycle)
DESCRIPTIONWhat does your character look like What is their name Where are theyrom What makes them interesting and unique
DRIVESWhat does your character want What is stopping them What will they doto get it
RELATIONSHIPSHow do the characters know each other What connections do they have
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 102310
In FU you and the other players work together totell exciting stories about your characters It is notabout winning or even competing with anyone but itis about everyone having un while you create this col-
laborative story
S983139983141983150983141983155 983078 983157983154983150983155Play is broken into scenes and turns A scene is a
period o story involving a specific situation locationor group o characters Scenes are the primary buildingblocks o the story and can represent anything rom aew seconds to many hours o time Each scene shouldhave a specific objective and the scene ends when thatobjective has been addressed A scene should advancethe plot o the story reveal inormation about a char-
acter or add background colour to the events beingdescribed Ofen a scene will do all o these things atthe same time
During a scene players and Narrator describe whatthe characters are doing Players ldquoact outrdquo their char-acters speaking or them and declaring what actionsthey take while the Narrator does the same or all theother characters creatures and monsters in the scene
Scenes might be resolved through dice rolls but theydonrsquot have to be It is entirely possible that a scenersquosobjective is met through roleplaying and character in-teraction
When it is important to know the specific actionso each character and the order in which they occura scene is broken into turns A turn is a period longenough or each character to take a single actionwhether that be to make an attack deliver a rousingspeech throw an object to a companion look up someinormation on their iPhone or perorm some othertask
Players declare what action their characters aretaking while the Narrator decides what the othercharacters and creatures are going to do Everyonethen works together to decide what order everythingoccurs When all the characters involved have had achance to act the turn ends A new turn will begin inecessary
It is worth pointing out at this point that only play-ers roll dice Tis leaves the Narratorrsquos hands and mindree to scheme and plot and prepare or the next excit-ing encounter
ACTION
W983144983151 ldquo983155983141983156983155rdquo 983156983144983141 983155983139983141983150983141 Players might suggest scenes they
would like to see or be involved in butmost o the time the Narrator decideswhat scenes occur and in what orderthey happen Discussion might occurabout the order events occur in whatis happening where it is happening andwho is involved beore the Narratormakes a final call on all these matters
Some groups like to give everyone a
turn at setting a scene and that is to-tally cool too
H983151983159 983140983151 983161983151983157 ldquo983155983141983156 983137 983155983139983141983150983141rdquo
Setting a scene is a matter o defin-ing where and when the action takes
place who is there and what has justhappened or what is about to happenLocation Characters Event or WhereWhen Who amp What
When describing the scene draw on
all the senses point out interesting orimportant details o the location andall the characters involved Consider theobjective o the scene as you create it
W983144983137983156 983145983155 983137983150 983151983138983146983141983139983156983145983158983141
An objective can be anything thata player or character wants Characterobjectives might include finding a pieceo inormation deeating an enemytalking to someone travelling a small or
great distance preparing or battle con-
ning a mark or stealing an object Play-er objectives could include seeing theircharacter in a cool fight solving themystery revealing a secret about theircharacter or interacting with a specificcharacter or player Ofen player andcharacter goals overlap
D983151 983155983139983141983150983141983155 983144983137983158983141 983156983151 983138983141 983145983150 983151983154983140983141983154
You can use all the techniques o sto-ries novels and movies which means
flashbacks and flash orwards parallel
story lines and even montages can be played out in scenes While most o thetime your scenes will occur in a chrono-logical order you do not have to be re-stricted by this
D983151 I 983144983137983158983141 983156983151 983157983155983141 983156983157983154983150983155
urns are an optional measuremento time useul or when a variety o stuffis being attempted by several charac-ters Use them to organise the action asneeded Some scenes will naturally all
into turns while others will be resolvedwithout ever considering them
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 112311
B983141983137983156983145983150983143 983156983144983141 O983140983140983155When a character attempts an action where the
outcome is not immediately andor completely obvi-ous you make a beat the odds roll
o resolve an action roll a d6 Your objective is tolsquobeat the oddsrsquo by rolling an even number Te higherthe even number the better the result I you roll an
odd number the action either ailed or wasnrsquot quite asgood as needed or expected Te lower the odd num-ber the worse the result Tere is a handy chart belowthat helps illustrate this idea
Te beat the odds roll is the heart o FU While mosto the time even numbers are good and odd numbersare bad the precise situation will dictate the actual re-sults It may be that the roll o a 1 does not indicate anoutrageous ailure so much as a success in the mostminimal or ragile o ways
We are going to ollow the trials and tribula-tions o two characters rom two different settingsin this chapter
Sir Camden is riding afer the evil Lord KaneHe sees Lord Kane leap a tall hedgerow disappear-ing into the orest beyond Sir Camden now triesto leap the hedge so you roll a d6 scoring 2 SirCamdenrsquos horse clears the hedge but Sir Camdenis jostled about in the saddle and is momentarilyconused
Captain Vance ducks as another hail o bullets peppers the wall he is hiding behind Grabbing adamaged radio he flicks some switches and triesto call HQ or back-up You roll a d6 and score a 1Vance ails to find the right requency and a straybullet hits the radio destroying it
R983151983148983148 D983151 983161983151983157 983143983141983156 983159983144983137983156 983161983151983157 983159983137983150983156983103
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 donrsquot get what you want but itrsquos not a total loss
3 No You donrsquot get what you were afer
1 No and You donrsquot get what you want and things get worse
C983148983151983155983141983140 Q983157983141983155983156983145983151983150983155
FU uses a closed question ormat tohelp resolve actions A closed questioncan only be answered with a ldquoyesrdquo orldquonordquo statement When you reach a situ-ation that needs to be resolved by dice
propose a closed question ldquoDo I leapthe chasmrdquo ldquoDo I punch that jerk inthe noserdquo ldquoDoes the tavern wench all
or my easy charm and winning smilerdquoTe roll o the die will answer the ques-tion and guide your response
A lot o the time you wonrsquot need toask the question explicitly - it will be ob-vious rom the action you attempt ldquoyoutake a run up and leap rom the edge othe chasm Rollrdquo
A983148983156983141983154983150983137983156983145983158983141 Q983157983141983155983156983145983151983150983155
You can pose different questionsi you want though you will have tochange the result chart An obviousquestion is ldquoHow well do I succeedrdquoTis might garner the ollowing results
Roll How well do you succeed
6 Legendary success
4 Complete success
2 Only just succeed
5 Fail by the smallest margin
3 Complete ailure
1 Epic ailure and then some
Feel ree to come up with your ownquestions and answers as suits theneeds o your group game and story
A983148983156983141983154983150983137983156983145983158983141 D983145983139983141 R983151983148983148983155
Some players are not ans o theevenodd results Many preer a 1-3Bad 4-6 Good result In that case theresult chart would look like this
Roll Do you get what you want
6 Yes and
5 Yes
4 Yes but
3 No but
2 No
1 No and
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 122312
S983157983139983139983141983155983155 983078 F9831379831451048684983157983154983141When you make a beat the odds roll your character
will either succeed at what they were attempting orthey wont Tis is usually enough to push your storyurther along but other things can happen too
When you attempt an action you are asking ldquoDoesmy character get what they wantrdquo Tere are six pos-
sible answers to this questionYes and
Yes
Yes but
No but
No
No and
Yes and No are pretty straight orward - they tell youwhether the action succeeded or not Te and and but are qualifiers that modiy how good the success or howbad the ailure was When you get a qualifier you makean extra statement about how the action succeeded orailed Tis extra statement can add a Condition to acharacter or a Detail to a scene
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 Tese are physical mental or socialeffects that impact on the way a character behaves orattempts actions Conditions include things like an- gry conused tired and unconscious Tere are severallisted on the FU character sheet and there is space oryou to write your own
D983141983156983137983145983148983155 Tese are eatures o an environment orscene that might change as a result o an action Detailsmight include curtains catching fire windows break-ing animals running off or machinery stalling De-tails are always closely tied to the scene and the action
E983160983137983149983152983148983141983155 983151983142 S983157983139983139983141983155983155 983078 F983137983145983148983157983154983141
Going back to an earlier exampleletrsquos see what might have happenedwhen we apply each possible answer tothe question
ldquoDoes Sir Camden leap the hedgerdquo
Yes and he catches up with LordKane Tis is a Detail that changes thescene
Yes he leaps the hedge Tere is noandbut qualifier so no Condition orDetail is added
Yes but Sir Camden is disorientedand momentarily confused Tis is aCondition applied to the character
No but he spots a gap in the hedge urther along Tis Detail gives the char-acter another way to continue the chase
No the horse shies away rom the jump Tere is no andbut qualifier sono Condition or Detail is added
No and his horse rears up throwinghim to the ground causing an injury Tis is a Condition
W983144983151 983139983144983151983151983155983141983155 C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 983078D983141983156983137983145983148983155
Anyone can suggest a Condition orDetail that they eel is appropriate tothe action taken and result achievedUsually the player that rolled the diceand the Narrator will work together tocome up with a suitably dramatic effectBut really anyone at the table shouldthrow in whatever cool idea they have
Te Narrator always has final sayover what Condition or Detail is ap-
plied to a result
W983144983141983150 983155983144983151983157983148983140 I 983157983155983141 C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155
Like all qualifiers it depends onsituation In the examples above Con-ditions are applied to the acting playerwhen things donrsquot quite go right orthem ( Yes but No and ) Te Condi-tions make lie a bit more difficult or
the character because o the minimalsuccess or outright ailure
You can also apply Conditions tothe target o an action when things are
going right or your character I youare debating with a bureaucrat and geta Yes and result you might apply theconfused Condition to the target I youattempt to outrun an enemy and get the
No but result they might catch up with
you but have the tired Condition Ap- plying Conditions in this way will likely give player characters an advantagelater in the scene
W983144983141983150 983155983144983151983157983148983140 I 983157983155983141 D983141983156983137983145983148983155
Apply Details when the action is like-ly to change the scene or environment insome way Tis might be a change in the
power dynamic o the scene (ldquo Yes he
leaps the hedge and he catches up withLord Kanerdquo) or a change in the physicalenvironment (ldquo No but he spots a gap inthe hedgerdquo)
Details are ofen applied when theacting character gains some advantage( Yes and No but ) Tey can be usedto great effect however to make situa-tions more entertaining and or dan-
gerous
ldquoDo you swing across the room on
the chandelier Yes but candles allloose and set fire to the tavernrdquo
Details can provide instant or on- going effects depending on the circum-stances A gap in the hedge can be usedimmediately to continue the chase aburning tavern will continue to be ahazard until someone puts the fire out
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 132313
M983151983140983145983142983145983141983154983155Sometimes circumstances equipment and skill will
make actions easier or harder Modifiers change thenumber o dice you get to roll when taking action
M983137983147983145983150983143 T983144983145983150983143983155 E983137983155983145983141983154 Roll an additional dieor each Descriptor piece o Gear Condition or De-tail that provides some advantage to the action being
taken Te result is the single best (not necessarilyhighest) die roll as the player chooses
In the woods Sir Camden tries to track LordKane You point out that the knight is a goodhunter so you get an extra d6 Rolling 2d6 youscore a 5 and a 4 Keeping the 4 it is decided thatafer a brie search Sir Camden finds Lord Kanersquostracks and ollows them to a sinister citadel
M983137983147983145983150983143 T983144983145983150983143983155 H983137983154983140983141983154 Roll an extra die oreach Descriptor bit o Gear Condition or Detail that
makes the action harder Te result is the single worstdie roll
Captain Vance decides to run to a near-by jeepTe Narrator points out there is no cover betweenVancersquos hiding spot and the vehicle ldquoDoes Vance get to the jeep uninjuredrdquo You roll 2d6 scoringa 3 and a 5 You must accept the 3 and CaptainVance is injured as he reaches the jeep
C983137983150983139983141983148983148983145983150983143 O983157983156 One beneficial die cancels out
one hindering die so you will never be rolling lsquonega-tiversquo and lsquopositiversquo dice at the same time
Later in his quest Sir Camden must scale asheer (-) cliff Te knight is strong (+) and hasa rope (+) Overall this means a single bonus tothe action (the sheer cliff and the knightrsquos strengthcancel each other out just leaving the rope) Youroll 2d6 scoring a 3 and 6
E983160983137983149983152983148983141 983151983142 M983151983140983145983142983145983141983154983155
Captain Vance hurtles along in the jeep when a guard tries to drag himout through the window ldquoWill Vanceshake the guard offrdquo It is hard (+) todrag Vance out the window but he iswounded (-) and surprised (-) and the
attacker is very strong (-) In total youmust roll 2 penalty dice You roll 3d6scoring a 2 4 and 3 and must take theworst result the 3 Te guard wrestlesVance out o the jeep
O983156983144983141983154 983156983161983152983141983155 983151983142 983154983151983148983148983155
FU has no such thing as lsquoopposedrollsrsquo or lsquocontested actionsrsquo lsquodamagerollsrsquo and lsquorolling to hitrsquo Te beat theodds roll is the only kind o roll usedin FU whether you are trying to drive
a car through a crowded mall armwrestle a giant or shrug off the damagecaused by a stray bullet
H983151983159 983140983151 ldquo983151983152983152983151983155983141983140rdquo 983137983139983156983145983151983150983155 983159983151983154983147
For a start only players ever rolldice You begin by actoring in all thebonuses (+) and penalties (-) that applyto your character Ten you take stocko all the actors that would apply tothe opponent and apply those into your
roll too Is the opponent weak You geta bonus die Is the opponent a worldchampion arm wrestler You actor ina penalty die And so on until every-thing is actored in When you knowhow many bonus andor penalty dice
you have roll I the result is an even
number you win the contest i the finalresult is an odd number your opponenthas the advantage
D983145983137983148983145983150983143 983145983150 983151983150 Y983151983157983154 983137983139983156983145983151983150
Sword fights political debates spaceraces international wars argumentsand gun battles are all resolved usingthe beat the odds roll Te key is to dialin or out o the action through the kindo questions you attempt to resolve Youcan fight a dramatic sword fight and ex-
change a series o blows by asking ldquoDoI hit the Count De Montierdquo But youcould also resolve the entire fight witha single roll by asking ldquoDo I deeat theCount De Montie in a duelrdquo Or takeit to the next level and ask ldquoDo my men-at-arms storm the Count De Montiersquoscastlerdquo Adjust the dial as necessary
O983152983156983145983151983150 M983137983156983139983144983145983150983143 D983145983139983141
Rolling doubles triples or quadru- ples can make a success much better ora ailure ar worse I your result die hasa match the effects will be much moredramatic You may add one ldquoandrdquostatement or each matching die I the
action is ailed this statement shouldmake the situation worse I the actionis a success the additional statement(s)should make the situation even better
For example Sir Camden aces LordKanersquos henchmen ldquoWill Sir Camden de-
eat the henchmenrdquo He is injured andoutnumbered so you will roll 2 penaltydice You roll and score 3 3 and 2 Youmust take the worst result - the double3 Normally this would be a ldquo Nordquo re-
sult but the matching 3 turns it into aldquo No andrdquo I you had rolled triple 3the result would have been ldquo No andandrdquo
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 142314
FU P983151983145983150983156983155FU Points are a resource that you spend to improve
a characterrsquos chance o success at an action Tey canbe used in two ways
B983151983150983157983155 D983145983141 Spend a FU Point beore a beat theodds roll to add a single bonus die Tis works like anyother bonus die You can add as many bonus dice as
you have FU Points but they must all be declared atthe same time
R983141-983154983151983148983148 Spend a FU Point afer a beat the oddsroll to re-roll a single die Te second result must stand- you cannot re-roll a re-roll You can re-roll as manydice as you have FU Points but you must declare themall at the same time beore the first die is re-rolled
You can spend multiple FU Points on any givenaction and or either or both effects It is completelywithin the rules to spend a FU Point to add a bonus
die beore a roll then another FU Point to re-roll a dieaferwards
Back at HQ Captain Vance tries to convinceGeneral Wallace to deploy the Rocket roops un-der his command Vance doesnrsquot have much going or him in this situation in terms o Descriptorsso you decide to spend 2 FU Points on the roll You
roll the basic die plus the two bonus dice gettinga 1 1 and 3 Not happy with this you spends yourlast FU Point on a re-roll You pick up one o the1rsquos and throw the die again
E983137983154983150983145983150983143 FU P983151983145983150983156983155 FU Points are earned duringplay or doing cool stuff and roleplaying your charac-ter Whenever you do something that stops play andmakes everyone go ldquoWowrdquo or laugh out loud at yourantics or anything else that everyone thinks should berewarded you earn a FU Point
S983156983137983154983156983145983150983143 FU P983151983145983150983156983155
Te number o FU Points you begina game with should be discussed beore
play begins Te more FU Points play-ers begin with the more easily they willachieve successes I playing games ohigh adventure or over-the-top actionit would be reasonable to begin with 2FU Points Super-powered heroes mightbegin with as many as 3 FU Points For
grittier games each player might onlybegin with 1 FU Point or even none
C983137983150 I 983143983145983158983141 983155983144983137983154983141 FU P983151983145983150983156983155
Tat is up to you and your groupTe deault is ldquonordquo but
D983151 N983137983154983154983137983156983151983154983155 983143983141983156 FU 983152983151983145983150983156983155
Usually no but they might allow a powerul villain or monster to have onetwo or three
O983156983144983141983154 983159983137983161983155 983156983151 983141983137983154983150 FU
You might like to change the way youearn FU Points You might earn them
or dealing the killing blow to monstersachieving your characterrsquos goal or roll-ing multiple 1rsquos or 6rsquos
Tis is a really good way to changethe tone or style o the game Want to
play a dungeon crawl Reward FU orkilling monsters A gritty dystopian
game Reward FU when the characters
lose out to Te Man Decide i these arethe only ways to earn FU or i they arein addition to the normal roleplayingrewards Tis decision will also have adramatic effect on the tone o play Seewhat you can do with it
O983156983144983141983154 983159983137983161983155 983156983151 983157983155983141 FU
Play around with FU Points Experi-ment or adjust the ways you use them
to suit your gaming group or the typeo story you are playing Here are somesuggestions
FU 983137983155 H983141983137983148983156983144
Rather than having a varying andchangeable number o FU points everycharacter begins with 3 Tey can bespent as normal but can also be lostwhen the character suffers physical ormental stress (injuries atigue earetc) FU in this instance can be rereshed
(brought back up to 3) by roleplayingout a (non-dice rolling) scene with an-other character that reveals somethingabout your relationship
R983141-R983151983148983148 E983158983141983154983161983156983144983145983150983143
Spend a FU point to re-roll all yourdice Tis is an all-or-nothing thing so
you canrsquot keep a couple o good resultsand roll the rest Use this variant in-stead o the normal re-roll rule
F983148983145983152 983137 P983145983152
Spend a FU Point to adjust a singledie up or down by one pip Spend mul-tiple FU points to adjust a die multiple
pips Tis option is more reliable thana re-roll as you will always be able toturn a ldquonordquo into a ldquoyesrdquo I you used thisvariant the normal re-roll rule shouldnot be used
U983155983141 983137 P983154983151983152Spend a FU point to turn a prop into
an item o Gear or the duration o thescene
S983156983157983150983156983155 983137983150983140 P983151983159983141983154983155
Give characters special abilitiesskills or powers that can only be used byspending a FU Point Tese should bemore powerul than Descriptors - makethem break the rules or give a superhu-man knack like the ability to fly or read
minds teleport or whatever
T983137983147983145983150983143 983137 H983145983156
Instead o rolling declare you areldquotaking a hitrdquo All the dice you shouldhave rolled are treated as i they rolled1rsquos (yes i you are holding 5 dice theycount as five 1rsquos) In return or your su-
ering you earn a FU Point
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 152315
ACTION
SUMMARY
SET THE SCENEWhere does the scene take place Who is there What do they want Doyou need to break down into turns
ACTRoleplay your character and describe what is going on Push toward theobjective
ASK A QUESTIONWhen you need to resolve a conflict or complete an action ask a closedquestion (eg ldquoDo I succeedrdquo)
FACTOR IN MODIFIERS+1 bonus die or every Descriptor item o Gear Detail Condition or other
eature that makes the action easier+1 penalty die or every Descriptor item o Gear Detail Condition or othereature that makes the action harder
ROLLRoll all your dice Te result is the single best die (i rolling bonus dice) orsingle worst die (i rolling penalty dice)
DESCRIBE RESULTUse the die result to describe how the conflict or action turned out Apply
Conditions or Details as necessary
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 162316
Following is some simple straightorward adviceor Narrators It is all airly generic because all the spe-cific stuff is going to relate to the genre tone and styleo game that you and your players choose to play
9831371048684983147983145983150983143 983145983155 983143983151983151983140Start your game with a conversation alk about
what players want out o the game what you want andwhere those ideas overlap Tose overlaps are likelywhere everyone is going to have the most un At the very least you should work together to establish thegenre and tone o your shared story alk about thisstuff too so that everyone is clear o the specifics (thereis a world o difference between Gothic horror andsplatter films or example)
alk during the game too Encourage players toshare ideas and give input into scenes objectives andthe challenges characters ace I you need to clariyideas themes or issues then do that
L983145983155983156983141983150983145983150983143 983145983155 983143983151983151983140I there is going to be talk there needs to be listen-
ing Listen to your players and the things they tell youeither in conversation or when they do things withtheir character Do stuff that relates to the Descriptors
written on the playerrsquos character sheets because that iswhat they think is cool
W983144983141983150 9831521048684983137983161983145983150983143When running games donrsquot plan too much ahead
o time Te dice rolls are going to direct a lot o theaction and you and the players will fill in the gaps byapplying Conditions and Details Here are some tipsto keep things moving and help you enjoy the game as
much as the players doK983141983141983152 983156983144983145983150983143983155 983155983145983149983152983148983141 Do not complicate your job
by introducing lots o sub-plots or convoluted twistsTings will get all messed about by themselves and the
story will run off on tangents that you never dreamedo
Y983151983157 983137983154983141 983150983151983156 983156983144983141 983141983150983141983149983161 this may seem obviousbut is worth stating Your role is to help guide the storyin interesting directions not to kill everyone You cangive players hints and ideas i you think this will lead toa better story Sometimes you will portray the adver-saries and are expected to do so vigorously but airlyOther times you will get to be an ally companion orpeer and once again you should be true to the spirit othe game
S983137983161 ldquoY983141983155rdquo i players make suggestions or ask ques-tions it is probably because they are interested in whatis going on Tey probably have a cool idea to introduceto the story Encourage this and confidently say ldquoyesrdquoto requests Tis doesnrsquot mean you should let playersget anything they want ndash but you should let players in-troduce elements into the story when the time is right
M983137983147983141 983154983151983148983148983155 983149983141983137983150983145983150983143983142983157983148 Every time you callor a die roll it should mean something interesting isgoing to happen NO MAER HE RESUL Donrsquot
have players make rolls i the result is not important tothe story or i ailure will stop the momentum o thestory
NARRATOR
983091 Q983157983141983155983156983145983151983150983155 983156983151 983142983154983137983149983141 983161983151983157983154 983143983137983149983141
When you begin a game talk withthe players about their expectations ryto answer the ollowing three questions
W983144983137983156 983159983145983148983148 983139983144983137983154983137983139983156983141983154983155 983140983151983103
Do players want to kick in doorskill monsters and take home piles otreasure Do they want to eel like epicheroes Or the underdogs strugglingagainst ridiculous odds
H983151983159 983140983151 983152983148983137983161983141983154983155 983159983137983150983156 983156983151 983142983141983141983148983103
Do the players want to eel like theyare changing the world Like their char-acter is gaining in wealth prestige or
power Or do they want to eel like theirbacks are against the wall and their livesconstantly at risk
W983144983137983156 983145983155 983156983144983141 N983137983154983154983137983156983151983154rsquo983155 983154983151983148983141983103
What kinds o challenges encoun-ters and situations are you going to pre-
sent the characters in order to achievethe above Do you need to ensure everychallenge is accompanied by a generousreward Are you going to make every
fight hard but air Will you be relent-less in the pursuit o the antagonistrsquos
goals
Answer these questions and every-one at the table will be clear on theirrole in the coming adventure
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 172317
R983141983139983151983158983141983154983161During games characters can suffer injuries be-
come physically or mentally stressed and be afflictedby a range o other Conditions Conditions are alwaysrecovered at a time andor rate appropriate to the sto-ry Tis is usually with the passing o time but doesnot have to be A good rule o thumb is that one or
more Conditions can be removedrecovered betweenscenes though this will depend on the timing o suchencounters
R983141983159983137983154983140983155Reward players or good roleplaying and achieving
goals by giving them FU Points You may also rewardthem or a variety o other reasons as your group de-cides (see the sidebar on page 12) FU Points can beused to improve a characters chance o success and arethereore a great immediate tangible reward You donrsquot
have to be the only one at the table offering rewardsthough All players should speak up when someonehas done something cool unny or awesome and re-ward a FU Point
H983151983159 983149983157983139983144 983144983151983159 983151983142983156983141983150 Be generous with yourrewards as the positive reinorcement o earning FUPoints will inspire them on to greater acts o heroismspectacle or depravity as the case may be Also takeinto account whether this will be a ldquoone offrdquo game ora part o an ongoing story or campaign - players arelikely to burn through FU Points aster in a singe ses-
sion game and will need their resources replenishedaster
C983144983137983154983137983139983156983141983154983155 983078 O9831389831559831569831379831391048684983141983155All the characters monsters traps villains terrain
eatures creatures and obstacles that are encounteredduring a story are defined in much the same way ascharacters You are not confined by any rules or re-strictions when creating characters or obstacles theonly thing you must do is make them entertaining andinteresting
T983144983141 B983151983159983148
One technique or rewarding FUPoints is to place a bowl o beads chitsor tokens in the centre o the table Eachbead is a FU Point Te Narrator cantell players to ldquotake one rom the bowlrdquoand other players can reach in when it isappropriate to reward a player by pass-ing a bead rom the bowl Tis requirestrust between players and Narrator butmakes the running o the game verysmooth as no-one has to stop and askldquoDoes that deserve a FU Pointrdquo
A983140983158983137983150983139983141983149983141983150983156
FU is not a game about ldquolevellinguprdquo While characters might have avariety o experiences and learn romthem the real advancement comes romthe changing story andor world
I appropriate players can changeone Descriptor between game sessionsTis alteration should relate in someway to the experiences and story theircharacter just participated in Gear canbe changed between sessions at the Nar-ratorrsquos discretion
Goals might also change rom gamesession to game session Give playerstime to consider their goals at the starto each session and let them adjust orchange them as necessary
T983154983137983139983147983145983150983143 983151983138983155983156983137983139983148983141983155
Use sticky-notes or index cards torecord details about your charactersmonsters and obstacles Write downDescriptors Gear and other ino Asthey suffer Conditions record those onthe card
Use index cards to record importantterrain eatures too Write down anyDescriptor(s) pertaining to the eature
so players can take them into accountas they plan their actions
W983144983137983156 983140983151 I 983155983144983137983154983141 983159983145983156983144 983152983148983137983161983141983154983155
Some groups play open making nosecret o the Descriptors and details ocreatures and monsters Other groups(andor Narrators) keep this inorma-tion hidden rom players Both options
provide or different styles o play
Playing an open table means eve-ryone is clear about what is going onwhat opportunities exist or cool scenesand actions Players can see what GearConditions and Descriptors are ldquoin
playrdquo and incorporate them into scenes
Keeping the details o villains trapsand other obstacles rom the playerswill push them to test their enemies ex-
plore the environment and try differentthings Tey can manoeuvre themselvesand situations in directions they thinkwill be advantageous It is always satis-
ying to be rewarded with bonus dice oraccurately guessing an enemyrsquos Descrip-tors
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 182318
ennessee Smith amed explorer has finally got a solid lead on the whereabouts o the ancientIdol o ot an object o reported supernatural power Unortunately Smithrsquos arch enemy Giles
Fishburne is also on the trail o the Idol and hasthrown his lot in with the Nazis
Tis short adventure will get you into the actionquickly It illustrates one way you might prepare yourown adventures adversaries and obstacles Use thepre-generated characters presented at the end o theadventure Race to the emple o ot consists o a serieso set-piece encounters that you can use rearrange andignore at your leisure Remember that beat the oddsrolls will lead to all kinds o interesting twists and
turns and once the characters set out on the adventureanything is possible
B983141983142983151983154983141 983161983151983157 983138983141983143983145983150Beore starting play have a quick discussion about
the tone and style o the game Te scenario is clas-sic pulp - over the top action outrageous villains andlarger than lie heroes Make sure everyone is on thesame page here - talk about what makes this genre cooland perhaps point out examples o the genre (Indiana Jones Te Mummy Te Rocketeer ) and what parts o
these you enjoyedRead the flavour text above (the stuff in italics) and
get everyone at the table to throw around some ideaso cool stuff they would like to see happen during theadventure Note it all down - when things slow or iyou get stuck or what to do next chuck one o theseideas into the mix
S983139983141983150983141983155Te scenes presented here have a description o
where the action takes place and suggest Descriptorsyou or the players might incorporate into the actionTe italics set up the action o the scene and the objec-tive Paraphrase the details or your players
C98314498313710486841048684983141983150983143983141983155Te challenges and adversaries in this adventure
are recorded in boxes with relevant Descriptors Con-ditions and Notes Tese are to guide you and do nothave to be used Your own cool ideas should alwaystrump anything written here
E983155983139983137983152983141 983156983144983141 B9831571048684983137983147 M983137983154983147983141983156S983139983141983150983141 Central Asia - a bustling market in the city
o Bulak - Midday all stone and mud-brick buildingswith narrow arched windows surround the central
market stalls and caes bars and emporiums run offin all directions along winding narrow streets
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Crowded streets Exotic goods
Te characters have just acquired a map to theemple o ot Unortunately Nazi goons have ar-rived and want the map too Tere are a lot o goons and while the characters could fight themit might be easier to flee Do the characters escape
NAZI GOONS
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Lots o goons Beey AryansNot too bright
G983141983137983154 Noisy Sub-machine guns
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 ConusedrappedSlowedOut o Action
N983151983156983141983155 Tere are a number o goon squads equal tothe number o characters
W983144983137983156 983139983137983150 983143983151 983159983154983151983150983143983103 Te characters are cap-tured Te map is lost
9831549831379831509831551048684983137983156983145983150983143 983156983144983141 M983137983152S983139983141983150983141 A dark coffee lounge cae or back roomsomewhere in the city o Bulak Te smell o strongcoffee and exotic ood permeates the room
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Private
ennessee Smith and his companions have themap but must now translate it puzzling out thestrange symbols and markings Do they translatethe map
TRANSLATING THE MAP
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Ancient glyphs Brittle paperC983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 ornRuinedSmudged
Burnt to a crisp
W983144983137983156 983139983137983150 983143983151 983159983154983151983150983143983103 Te map is damaged Techaracters misread the map Tey cannot read the mapand must get help rom an expert in ancient languages
RACE TO THE TEMPLE OF TOT
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
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983144983141 G983151983157 Z983151983157 G983151983154983143983141S983139983141983150983141 Te majestic Gou Zou Gorge hal a mile
deep and crossed by a single iron girder railway bridgeWide open plains lie on either side o the gorge and theKow Mountains lie in the distance
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Open plains Impassible Gorge
Te characters ollow the map to Gou ZouGorge by car or horse back Giles Fishburne is ap- proaching ast aboard the German dirigible DerVogel Do the characters cross the bridge saelyDo they keep their lead on the Germans
NAZI BIRD TRUPPEN
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Tey Fly Agile
G983141983137983154 Delicate Flying Harness DeadlyStick Grenade
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 ConusedGrounded
SlowedOut o ActionN983151983156983141983155 Tere are a number o Bird ruppen equalto the number o characters
GOU ZOU BRIDGE
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Wide but narrow
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 RicketyBlown all to hell
N983151983156983141983155 You know you must introduce an approach-ing train right
W983144983137983156 983139983137983150 983143983151 983159983154983151983150983143983103 Te bridge is destroyed
Te map is lost the characters are captured
983144983141 98314110486859831521048684983141S983139983141983150983141 An ancient temple ashioned into the side
o a mountain Grand statues o sinister looking godsand daemons line the walls Dust covers everythingTe tunnel leads deeper into the mountain
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Dark Silent
Te characters must penetrate the heart o thetemple but the map warned o nearious traps
and terrible guardians Do they get past the trapsand guardians
NEFARIOUS TRAPS
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Hidden Deadly
G983141983137983154 Poison Darts Rusting Spears
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 DisarmedSet-offRevealed
N983151983156983141983155 Challenge characters with one or two trapsell them the passage is trapped but donrsquot tell themhow or where the traps are until they are sprung
STONE STATUE GUARDIAN
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Big Heavy Slow Relentless
G983141983137983154 Heavy Stone Weapons
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 DamagedOff balanceSlowedOut o Action
N983151983156983141983155 Tere is one Statue Guardian or every two
characters Te large heavy weapons can strikemultiple characters at once
W983144983137983156 983139983137983150 983143983151 983159983154983151983150983143983103 Characters cannot getpast traps characters are injured by traps
983144983141 I9831409831511048684 C9831449831371048685983138983141983154S983139983141983150983141 A large stone chamber ingeniously lit by
mirrors reflecting sunlight Te Idol o ot - a gold-en statue o a seven-headed monkey - sits on a stoneplinth in the centre o the room
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Large bronze mirrors
Te characters enter the chamber o the idolonly to find that Giles Fishburne and his Nazi goons are here too Do they deeat Giles and es-cape with the Idol
GILES FISHBURNE
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Smart Arrogant Sword fighter
G983141983137983154 Polished Sabre
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 ConusedInjuredSlowedOut o Action
N983151983156983141983155 Giles is a greedy arrogant villain but heisnrsquot stupid I things start looking dire he will attemptto escape make a deal andor double-cross anyone inhis way He has no loyalty to the Nazis
C983144983137983154983137983139983156983141983154983155Four pre-made characters can be ound on the next
page Tey are each examples o classic pulp charac-ter archetypes Players may tweak or adjust them atthe Narratorrsquos discretion beore play starts perhapschanging a Descriptor or two or switching out an item
o Gear Beore starting the game each player shoulddefine one or two relationships describing how thecharacters know each other A quick and easy way todo this is or everyone to describe how they know thecharacter to their lef
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 202320
TENNESSEE SMITH DAREDEVIL EXPLORER
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Nimble Level Headed Use BullWhip Araid o Heights
G983141983137983154 Bull Whip Worn Leather Jacket
D983154983145983158983141983155 Find the Idol o ot
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 AngryScaredired
rapped
Blinded
HungryDazedInjuredDying
ennessee Smith is a mild-mannered proes-sor o history but in his spare time he travelsinto the wilderness in search o lost arteacts andtreasure Ruggedly handsome he always seemsto keep his cool no matter how much danger heis inmdashand he tends to get into a lot o it
R983141983148983137983156983145983151983150983155983144983145983152983155
N983151983156983141983155
HARVEY REED RETIRED BOXER
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Strong Tinks-on-his-Feet BoxerUgly as Sin
G983141983137983154 Roll o quarters Poor fitting suitD983154983145983158983141983155 Look out or ennessee Smith
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 AngryScarediredrappedBlindedHungryDazedInjuredDying
Harvey Reed is a recently retired championboxer Finding the sedentary lie a little too bor-ing he has joined his old riend ennessee insearch o adventure
R983141983148983137983156983145983151983150983155983144983145983152983155
N983151983156983141983155
JIMMY SWEET PLUCKY KID
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Quick Smart-aleckUnderestimated Young
G983141983137983154 Noisy Firecrackers Dirty BaseballCap
D983154983145983158983141983155 See the 7 wonders o the world
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155
Angry
Scared
iredrappedBlindedHungryDazedInjuredDying
Jimmy Sweet is a happy-go-lucky kid who hasnever had anyone to rely on but himsel He iswiry tough and quick with a cheeky attitudethat requently gets him into trouble Jimmystowed away on a tramp steamer with the inten-tion o seeing the world and making his ortune
R983141983148983137983156983145983151983150983155983144983145983152983155
N983151983156983141983155
OCTOBER JONES GIRL REPORTER
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Beautiul Witty Good MemoryCurious
G983141983137983154 rusty Camera Tick Notebook D983154983145983158983141983155 Get the scoop on the real ennes-
see Smith
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 AngryScarediredrappedBlindedHungryDazedInjuredDying
October Jones is a reporter and adventurerafforded a great deal o reedom by her atherrsquosimmense wealth Beautiul intelligent and spoiltshe is a woman used to getting what she wants
R983141983148983137983156983145983151983150983155983144983145983152983155
N983151983156983141983155
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 212321
Tis list is by no means exhaustive but itrsquos a goodplace to start Each entry lists the kinds o things aDescriptor might be an advantage or hindrance orwhich makes it a handy reerence or both players and
Narrators
B983151983140983161 D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155A983143983145983148983141 helpul when dancing leaping doing gym-
nastics crawling through tight spaces and balancingA983149983138983145983140983141983160983156983154983151983157983155 great when shooting two guns at
the same time or doing slight-o-hand magic tricksB983148983151983150983140983141 good or getting people to underestimate
you not good i you spend too much time in the sunF983137983147983141 O983154983137983150983143983141 T983137983150 great or passing as an aging
celebrity and or drawing attention to yoursel
F983157983154983154983161 useul or resisting cold weather and livingin the woods
H983137983150983140983155983151983149983141 useul or flirting selling stuff gettingroles on V modelling and being popular
H983157983143983141 good or looking menacing reaching highplaces acting like a body builder or getting stuck insmall spaces
O983158983141983154983159983141983145983143983144983156 a problem when exercising andborrowing clothes
P983151983151983154 C983151983150983155983156983145983156983157983156983145983151983150 a hindrance when long dis-
tance running resisting damage perorming eats oendurance and healingQ983157983145983139983147 handy or ducking to and rom places
slight-o-hand dodging and other actions that requirespeed o action
R983137983162983151983154-983155983144983137983154983152 C983148983137983159983155 great or slicing up en-emies cutting vegetables and maybe climbing trees
S983144983151983154983156 a pain or reaching the top shel but use-ul or crawling under low objects and getting lost ina crowd
S983148983151983159 a problem when running dodging and re-
acting to thingsS983156983154983151983150983143 useul or lifing carrying smashing
and throwing things Wrestling and avoiding beingcrushed might also be aided
T983137983148983148 good or reaching the top shel climbingand seeing over other peoplersquos heads
T983144983145983150 handy or squeezing into places and clotheshiding behind poles and perorming on the catwalk
U983143983148983161 a problem when trying to seduce someoneor get a role on V
V983145983143983151983157983154 great or resisting poison long distancerunning and other eats o endurance
Weak a pain when lifing carrying smashing andthrowing stuff
W983141983138983138983141983140 F983141983141983156 great or swimming but terriblewhen buying shoes
M983145983150983140 D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155A983138983155983141983150983156-M983145983150983140983141983140 good or being distracted but a
problem when remembering where you lef the keysor that you just pulled the pin rom a hand grenade
B983151983151983147-S983149983137983154983156 great when doing exams knowingmath ormulas remembering dates in history andgenerally getting into Law at Harvard
C983151983149983152983157983156983141983154-W983145983162 good or programming fixing
your laptop and getting into PC vs Apple flame-warsD983145983149-W983145983156983156983141983140 a problem when listening to jokes
recognizing a trick or generally keeping up appear-ances in social settings
E983149983152983137983156983144983141983156983145983139 good or reading peoples emotionsdoing psychological evaluations and knowing how tocomort distressed people
F983151983139983157983155983141983140 good or staying on task not getting dis-tracted and looking serious
L983137983156983141983154983137983148 T983144983145983150983147983141983154 handy or problem solving
and approaching issues in new or unusual waysM983137983156983144983141983149983137983156983145983139983145983137983150 great or doing sums solvingequations and doing your tax
O983138983155983141983154983158983137983150983156 great or spotting hidden clues no-ticing details doing find-a-words and reading bodylanguage
O983154983137983156983151983154 good or public speaking debating andgetting people to see your point o view
S983148983151983159 a pain when trying to understand plans orlearn new things
T983137983139983156983145983139983145983137983150 great or planning battles remember-
ing military history and quoting sun suU983150983141983140983157983139983137983156983141983140 a pain when reading doing math
remembering important dates in history and doingany school-type tests
W983145983155983141 handy or sprouting proverbs giving adviceputting unrelated clues together interpreting peoplersquosreactions and saying lsquoI told you sorsquo
W983145983156983156983161 good or making unny comments beingcharming and or entertaining and always knowingthe right thing to say
APPENDIX - DESCRIPTORS
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 222322
E983140983143983141 D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155A983139983154983151983138983137983156983145983139983155 great or joining the circus leaping
through narrow gaps and doing impressive flipsA983154983139983137983150983141 K983150983151983159983148983141983140983143983141 good or identiying mys-
tic arteacts recognizing the presence o evil magicand reading ancient scrolls
C983151983157983154983137983143983141 handy when seeing something scary
telling your wie you orgot your anniversary and at-tempting other dangerous acts
D983154983145983158983145983150983143 great or car racing car chases and pass-ing your driving exam
F983141983150983139983145983150983143 good or sword fighting and other civi-lized orms o melee
G983151983151983140 M983141983149983151983154983161 handy or remembering namesand aces vital clues and mathematical ormulas
H983157983150983156983145983150983143 good when tracking and stalking look-ing good in camouflage and knowing what an angryrhinoceros sounds like
K983141983141983150 S983145983143983144983156 great or seeing a long way or evendoing stuff by moonlight
L983145983150983143983157983145983155983156983145983139983155 good or speaking one (or more)oreign languages and generally communicating withothers
M983137983143983145983139 great or knowing the mystic arts castingspells or acting like a stage magician
M983141983140983145983139983145983150983141 good or perorming operations diag-nosing illness and administering first aid
N983137983155983156983161 B983145983156983141 great or really hurting someone in
combat chewing your own arm off or winning a pieeating contestR983145983139983144 handy or buying luxury sports cars getting
invited to exclusive parties and bribing city officialsW983154983141983155983156983148983145983150983143 good or fighting unarmed combat
and pinning opponents to the ground
F1048684983137983159 D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155B983148983145983150983140 a pain when doing anything that requires
sight such as shooting navigating an unamiliar spaceor painting
B983154983137983158983141 good or charging into mortal danger act-ing oolhardy and getting into deep trouble
C983148983157983149983155983161 a problem when carrying a valuable vase
visiting an antique store or trying to cross a booby-trapped room
G983154983141983141983140983161 a pain when resisting the urge to steal lieor in some other way keep or obtain wealth
I983150-H983157983149983137983150 A983152983152983141983137983154983137983150983139983141 a hindrance when try-ing not to get noticed avoiding attention or finding apair o pants that fit just right
M983145983155983155983145983150983143 L983141983143 a problem when running climbingor perorming any other activity that involves move-ment without prosthetics or a wheel chair
O983148983140 a pain when trying to look cool climb stairsuse a computer or be positive about your health
P983151983151983154 a hindrance when wanting to buy ood orclothes or trying to get into an exclusive party
P983151983151983154 S983145983143983144983156 a pain when trying to recognizesomeone or thing driving at night or noticing visualclues
P983154983145983149983145983156983145983158983141 a problem when using mobile phonescars and door bells as well as interacting at more civi-lized social occasions
S983149983141983148983148983161 a hindrance when trying to impress peo-
ple or hiding rom wild animals or trackersW983137983150983156983141983140 a pain when trying to keep out o trou-ble or needing something rom your apartment
Y983151983157983150983143 a problem when trying to get into clubs betaken seriously by adults avoid school or see over thedash in a car
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NAME CONCEPT
BODY
MIND
EDGE
FLAW
DESCRIPTION
ROLL RESULT
6 Yes and
4 Yes
2 Yes but
5 No but
3 No
1 No and
A983150983143983154983161 983154983137983152983152983141983140 D983137983162983141983140
S983139983137983154983141983140 B1048684983145983150983140983141983140 I983150983146983157983154983141983140
983145983154983141983140 H983157983150983143983154983161 D983161983145983150983143
DRIVESWHAT DO YOU WANT
WHAT IS STOPPING YOU
WHAT WILL YOU DO
RELATIONSHIPS
C O N D I T I O N S
F U
P O I N T S
T H E O D D S
NOTES
G E A R
FU
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
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In FU a character is your alter-ego During a storyyou describe what the character does how they re-spond to situations and react to others
C983151983150983139983141983152983156When you know the kind o setting or premiseo the adventures you will be playing you can beginthinking about your character Tis is the kernel owho or what the character is and should be summedup in just a ew words or a phrase
Te concept might define the characterrsquos back-ground or occupation such as lsquoparanormal detectiversquoor lsquochild prodigyrsquo Or it might give insight into theirpersonality such as lsquonoble savagersquo or lsquonutty proessorrsquo
O course the characterrsquos concept should fit into the
setting background or types o adventures that youwill be playing A lsquostreetwise coprsquo may be out o placein medieval England though a lsquoworldly sheriff rsquo mightbe just right Use the setting to inspire your character
Troughout this chapter we will ollow Daveand Nina as they create their own charactersWith im the Narrator they have decided to playa game based on the pulp serials o the 1930rsquos andthat it will be airly whimsical and action-packedDave thinks o a couple o his avourite movies
and decides that the concept or his character willbe lsquoDaredevil Explorerrsquo Nina wants to play some-thing a little unusual and afer discussing herideas with im and Dave decides her characterwill be an lsquoAlien Emissaryrsquo
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155Descriptors are adjectives or very short phrases that
identiy a characterrsquos skills and flaws the things thatmake their lie easier and harder and ultimately make
them who they are Tey indicate the kinds o thingsthat a character is good at their physical and mentaltraits and any abilities or drawbacks they might haveTey are both guides or your roleplaying and modi-fiers to lsquobeat the oddsrsquo rolls
Characters have our Descriptors Body MindEdge and Flaw Choose an adjective or phrase to de-scribe the most distinctive eatures o your character
Tinking about his Daredevil Explorer and thekinds o things he might have gotten up to duringhis lie Dave decides on the ollowing Descriptors
Body Nimble Mind Level HeadedEdge Use bull whipFlaw Araid o heights
Nina inspired by classic pulp science fictionstories has decided on the ollowing Descriptors or her character the Alien Emissary
Body Fragile Mind Observant
Edge Read MindsFlaw Alien Perspective
E98316098313710486859831521048684983141 D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Tis is by no means an exhaustive list just some
ideas to get you started Each o these is described inmore detail in the Appendix (page 20)
B983151983140983161 Agile Ambidextrous Blonde FurryFake Orange an Handsome Huge OverweightPoor Constitution Quick Razor-sharp Claws
Short Slow Strong all Tin Ugly Vigour Weak
M983145983150983140 Absent Minded Book Smart Comput-er-Wiz Dim-Witted Empathetic Focused Lat-eral Tinker Mathematician Observant SlowUneducated Wise Witty
E983140983143983141 Acrobatics Arcane Knowledge Cour-age Driving Fencing Good Memory HuntingKeen Sight Linguistics Magic Medicine NastyBite Rich Wrestling
F983148983137983159 Blind Brave Clumsy Greedy In-hu-man Appearance Missing Leg Old Poor PoorSight Primitive Smelly Wanted Young
CHARACTERS
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C983148983145983139983144983273983155 983137983154983141 983161983151983157983154 983142983154983145983141983150983140
It is totally okay to use clicheacutes whencoming up with your concept Clicheacutescontain a host o ideas and conceptsthat we are immediately amiliar withWhen somebody says their character is
a barbarian we automatically picturethem as heavily muscled and uncivi-lised Using clicheacutes is a kind o a short-hand way to describe your character
C983144983151983151983155983145983150983143 D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155
You should strive to be imaginativeand honest Consider both your conceptand the setting Giving a character theFlaw lsquo canrsquot swimrsquo when you know allthe stories will take place in the desert ishardly sporting
Be imaginative keep your concept inmind and discuss your ideas with theNarrator Te possibilities are endless
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 983137983154983141 983139983148983141983137983154
A good Descriptor is understood byeveryone at the table I you or another
player think a Descriptor is ambiguoustalk about it It might need to be re-written but it might not either You justwant everyone to be on the same page
when it comes time to using itD983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 983137983154983141 983145983150983150983137983156983141
Each Descriptor is an integral andinnate part o the character Tey can-not normally be taken away lost orremoved (though they might be orgot-ten or restricted under the right circum-stances) Do not make your Descriptorsitems o equipment
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 983137983154983141 983142983145983150983145983156983141
Each Descriptor should have one ortwo obvious uses or a specific purposeIt might also be applicable in a rangeo other unoreseen circumstances but
you will find that out in play Medicine is better than Doctor or example asthe latter could be used in a variety onon-medical situations (ldquoAs a Doctor Iam well educated and quite wealthyrdquo)
W983144983137983156 983156983161983152983141 983151983142 D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154 983145983155 983156983144983145983155
Some Descriptors could easily allinto more than one categorymdashGood
Memory might or example be a MindDescriptor or an Edge Ugly could be aFlaw or a Body Descriptor Tatrsquos fine It
is up to you the Narrator and the other players to make a decision on whether aspecific Descriptor is appropriate or not
or the stories you are telling
W983144983137983156 983149983137983147983141983155 983137 983143983151983151983140 E983140983143983141 983078 F983148983137983159
Tings that might be called ldquoskillsrdquo orldquoeatsrdquo or ldquostuntsrdquo in other games make
great Edges - stuff like lsquo sword fighting rsquolsquo breath underwater rsquo and lsquo winningsmilersquo are all good examples
Te best Flaws are personality traitsor physical shortcomings Tings likelsquo always smells bad rsquo or lsquo deaf rsquo are better
flaws than lsquo canrsquot driversquo or lsquo canrsquot speakFrenchrsquo O course there are alwaysexceptions I the characters are Britishspies during the Napoleonic wars notspeaking French would be a real draw-back Likewise the Flaw lsquo canrsquot swimrsquobecomes a great eature in a game o
pirates and sea battles Look or waysto challenge your character add spice
to games and present obstacles to over-come
S983144983151983157983148983140 I 983155983152983141983139983145983137983148983145983155983141
You can ocus your Descriptors ona single concept and ldquospecialiserdquo Fora really awesome warrior give themBody Strong Mind Tactician Edge
Melee and Flaw Reckless It would bevery easy to bring most o these descrip-tors into play whenever you get intoa fight BU there isnrsquot a lot o depth
there and you are going to be in a bindwhen in noncombat situations Instead
you might replace a couple o Descrip-tors with more versatile options BodyTough Mind Focused Edge Melee and Flaw Reckless
Describe your characterrsquos Body asHuge and their Edge as Strong i you
want a wrestler body builder or angry green super hero Give your brilliantscientist Mind Book-Smart and EdgeRocket Science Just be aware the more
you specialise the harder you will haveto work in scenes unrelated to your
orte Some players like this challenge
A983148983156983141983154983150983137983156983145983158983141 D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155
Te our deault Descriptors (Body Mind Edge amp Flaw) are not the onlyway to define your characters Changeor replace them to suit your game set-ting and stories In a game about giantmecha you might replace Body and
Mind with Chassis and Pilot or ex-ample In a game where everyone playsdifferent types o were-creatures one
Descriptor might become Animal FormIn these cases some o the advice in thissidebar might also need to be adjusted
Animal Form Jaguar is broader thanthe Descriptors discussed here but is to-tally appropriate to capture the ideas o
your game Use your imagination andmodiy things as needed
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G983141983137983154Gear is the equipment gadgets and weapons that
a character will use on their adventures All charactershave the basic clothes or items that are appropriate totheir concept Gear is the important and cool stuff thata character carries
Like Descriptors a characterrsquos Gear will modiy
lsquobeat the oddsrsquo rolls Gear can be anything - guns andknives to ancy clothes credit cards a horse mobilephone or even a star ship Like Descriptors your char-acterrsquos Gear depends on character concept game set-ting and the stories you want to tell Unlike Descrip-tors Gear is always made up o an adjective and nounRusting Sword Long Rope Fast Horse Long-rangedRifle Dadrsquos Camero Heavy Armour
Your character has two items o Gear Choose twoitems or your character
Dave decides his Daredevil Explorer to have aSturdy Bull Whip since he is quite skilled with itand a Worn Leather Jacket to keep out the coldand offer a little protection rom scrapes and alls
Nina thinks about her Alien Emissary beoredeciding on some Official Documents that indi-cating her political status and some Exotic Robes designed to impress and inspire awe
E98316098313710486859831521048684983141 G983141983137983154Like the example Descriptors this list is not in any
way exhaustive It barely scratches the surace o whatyour character might possess
C983148983151983156983144983141983155 Designer Jeans Slinky Black Dress(letrsquos count ldquoblack dressrdquo as the noun) Filthy Un-derpants Worn Jacket State-o-the-art SpaceSuit Silk Smoking Jacket Beat-up Fedora allPowdered Wig
W983141983137983152983151983150983155 Rusting Sabre Heavy Axe MyFatherrsquos Service Revolver Concealed Dagger Ex- perimental Flamethrower Fake Revolver Reliable AK-47 Rubber Mallet
Transport Faithul Horse Beat-up BuickBullet-proo Limo Squeaky Clown Shoes uned-up Street Racer Girls Bicycle Unreliable Coupe
Rickety Wagon Fast Motorcycle Grandmarsquos Run-about
O983156983144983141983154 S983156983157983142983142 Huge Backpack MiniatureFlag Heavy RPG Books Faithul Hound DentedFrying Pan Water-damaged Notebook AncientSpell Book My Favourite Pet Rock
C983144983151983151983155983145983150983143 G983141983137983154Items should be ldquoiconicrdquo to your
character Tink Batmanrsquos SinisterBatsuit the Ghostbusterrsquos Unstable
Proton-packs James Bondrsquos ReliableBerretta or Zorrorsquos Flashing Blade
Each piece o Gear should add some-thing to your characterrsquos background
personality or goals It should make astatement about who the character is orwhat they do
G983141983137983154 983145983155 983141983153983157983145983152983149983141983150983156
Gear is never innate - it can bedropped lost broken and stolen A Cy-bernetic Arm is not Gear but an Ar-moured Power Glove is
D983141983155983139983154983145983138983145983150983143 G983141983137983154
When describing gear make the ad- jective tell us something useul andorinteresting about it A Long Dagger isokay a Broken Dagger is better
Like Descriptors the description o your Gear should be clear - you donrsquotwant to be guessing at the purpose ormain eature o an item
O983150983141 983137983140983146983141983139983156983145983158983141 983151983150983148983161
Te description o your gear shouldhave a single adjective - no less and nomore A Sharp Sabre is okay as is a
Magic Sword but a Sharp Magic Sabreis not allowed
S983152983141983139983145983142983145983139 983150983151983157983150983155
Choose specific descriptive nounsSabre is better than Sword BaseballCap is better than Hat You can usemore than one noun but keep the de-scription to as ew words as possible
T983137983148983147 983137983138983151983157983156 983161983151983157983154 G983141983137983154
Discuss your Gear Everyone needsto be clear on what you are describingwhat the Gear will be useul or andwhen it might be a hindrance
Gear is not innately ldquogoodrdquo or ldquobadrdquoWhat you do with it and the situations you find yoursel in will dictate whetherhaving an item is useul or not
G983151983151983140 G983141983137983154 B983137983140 G983141983137983154
You can i you want dictate thatone piece o Gear must have a ldquogoodrdquoadjective and the other a ldquobadrdquo oneYou might have a Warm Jacket and anOld Gun or a Fast Motorcycle and a
Maxed-out Credit Card
S983156983157983142983142 983156983144983137983156 983145983155983150rsquo983156 G983141983137983154
Any objects items or equipment thatare not listed as Gear are props Propshave no effect on a characterrsquos chanceo success at an action - they are merelywindow-dressing However you canswap steal and pick-up another charac-terrsquos Gear and use that
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D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983145983151983150By now you should have a good idea o who your
character is Now it is time to fill in all the other detailsTis is the bit where you describe the characterrsquos
appearance and personality their past goals riendsenemies and any other detail you think important orinteresting
Dave takes a moment to note a ew thingsabout the Daredevil Explorer
ennessee Smith is a mild-mannered proessoro history but in his spare time he travels into thewilderness in search o lost arteacts and treasureRuggedly handsome he always seems to keep hiscool no matter how much danger he is inmdashandhe tends to get into a lot o it
Ninarsquos description o the Alien Emissary is
Lumina is an important diplomat rom the planet Jupiter which is ruled by the Dread LordKang Like all her kind she has purple skin a baldhead and delicate eatures Lumina works or the Jupiter Underground attempting to overthrowDread Lord Kang
D983154983145983158983141983155Every character has a purpose - a goal they are striv-
ing to achieve It may not be world changing (thoughit can be) but it should be important to that characterAsk the ollowing questions o your character
W983144983137983156 983140983151 983161983151983157 983159983137983150983156 What is it that you desirethe thing that drives you to action
W983144983137983156 983145983155 983155983156983151983152983152983145983150983143 983161983151983157 What obstacle or adver-sary is stopping you rom getting what you want
W983144983137983156 983159983145983148983148 983161983151983157 983140983151 What is the next step to getwhat you want What are you willing to do to succeed
ennessee Smith is in search o the Idol o otan arteact he has coveted or decades His rivalGiles Fishburne is also afer the idol and always
seems to be one step ahead ennessee is desperateto succeed this time and will do almost anythingto get the idol - though he would never kill or it
Lumina seeks reedom or all the people o Jupi-ter Dread Lord Kang rules the planet with an iron fist and his agents are always on the look out orrenegades Lumina is willing to put her own lie onthe line to achieve her vision
R9831411048684983137983156983145983151983150983155983144983145983152983155Choose at least one other character that will takepart in the story and write a short statement aboutyour relationship with them Tis should be clear andadd some interesting depth to both characters back-grounds For example Old drinking buddies Datedthe same woman Fought in the war together Weretrained by the same master
Dave writes ennessee Smith and Lumina metat Harvard where Lumina was giving a presen-tation on the ancient cultures o Jupiter Nina is
happy with this adding only that both characterswere attracted to each other but Lumina is too o-cussed on her mission to have any romantic dal-liance
I983156rsquo983155 983137983148983148 983137983138983151983157983156 983154983151983148983141983152983148983137983161983145983150983143 983150983151983159
Your Description Drives and Re-lationships all help develop your char-acter and put them into the ldquoworldrdquo o
your stories and adventures Te Narra-tor might occasionally give you a bonusto dice rolls because o the inormation
you reveal here but that is by no meansrequired
Use your Drives and Relationshipsto inorm the way you roleplay yourcharacter the way they interact with theother playerrsquos characters and the worldaround them
L983151983150983143 983151983154 983155983144983151983154983156 983156983141983154983149 983143983151983137983148983155
When choosing your Drive you are ree to pick long or short term goals I you are only playing a one-off game
then it is a better idea to pick somethingthat will have an immediate impact onthe plot I you are planning a series o
games then by all means come up witha longer-term goal or your character
H983151983159 983149983137983150983161 R983141983148983137983156983145983151983150983155983144983145983152983155
wo is a good number o Relation-ships to begin with Pick two differentcharacters and decide how they knoweach other You and another player can
work together to decide on a relation-ship or you can have separate unre-lated or ldquoopposedrdquo relationships (orexample ldquoIn love withrdquoldquoRepulsed byrdquo)
D983151983150rsquo983156 983138983141 983137983150983156983137983143983151983150983145983155983156983145983139
Donrsquot create Drives or Relationshipsthat will have characters constantly ateach others throats It is okay to havecharacters that donrsquot see eye-to-eye (in
act that can be un) but donrsquot havethem hate each other You want thecharacters to unction together in orderto deeat the antagonist solve the mys-tery or complete the mission
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CHARACTER CREATION
SUMMARY
CONCEPTWho is your character What is the ldquoHigh ConceptrdquoClicheacutes and archetypes are okay
DESCRIPTORSIdentiy the our most important or interesting eatures o your characterone each or Body Mind Edge and FlawEach Descriptor should be short punchy clear innate and finite
GEARWhat cool iconic stuff does your character carryChoose two items o gear describing each with an adjective and noun(eg Sharp Sabre Fast Motorcycle)
DESCRIPTIONWhat does your character look like What is their name Where are theyrom What makes them interesting and unique
DRIVESWhat does your character want What is stopping them What will they doto get it
RELATIONSHIPSHow do the characters know each other What connections do they have
sabtato (order 7843833)
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In FU you and the other players work together totell exciting stories about your characters It is notabout winning or even competing with anyone but itis about everyone having un while you create this col-
laborative story
S983139983141983150983141983155 983078 983157983154983150983155Play is broken into scenes and turns A scene is a
period o story involving a specific situation locationor group o characters Scenes are the primary buildingblocks o the story and can represent anything rom aew seconds to many hours o time Each scene shouldhave a specific objective and the scene ends when thatobjective has been addressed A scene should advancethe plot o the story reveal inormation about a char-
acter or add background colour to the events beingdescribed Ofen a scene will do all o these things atthe same time
During a scene players and Narrator describe whatthe characters are doing Players ldquoact outrdquo their char-acters speaking or them and declaring what actionsthey take while the Narrator does the same or all theother characters creatures and monsters in the scene
Scenes might be resolved through dice rolls but theydonrsquot have to be It is entirely possible that a scenersquosobjective is met through roleplaying and character in-teraction
When it is important to know the specific actionso each character and the order in which they occura scene is broken into turns A turn is a period longenough or each character to take a single actionwhether that be to make an attack deliver a rousingspeech throw an object to a companion look up someinormation on their iPhone or perorm some othertask
Players declare what action their characters aretaking while the Narrator decides what the othercharacters and creatures are going to do Everyonethen works together to decide what order everythingoccurs When all the characters involved have had achance to act the turn ends A new turn will begin inecessary
It is worth pointing out at this point that only play-ers roll dice Tis leaves the Narratorrsquos hands and mindree to scheme and plot and prepare or the next excit-ing encounter
ACTION
W983144983151 ldquo983155983141983156983155rdquo 983156983144983141 983155983139983141983150983141 Players might suggest scenes they
would like to see or be involved in butmost o the time the Narrator decideswhat scenes occur and in what orderthey happen Discussion might occurabout the order events occur in whatis happening where it is happening andwho is involved beore the Narratormakes a final call on all these matters
Some groups like to give everyone a
turn at setting a scene and that is to-tally cool too
H983151983159 983140983151 983161983151983157 ldquo983155983141983156 983137 983155983139983141983150983141rdquo
Setting a scene is a matter o defin-ing where and when the action takes
place who is there and what has justhappened or what is about to happenLocation Characters Event or WhereWhen Who amp What
When describing the scene draw on
all the senses point out interesting orimportant details o the location andall the characters involved Consider theobjective o the scene as you create it
W983144983137983156 983145983155 983137983150 983151983138983146983141983139983156983145983158983141
An objective can be anything thata player or character wants Characterobjectives might include finding a pieceo inormation deeating an enemytalking to someone travelling a small or
great distance preparing or battle con-
ning a mark or stealing an object Play-er objectives could include seeing theircharacter in a cool fight solving themystery revealing a secret about theircharacter or interacting with a specificcharacter or player Ofen player andcharacter goals overlap
D983151 983155983139983141983150983141983155 983144983137983158983141 983156983151 983138983141 983145983150 983151983154983140983141983154
You can use all the techniques o sto-ries novels and movies which means
flashbacks and flash orwards parallel
story lines and even montages can be played out in scenes While most o thetime your scenes will occur in a chrono-logical order you do not have to be re-stricted by this
D983151 I 983144983137983158983141 983156983151 983157983155983141 983156983157983154983150983155
urns are an optional measuremento time useul or when a variety o stuffis being attempted by several charac-ters Use them to organise the action asneeded Some scenes will naturally all
into turns while others will be resolvedwithout ever considering them
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 112311
B983141983137983156983145983150983143 983156983144983141 O983140983140983155When a character attempts an action where the
outcome is not immediately andor completely obvi-ous you make a beat the odds roll
o resolve an action roll a d6 Your objective is tolsquobeat the oddsrsquo by rolling an even number Te higherthe even number the better the result I you roll an
odd number the action either ailed or wasnrsquot quite asgood as needed or expected Te lower the odd num-ber the worse the result Tere is a handy chart belowthat helps illustrate this idea
Te beat the odds roll is the heart o FU While mosto the time even numbers are good and odd numbersare bad the precise situation will dictate the actual re-sults It may be that the roll o a 1 does not indicate anoutrageous ailure so much as a success in the mostminimal or ragile o ways
We are going to ollow the trials and tribula-tions o two characters rom two different settingsin this chapter
Sir Camden is riding afer the evil Lord KaneHe sees Lord Kane leap a tall hedgerow disappear-ing into the orest beyond Sir Camden now triesto leap the hedge so you roll a d6 scoring 2 SirCamdenrsquos horse clears the hedge but Sir Camdenis jostled about in the saddle and is momentarilyconused
Captain Vance ducks as another hail o bullets peppers the wall he is hiding behind Grabbing adamaged radio he flicks some switches and triesto call HQ or back-up You roll a d6 and score a 1Vance ails to find the right requency and a straybullet hits the radio destroying it
R983151983148983148 D983151 983161983151983157 983143983141983156 983159983144983137983156 983161983151983157 983159983137983150983156983103
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 donrsquot get what you want but itrsquos not a total loss
3 No You donrsquot get what you were afer
1 No and You donrsquot get what you want and things get worse
C983148983151983155983141983140 Q983157983141983155983156983145983151983150983155
FU uses a closed question ormat tohelp resolve actions A closed questioncan only be answered with a ldquoyesrdquo orldquonordquo statement When you reach a situ-ation that needs to be resolved by dice
propose a closed question ldquoDo I leapthe chasmrdquo ldquoDo I punch that jerk inthe noserdquo ldquoDoes the tavern wench all
or my easy charm and winning smilerdquoTe roll o the die will answer the ques-tion and guide your response
A lot o the time you wonrsquot need toask the question explicitly - it will be ob-vious rom the action you attempt ldquoyoutake a run up and leap rom the edge othe chasm Rollrdquo
A983148983156983141983154983150983137983156983145983158983141 Q983157983141983155983156983145983151983150983155
You can pose different questionsi you want though you will have tochange the result chart An obviousquestion is ldquoHow well do I succeedrdquoTis might garner the ollowing results
Roll How well do you succeed
6 Legendary success
4 Complete success
2 Only just succeed
5 Fail by the smallest margin
3 Complete ailure
1 Epic ailure and then some
Feel ree to come up with your ownquestions and answers as suits theneeds o your group game and story
A983148983156983141983154983150983137983156983145983158983141 D983145983139983141 R983151983148983148983155
Some players are not ans o theevenodd results Many preer a 1-3Bad 4-6 Good result In that case theresult chart would look like this
Roll Do you get what you want
6 Yes and
5 Yes
4 Yes but
3 No but
2 No
1 No and
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 122312
S983157983139983139983141983155983155 983078 F9831379831451048684983157983154983141When you make a beat the odds roll your character
will either succeed at what they were attempting orthey wont Tis is usually enough to push your storyurther along but other things can happen too
When you attempt an action you are asking ldquoDoesmy character get what they wantrdquo Tere are six pos-
sible answers to this questionYes and
Yes
Yes but
No but
No
No and
Yes and No are pretty straight orward - they tell youwhether the action succeeded or not Te and and but are qualifiers that modiy how good the success or howbad the ailure was When you get a qualifier you makean extra statement about how the action succeeded orailed Tis extra statement can add a Condition to acharacter or a Detail to a scene
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 Tese are physical mental or socialeffects that impact on the way a character behaves orattempts actions Conditions include things like an- gry conused tired and unconscious Tere are severallisted on the FU character sheet and there is space oryou to write your own
D983141983156983137983145983148983155 Tese are eatures o an environment orscene that might change as a result o an action Detailsmight include curtains catching fire windows break-ing animals running off or machinery stalling De-tails are always closely tied to the scene and the action
E983160983137983149983152983148983141983155 983151983142 S983157983139983139983141983155983155 983078 F983137983145983148983157983154983141
Going back to an earlier exampleletrsquos see what might have happenedwhen we apply each possible answer tothe question
ldquoDoes Sir Camden leap the hedgerdquo
Yes and he catches up with LordKane Tis is a Detail that changes thescene
Yes he leaps the hedge Tere is noandbut qualifier so no Condition orDetail is added
Yes but Sir Camden is disorientedand momentarily confused Tis is aCondition applied to the character
No but he spots a gap in the hedge urther along Tis Detail gives the char-acter another way to continue the chase
No the horse shies away rom the jump Tere is no andbut qualifier sono Condition or Detail is added
No and his horse rears up throwinghim to the ground causing an injury Tis is a Condition
W983144983151 983139983144983151983151983155983141983155 C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 983078D983141983156983137983145983148983155
Anyone can suggest a Condition orDetail that they eel is appropriate tothe action taken and result achievedUsually the player that rolled the diceand the Narrator will work together tocome up with a suitably dramatic effectBut really anyone at the table shouldthrow in whatever cool idea they have
Te Narrator always has final sayover what Condition or Detail is ap-
plied to a result
W983144983141983150 983155983144983151983157983148983140 I 983157983155983141 C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155
Like all qualifiers it depends onsituation In the examples above Con-ditions are applied to the acting playerwhen things donrsquot quite go right orthem ( Yes but No and ) Te Condi-tions make lie a bit more difficult or
the character because o the minimalsuccess or outright ailure
You can also apply Conditions tothe target o an action when things are
going right or your character I youare debating with a bureaucrat and geta Yes and result you might apply theconfused Condition to the target I youattempt to outrun an enemy and get the
No but result they might catch up with
you but have the tired Condition Ap- plying Conditions in this way will likely give player characters an advantagelater in the scene
W983144983141983150 983155983144983151983157983148983140 I 983157983155983141 D983141983156983137983145983148983155
Apply Details when the action is like-ly to change the scene or environment insome way Tis might be a change in the
power dynamic o the scene (ldquo Yes he
leaps the hedge and he catches up withLord Kanerdquo) or a change in the physicalenvironment (ldquo No but he spots a gap inthe hedgerdquo)
Details are ofen applied when theacting character gains some advantage( Yes and No but ) Tey can be usedto great effect however to make situa-tions more entertaining and or dan-
gerous
ldquoDo you swing across the room on
the chandelier Yes but candles allloose and set fire to the tavernrdquo
Details can provide instant or on- going effects depending on the circum-stances A gap in the hedge can be usedimmediately to continue the chase aburning tavern will continue to be ahazard until someone puts the fire out
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 132313
M983151983140983145983142983145983141983154983155Sometimes circumstances equipment and skill will
make actions easier or harder Modifiers change thenumber o dice you get to roll when taking action
M983137983147983145983150983143 T983144983145983150983143983155 E983137983155983145983141983154 Roll an additional dieor each Descriptor piece o Gear Condition or De-tail that provides some advantage to the action being
taken Te result is the single best (not necessarilyhighest) die roll as the player chooses
In the woods Sir Camden tries to track LordKane You point out that the knight is a goodhunter so you get an extra d6 Rolling 2d6 youscore a 5 and a 4 Keeping the 4 it is decided thatafer a brie search Sir Camden finds Lord Kanersquostracks and ollows them to a sinister citadel
M983137983147983145983150983143 T983144983145983150983143983155 H983137983154983140983141983154 Roll an extra die oreach Descriptor bit o Gear Condition or Detail that
makes the action harder Te result is the single worstdie roll
Captain Vance decides to run to a near-by jeepTe Narrator points out there is no cover betweenVancersquos hiding spot and the vehicle ldquoDoes Vance get to the jeep uninjuredrdquo You roll 2d6 scoringa 3 and a 5 You must accept the 3 and CaptainVance is injured as he reaches the jeep
C983137983150983139983141983148983148983145983150983143 O983157983156 One beneficial die cancels out
one hindering die so you will never be rolling lsquonega-tiversquo and lsquopositiversquo dice at the same time
Later in his quest Sir Camden must scale asheer (-) cliff Te knight is strong (+) and hasa rope (+) Overall this means a single bonus tothe action (the sheer cliff and the knightrsquos strengthcancel each other out just leaving the rope) Youroll 2d6 scoring a 3 and 6
E983160983137983149983152983148983141 983151983142 M983151983140983145983142983145983141983154983155
Captain Vance hurtles along in the jeep when a guard tries to drag himout through the window ldquoWill Vanceshake the guard offrdquo It is hard (+) todrag Vance out the window but he iswounded (-) and surprised (-) and the
attacker is very strong (-) In total youmust roll 2 penalty dice You roll 3d6scoring a 2 4 and 3 and must take theworst result the 3 Te guard wrestlesVance out o the jeep
O983156983144983141983154 983156983161983152983141983155 983151983142 983154983151983148983148983155
FU has no such thing as lsquoopposedrollsrsquo or lsquocontested actionsrsquo lsquodamagerollsrsquo and lsquorolling to hitrsquo Te beat theodds roll is the only kind o roll usedin FU whether you are trying to drive
a car through a crowded mall armwrestle a giant or shrug off the damagecaused by a stray bullet
H983151983159 983140983151 ldquo983151983152983152983151983155983141983140rdquo 983137983139983156983145983151983150983155 983159983151983154983147
For a start only players ever rolldice You begin by actoring in all thebonuses (+) and penalties (-) that applyto your character Ten you take stocko all the actors that would apply tothe opponent and apply those into your
roll too Is the opponent weak You geta bonus die Is the opponent a worldchampion arm wrestler You actor ina penalty die And so on until every-thing is actored in When you knowhow many bonus andor penalty dice
you have roll I the result is an even
number you win the contest i the finalresult is an odd number your opponenthas the advantage
D983145983137983148983145983150983143 983145983150 983151983150 Y983151983157983154 983137983139983156983145983151983150
Sword fights political debates spaceraces international wars argumentsand gun battles are all resolved usingthe beat the odds roll Te key is to dialin or out o the action through the kindo questions you attempt to resolve Youcan fight a dramatic sword fight and ex-
change a series o blows by asking ldquoDoI hit the Count De Montierdquo But youcould also resolve the entire fight witha single roll by asking ldquoDo I deeat theCount De Montie in a duelrdquo Or takeit to the next level and ask ldquoDo my men-at-arms storm the Count De Montiersquoscastlerdquo Adjust the dial as necessary
O983152983156983145983151983150 M983137983156983139983144983145983150983143 D983145983139983141
Rolling doubles triples or quadru- ples can make a success much better ora ailure ar worse I your result die hasa match the effects will be much moredramatic You may add one ldquoandrdquostatement or each matching die I the
action is ailed this statement shouldmake the situation worse I the actionis a success the additional statement(s)should make the situation even better
For example Sir Camden aces LordKanersquos henchmen ldquoWill Sir Camden de-
eat the henchmenrdquo He is injured andoutnumbered so you will roll 2 penaltydice You roll and score 3 3 and 2 Youmust take the worst result - the double3 Normally this would be a ldquo Nordquo re-
sult but the matching 3 turns it into aldquo No andrdquo I you had rolled triple 3the result would have been ldquo No andandrdquo
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 142314
FU P983151983145983150983156983155FU Points are a resource that you spend to improve
a characterrsquos chance o success at an action Tey canbe used in two ways
B983151983150983157983155 D983145983141 Spend a FU Point beore a beat theodds roll to add a single bonus die Tis works like anyother bonus die You can add as many bonus dice as
you have FU Points but they must all be declared atthe same time
R983141-983154983151983148983148 Spend a FU Point afer a beat the oddsroll to re-roll a single die Te second result must stand- you cannot re-roll a re-roll You can re-roll as manydice as you have FU Points but you must declare themall at the same time beore the first die is re-rolled
You can spend multiple FU Points on any givenaction and or either or both effects It is completelywithin the rules to spend a FU Point to add a bonus
die beore a roll then another FU Point to re-roll a dieaferwards
Back at HQ Captain Vance tries to convinceGeneral Wallace to deploy the Rocket roops un-der his command Vance doesnrsquot have much going or him in this situation in terms o Descriptorsso you decide to spend 2 FU Points on the roll You
roll the basic die plus the two bonus dice gettinga 1 1 and 3 Not happy with this you spends yourlast FU Point on a re-roll You pick up one o the1rsquos and throw the die again
E983137983154983150983145983150983143 FU P983151983145983150983156983155 FU Points are earned duringplay or doing cool stuff and roleplaying your charac-ter Whenever you do something that stops play andmakes everyone go ldquoWowrdquo or laugh out loud at yourantics or anything else that everyone thinks should berewarded you earn a FU Point
S983156983137983154983156983145983150983143 FU P983151983145983150983156983155
Te number o FU Points you begina game with should be discussed beore
play begins Te more FU Points play-ers begin with the more easily they willachieve successes I playing games ohigh adventure or over-the-top actionit would be reasonable to begin with 2FU Points Super-powered heroes mightbegin with as many as 3 FU Points For
grittier games each player might onlybegin with 1 FU Point or even none
C983137983150 I 983143983145983158983141 983155983144983137983154983141 FU P983151983145983150983156983155
Tat is up to you and your groupTe deault is ldquonordquo but
D983151 N983137983154983154983137983156983151983154983155 983143983141983156 FU 983152983151983145983150983156983155
Usually no but they might allow a powerul villain or monster to have onetwo or three
O983156983144983141983154 983159983137983161983155 983156983151 983141983137983154983150 FU
You might like to change the way youearn FU Points You might earn them
or dealing the killing blow to monstersachieving your characterrsquos goal or roll-ing multiple 1rsquos or 6rsquos
Tis is a really good way to changethe tone or style o the game Want to
play a dungeon crawl Reward FU orkilling monsters A gritty dystopian
game Reward FU when the characters
lose out to Te Man Decide i these arethe only ways to earn FU or i they arein addition to the normal roleplayingrewards Tis decision will also have adramatic effect on the tone o play Seewhat you can do with it
O983156983144983141983154 983159983137983161983155 983156983151 983157983155983141 FU
Play around with FU Points Experi-ment or adjust the ways you use them
to suit your gaming group or the typeo story you are playing Here are somesuggestions
FU 983137983155 H983141983137983148983156983144
Rather than having a varying andchangeable number o FU points everycharacter begins with 3 Tey can bespent as normal but can also be lostwhen the character suffers physical ormental stress (injuries atigue earetc) FU in this instance can be rereshed
(brought back up to 3) by roleplayingout a (non-dice rolling) scene with an-other character that reveals somethingabout your relationship
R983141-R983151983148983148 E983158983141983154983161983156983144983145983150983143
Spend a FU point to re-roll all yourdice Tis is an all-or-nothing thing so
you canrsquot keep a couple o good resultsand roll the rest Use this variant in-stead o the normal re-roll rule
F983148983145983152 983137 P983145983152
Spend a FU Point to adjust a singledie up or down by one pip Spend mul-tiple FU points to adjust a die multiple
pips Tis option is more reliable thana re-roll as you will always be able toturn a ldquonordquo into a ldquoyesrdquo I you used thisvariant the normal re-roll rule shouldnot be used
U983155983141 983137 P983154983151983152Spend a FU point to turn a prop into
an item o Gear or the duration o thescene
S983156983157983150983156983155 983137983150983140 P983151983159983141983154983155
Give characters special abilitiesskills or powers that can only be used byspending a FU Point Tese should bemore powerul than Descriptors - makethem break the rules or give a superhu-man knack like the ability to fly or read
minds teleport or whatever
T983137983147983145983150983143 983137 H983145983156
Instead o rolling declare you areldquotaking a hitrdquo All the dice you shouldhave rolled are treated as i they rolled1rsquos (yes i you are holding 5 dice theycount as five 1rsquos) In return or your su-
ering you earn a FU Point
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 152315
ACTION
SUMMARY
SET THE SCENEWhere does the scene take place Who is there What do they want Doyou need to break down into turns
ACTRoleplay your character and describe what is going on Push toward theobjective
ASK A QUESTIONWhen you need to resolve a conflict or complete an action ask a closedquestion (eg ldquoDo I succeedrdquo)
FACTOR IN MODIFIERS+1 bonus die or every Descriptor item o Gear Detail Condition or other
eature that makes the action easier+1 penalty die or every Descriptor item o Gear Detail Condition or othereature that makes the action harder
ROLLRoll all your dice Te result is the single best die (i rolling bonus dice) orsingle worst die (i rolling penalty dice)
DESCRIBE RESULTUse the die result to describe how the conflict or action turned out Apply
Conditions or Details as necessary
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 162316
Following is some simple straightorward adviceor Narrators It is all airly generic because all the spe-cific stuff is going to relate to the genre tone and styleo game that you and your players choose to play
9831371048684983147983145983150983143 983145983155 983143983151983151983140Start your game with a conversation alk about
what players want out o the game what you want andwhere those ideas overlap Tose overlaps are likelywhere everyone is going to have the most un At the very least you should work together to establish thegenre and tone o your shared story alk about thisstuff too so that everyone is clear o the specifics (thereis a world o difference between Gothic horror andsplatter films or example)
alk during the game too Encourage players toshare ideas and give input into scenes objectives andthe challenges characters ace I you need to clariyideas themes or issues then do that
L983145983155983156983141983150983145983150983143 983145983155 983143983151983151983140I there is going to be talk there needs to be listen-
ing Listen to your players and the things they tell youeither in conversation or when they do things withtheir character Do stuff that relates to the Descriptors
written on the playerrsquos character sheets because that iswhat they think is cool
W983144983141983150 9831521048684983137983161983145983150983143When running games donrsquot plan too much ahead
o time Te dice rolls are going to direct a lot o theaction and you and the players will fill in the gaps byapplying Conditions and Details Here are some tipsto keep things moving and help you enjoy the game as
much as the players doK983141983141983152 983156983144983145983150983143983155 983155983145983149983152983148983141 Do not complicate your job
by introducing lots o sub-plots or convoluted twistsTings will get all messed about by themselves and the
story will run off on tangents that you never dreamedo
Y983151983157 983137983154983141 983150983151983156 983156983144983141 983141983150983141983149983161 this may seem obviousbut is worth stating Your role is to help guide the storyin interesting directions not to kill everyone You cangive players hints and ideas i you think this will lead toa better story Sometimes you will portray the adver-saries and are expected to do so vigorously but airlyOther times you will get to be an ally companion orpeer and once again you should be true to the spirit othe game
S983137983161 ldquoY983141983155rdquo i players make suggestions or ask ques-tions it is probably because they are interested in whatis going on Tey probably have a cool idea to introduceto the story Encourage this and confidently say ldquoyesrdquoto requests Tis doesnrsquot mean you should let playersget anything they want ndash but you should let players in-troduce elements into the story when the time is right
M983137983147983141 983154983151983148983148983155 983149983141983137983150983145983150983143983142983157983148 Every time you callor a die roll it should mean something interesting isgoing to happen NO MAER HE RESUL Donrsquot
have players make rolls i the result is not important tothe story or i ailure will stop the momentum o thestory
NARRATOR
983091 Q983157983141983155983156983145983151983150983155 983156983151 983142983154983137983149983141 983161983151983157983154 983143983137983149983141
When you begin a game talk withthe players about their expectations ryto answer the ollowing three questions
W983144983137983156 983159983145983148983148 983139983144983137983154983137983139983156983141983154983155 983140983151983103
Do players want to kick in doorskill monsters and take home piles otreasure Do they want to eel like epicheroes Or the underdogs strugglingagainst ridiculous odds
H983151983159 983140983151 983152983148983137983161983141983154983155 983159983137983150983156 983156983151 983142983141983141983148983103
Do the players want to eel like theyare changing the world Like their char-acter is gaining in wealth prestige or
power Or do they want to eel like theirbacks are against the wall and their livesconstantly at risk
W983144983137983156 983145983155 983156983144983141 N983137983154983154983137983156983151983154rsquo983155 983154983151983148983141983103
What kinds o challenges encoun-ters and situations are you going to pre-
sent the characters in order to achievethe above Do you need to ensure everychallenge is accompanied by a generousreward Are you going to make every
fight hard but air Will you be relent-less in the pursuit o the antagonistrsquos
goals
Answer these questions and every-one at the table will be clear on theirrole in the coming adventure
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 172317
R983141983139983151983158983141983154983161During games characters can suffer injuries be-
come physically or mentally stressed and be afflictedby a range o other Conditions Conditions are alwaysrecovered at a time andor rate appropriate to the sto-ry Tis is usually with the passing o time but doesnot have to be A good rule o thumb is that one or
more Conditions can be removedrecovered betweenscenes though this will depend on the timing o suchencounters
R983141983159983137983154983140983155Reward players or good roleplaying and achieving
goals by giving them FU Points You may also rewardthem or a variety o other reasons as your group de-cides (see the sidebar on page 12) FU Points can beused to improve a characters chance o success and arethereore a great immediate tangible reward You donrsquot
have to be the only one at the table offering rewardsthough All players should speak up when someonehas done something cool unny or awesome and re-ward a FU Point
H983151983159 983149983157983139983144 983144983151983159 983151983142983156983141983150 Be generous with yourrewards as the positive reinorcement o earning FUPoints will inspire them on to greater acts o heroismspectacle or depravity as the case may be Also takeinto account whether this will be a ldquoone offrdquo game ora part o an ongoing story or campaign - players arelikely to burn through FU Points aster in a singe ses-
sion game and will need their resources replenishedaster
C983144983137983154983137983139983156983141983154983155 983078 O9831389831559831569831379831391048684983141983155All the characters monsters traps villains terrain
eatures creatures and obstacles that are encounteredduring a story are defined in much the same way ascharacters You are not confined by any rules or re-strictions when creating characters or obstacles theonly thing you must do is make them entertaining andinteresting
T983144983141 B983151983159983148
One technique or rewarding FUPoints is to place a bowl o beads chitsor tokens in the centre o the table Eachbead is a FU Point Te Narrator cantell players to ldquotake one rom the bowlrdquoand other players can reach in when it isappropriate to reward a player by pass-ing a bead rom the bowl Tis requirestrust between players and Narrator butmakes the running o the game verysmooth as no-one has to stop and askldquoDoes that deserve a FU Pointrdquo
A983140983158983137983150983139983141983149983141983150983156
FU is not a game about ldquolevellinguprdquo While characters might have avariety o experiences and learn romthem the real advancement comes romthe changing story andor world
I appropriate players can changeone Descriptor between game sessionsTis alteration should relate in someway to the experiences and story theircharacter just participated in Gear canbe changed between sessions at the Nar-ratorrsquos discretion
Goals might also change rom gamesession to game session Give playerstime to consider their goals at the starto each session and let them adjust orchange them as necessary
T983154983137983139983147983145983150983143 983151983138983155983156983137983139983148983141983155
Use sticky-notes or index cards torecord details about your charactersmonsters and obstacles Write downDescriptors Gear and other ino Asthey suffer Conditions record those onthe card
Use index cards to record importantterrain eatures too Write down anyDescriptor(s) pertaining to the eature
so players can take them into accountas they plan their actions
W983144983137983156 983140983151 I 983155983144983137983154983141 983159983145983156983144 983152983148983137983161983141983154983155
Some groups play open making nosecret o the Descriptors and details ocreatures and monsters Other groups(andor Narrators) keep this inorma-tion hidden rom players Both options
provide or different styles o play
Playing an open table means eve-ryone is clear about what is going onwhat opportunities exist or cool scenesand actions Players can see what GearConditions and Descriptors are ldquoin
playrdquo and incorporate them into scenes
Keeping the details o villains trapsand other obstacles rom the playerswill push them to test their enemies ex-
plore the environment and try differentthings Tey can manoeuvre themselvesand situations in directions they thinkwill be advantageous It is always satis-
ying to be rewarded with bonus dice oraccurately guessing an enemyrsquos Descrip-tors
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 182318
ennessee Smith amed explorer has finally got a solid lead on the whereabouts o the ancientIdol o ot an object o reported supernatural power Unortunately Smithrsquos arch enemy Giles
Fishburne is also on the trail o the Idol and hasthrown his lot in with the Nazis
Tis short adventure will get you into the actionquickly It illustrates one way you might prepare yourown adventures adversaries and obstacles Use thepre-generated characters presented at the end o theadventure Race to the emple o ot consists o a serieso set-piece encounters that you can use rearrange andignore at your leisure Remember that beat the oddsrolls will lead to all kinds o interesting twists and
turns and once the characters set out on the adventureanything is possible
B983141983142983151983154983141 983161983151983157 983138983141983143983145983150Beore starting play have a quick discussion about
the tone and style o the game Te scenario is clas-sic pulp - over the top action outrageous villains andlarger than lie heroes Make sure everyone is on thesame page here - talk about what makes this genre cooland perhaps point out examples o the genre (Indiana Jones Te Mummy Te Rocketeer ) and what parts o
these you enjoyedRead the flavour text above (the stuff in italics) and
get everyone at the table to throw around some ideaso cool stuff they would like to see happen during theadventure Note it all down - when things slow or iyou get stuck or what to do next chuck one o theseideas into the mix
S983139983141983150983141983155Te scenes presented here have a description o
where the action takes place and suggest Descriptorsyou or the players might incorporate into the actionTe italics set up the action o the scene and the objec-tive Paraphrase the details or your players
C98314498313710486841048684983141983150983143983141983155Te challenges and adversaries in this adventure
are recorded in boxes with relevant Descriptors Con-ditions and Notes Tese are to guide you and do nothave to be used Your own cool ideas should alwaystrump anything written here
E983155983139983137983152983141 983156983144983141 B9831571048684983137983147 M983137983154983147983141983156S983139983141983150983141 Central Asia - a bustling market in the city
o Bulak - Midday all stone and mud-brick buildingswith narrow arched windows surround the central
market stalls and caes bars and emporiums run offin all directions along winding narrow streets
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Crowded streets Exotic goods
Te characters have just acquired a map to theemple o ot Unortunately Nazi goons have ar-rived and want the map too Tere are a lot o goons and while the characters could fight themit might be easier to flee Do the characters escape
NAZI GOONS
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Lots o goons Beey AryansNot too bright
G983141983137983154 Noisy Sub-machine guns
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 ConusedrappedSlowedOut o Action
N983151983156983141983155 Tere are a number o goon squads equal tothe number o characters
W983144983137983156 983139983137983150 983143983151 983159983154983151983150983143983103 Te characters are cap-tured Te map is lost
9831549831379831509831551048684983137983156983145983150983143 983156983144983141 M983137983152S983139983141983150983141 A dark coffee lounge cae or back roomsomewhere in the city o Bulak Te smell o strongcoffee and exotic ood permeates the room
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Private
ennessee Smith and his companions have themap but must now translate it puzzling out thestrange symbols and markings Do they translatethe map
TRANSLATING THE MAP
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Ancient glyphs Brittle paperC983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 ornRuinedSmudged
Burnt to a crisp
W983144983137983156 983139983137983150 983143983151 983159983154983151983150983143983103 Te map is damaged Techaracters misread the map Tey cannot read the mapand must get help rom an expert in ancient languages
RACE TO THE TEMPLE OF TOT
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 192319
983144983141 G983151983157 Z983151983157 G983151983154983143983141S983139983141983150983141 Te majestic Gou Zou Gorge hal a mile
deep and crossed by a single iron girder railway bridgeWide open plains lie on either side o the gorge and theKow Mountains lie in the distance
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Open plains Impassible Gorge
Te characters ollow the map to Gou ZouGorge by car or horse back Giles Fishburne is ap- proaching ast aboard the German dirigible DerVogel Do the characters cross the bridge saelyDo they keep their lead on the Germans
NAZI BIRD TRUPPEN
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Tey Fly Agile
G983141983137983154 Delicate Flying Harness DeadlyStick Grenade
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 ConusedGrounded
SlowedOut o ActionN983151983156983141983155 Tere are a number o Bird ruppen equalto the number o characters
GOU ZOU BRIDGE
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Wide but narrow
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 RicketyBlown all to hell
N983151983156983141983155 You know you must introduce an approach-ing train right
W983144983137983156 983139983137983150 983143983151 983159983154983151983150983143983103 Te bridge is destroyed
Te map is lost the characters are captured
983144983141 98314110486859831521048684983141S983139983141983150983141 An ancient temple ashioned into the side
o a mountain Grand statues o sinister looking godsand daemons line the walls Dust covers everythingTe tunnel leads deeper into the mountain
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Dark Silent
Te characters must penetrate the heart o thetemple but the map warned o nearious traps
and terrible guardians Do they get past the trapsand guardians
NEFARIOUS TRAPS
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Hidden Deadly
G983141983137983154 Poison Darts Rusting Spears
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 DisarmedSet-offRevealed
N983151983156983141983155 Challenge characters with one or two trapsell them the passage is trapped but donrsquot tell themhow or where the traps are until they are sprung
STONE STATUE GUARDIAN
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Big Heavy Slow Relentless
G983141983137983154 Heavy Stone Weapons
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 DamagedOff balanceSlowedOut o Action
N983151983156983141983155 Tere is one Statue Guardian or every two
characters Te large heavy weapons can strikemultiple characters at once
W983144983137983156 983139983137983150 983143983151 983159983154983151983150983143983103 Characters cannot getpast traps characters are injured by traps
983144983141 I9831409831511048684 C9831449831371048685983138983141983154S983139983141983150983141 A large stone chamber ingeniously lit by
mirrors reflecting sunlight Te Idol o ot - a gold-en statue o a seven-headed monkey - sits on a stoneplinth in the centre o the room
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Large bronze mirrors
Te characters enter the chamber o the idolonly to find that Giles Fishburne and his Nazi goons are here too Do they deeat Giles and es-cape with the Idol
GILES FISHBURNE
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Smart Arrogant Sword fighter
G983141983137983154 Polished Sabre
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 ConusedInjuredSlowedOut o Action
N983151983156983141983155 Giles is a greedy arrogant villain but heisnrsquot stupid I things start looking dire he will attemptto escape make a deal andor double-cross anyone inhis way He has no loyalty to the Nazis
C983144983137983154983137983139983156983141983154983155Four pre-made characters can be ound on the next
page Tey are each examples o classic pulp charac-ter archetypes Players may tweak or adjust them atthe Narratorrsquos discretion beore play starts perhapschanging a Descriptor or two or switching out an item
o Gear Beore starting the game each player shoulddefine one or two relationships describing how thecharacters know each other A quick and easy way todo this is or everyone to describe how they know thecharacter to their lef
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 202320
TENNESSEE SMITH DAREDEVIL EXPLORER
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Nimble Level Headed Use BullWhip Araid o Heights
G983141983137983154 Bull Whip Worn Leather Jacket
D983154983145983158983141983155 Find the Idol o ot
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 AngryScaredired
rapped
Blinded
HungryDazedInjuredDying
ennessee Smith is a mild-mannered proes-sor o history but in his spare time he travelsinto the wilderness in search o lost arteacts andtreasure Ruggedly handsome he always seemsto keep his cool no matter how much danger heis inmdashand he tends to get into a lot o it
R983141983148983137983156983145983151983150983155983144983145983152983155
N983151983156983141983155
HARVEY REED RETIRED BOXER
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Strong Tinks-on-his-Feet BoxerUgly as Sin
G983141983137983154 Roll o quarters Poor fitting suitD983154983145983158983141983155 Look out or ennessee Smith
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 AngryScarediredrappedBlindedHungryDazedInjuredDying
Harvey Reed is a recently retired championboxer Finding the sedentary lie a little too bor-ing he has joined his old riend ennessee insearch o adventure
R983141983148983137983156983145983151983150983155983144983145983152983155
N983151983156983141983155
JIMMY SWEET PLUCKY KID
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Quick Smart-aleckUnderestimated Young
G983141983137983154 Noisy Firecrackers Dirty BaseballCap
D983154983145983158983141983155 See the 7 wonders o the world
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155
Angry
Scared
iredrappedBlindedHungryDazedInjuredDying
Jimmy Sweet is a happy-go-lucky kid who hasnever had anyone to rely on but himsel He iswiry tough and quick with a cheeky attitudethat requently gets him into trouble Jimmystowed away on a tramp steamer with the inten-tion o seeing the world and making his ortune
R983141983148983137983156983145983151983150983155983144983145983152983155
N983151983156983141983155
OCTOBER JONES GIRL REPORTER
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Beautiul Witty Good MemoryCurious
G983141983137983154 rusty Camera Tick Notebook D983154983145983158983141983155 Get the scoop on the real ennes-
see Smith
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 AngryScarediredrappedBlindedHungryDazedInjuredDying
October Jones is a reporter and adventurerafforded a great deal o reedom by her atherrsquosimmense wealth Beautiul intelligent and spoiltshe is a woman used to getting what she wants
R983141983148983137983156983145983151983150983155983144983145983152983155
N983151983156983141983155
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 212321
Tis list is by no means exhaustive but itrsquos a goodplace to start Each entry lists the kinds o things aDescriptor might be an advantage or hindrance orwhich makes it a handy reerence or both players and
Narrators
B983151983140983161 D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155A983143983145983148983141 helpul when dancing leaping doing gym-
nastics crawling through tight spaces and balancingA983149983138983145983140983141983160983156983154983151983157983155 great when shooting two guns at
the same time or doing slight-o-hand magic tricksB983148983151983150983140983141 good or getting people to underestimate
you not good i you spend too much time in the sunF983137983147983141 O983154983137983150983143983141 T983137983150 great or passing as an aging
celebrity and or drawing attention to yoursel
F983157983154983154983161 useul or resisting cold weather and livingin the woods
H983137983150983140983155983151983149983141 useul or flirting selling stuff gettingroles on V modelling and being popular
H983157983143983141 good or looking menacing reaching highplaces acting like a body builder or getting stuck insmall spaces
O983158983141983154983159983141983145983143983144983156 a problem when exercising andborrowing clothes
P983151983151983154 C983151983150983155983156983145983156983157983156983145983151983150 a hindrance when long dis-
tance running resisting damage perorming eats oendurance and healingQ983157983145983139983147 handy or ducking to and rom places
slight-o-hand dodging and other actions that requirespeed o action
R983137983162983151983154-983155983144983137983154983152 C983148983137983159983155 great or slicing up en-emies cutting vegetables and maybe climbing trees
S983144983151983154983156 a pain or reaching the top shel but use-ul or crawling under low objects and getting lost ina crowd
S983148983151983159 a problem when running dodging and re-
acting to thingsS983156983154983151983150983143 useul or lifing carrying smashing
and throwing things Wrestling and avoiding beingcrushed might also be aided
T983137983148983148 good or reaching the top shel climbingand seeing over other peoplersquos heads
T983144983145983150 handy or squeezing into places and clotheshiding behind poles and perorming on the catwalk
U983143983148983161 a problem when trying to seduce someoneor get a role on V
V983145983143983151983157983154 great or resisting poison long distancerunning and other eats o endurance
Weak a pain when lifing carrying smashing andthrowing stuff
W983141983138983138983141983140 F983141983141983156 great or swimming but terriblewhen buying shoes
M983145983150983140 D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155A983138983155983141983150983156-M983145983150983140983141983140 good or being distracted but a
problem when remembering where you lef the keysor that you just pulled the pin rom a hand grenade
B983151983151983147-S983149983137983154983156 great when doing exams knowingmath ormulas remembering dates in history andgenerally getting into Law at Harvard
C983151983149983152983157983156983141983154-W983145983162 good or programming fixing
your laptop and getting into PC vs Apple flame-warsD983145983149-W983145983156983156983141983140 a problem when listening to jokes
recognizing a trick or generally keeping up appear-ances in social settings
E983149983152983137983156983144983141983156983145983139 good or reading peoples emotionsdoing psychological evaluations and knowing how tocomort distressed people
F983151983139983157983155983141983140 good or staying on task not getting dis-tracted and looking serious
L983137983156983141983154983137983148 T983144983145983150983147983141983154 handy or problem solving
and approaching issues in new or unusual waysM983137983156983144983141983149983137983156983145983139983145983137983150 great or doing sums solvingequations and doing your tax
O983138983155983141983154983158983137983150983156 great or spotting hidden clues no-ticing details doing find-a-words and reading bodylanguage
O983154983137983156983151983154 good or public speaking debating andgetting people to see your point o view
S983148983151983159 a pain when trying to understand plans orlearn new things
T983137983139983156983145983139983145983137983150 great or planning battles remember-
ing military history and quoting sun suU983150983141983140983157983139983137983156983141983140 a pain when reading doing math
remembering important dates in history and doingany school-type tests
W983145983155983141 handy or sprouting proverbs giving adviceputting unrelated clues together interpreting peoplersquosreactions and saying lsquoI told you sorsquo
W983145983156983156983161 good or making unny comments beingcharming and or entertaining and always knowingthe right thing to say
APPENDIX - DESCRIPTORS
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 222322
E983140983143983141 D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155A983139983154983151983138983137983156983145983139983155 great or joining the circus leaping
through narrow gaps and doing impressive flipsA983154983139983137983150983141 K983150983151983159983148983141983140983143983141 good or identiying mys-
tic arteacts recognizing the presence o evil magicand reading ancient scrolls
C983151983157983154983137983143983141 handy when seeing something scary
telling your wie you orgot your anniversary and at-tempting other dangerous acts
D983154983145983158983145983150983143 great or car racing car chases and pass-ing your driving exam
F983141983150983139983145983150983143 good or sword fighting and other civi-lized orms o melee
G983151983151983140 M983141983149983151983154983161 handy or remembering namesand aces vital clues and mathematical ormulas
H983157983150983156983145983150983143 good when tracking and stalking look-ing good in camouflage and knowing what an angryrhinoceros sounds like
K983141983141983150 S983145983143983144983156 great or seeing a long way or evendoing stuff by moonlight
L983145983150983143983157983145983155983156983145983139983155 good or speaking one (or more)oreign languages and generally communicating withothers
M983137983143983145983139 great or knowing the mystic arts castingspells or acting like a stage magician
M983141983140983145983139983145983150983141 good or perorming operations diag-nosing illness and administering first aid
N983137983155983156983161 B983145983156983141 great or really hurting someone in
combat chewing your own arm off or winning a pieeating contestR983145983139983144 handy or buying luxury sports cars getting
invited to exclusive parties and bribing city officialsW983154983141983155983156983148983145983150983143 good or fighting unarmed combat
and pinning opponents to the ground
F1048684983137983159 D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155B983148983145983150983140 a pain when doing anything that requires
sight such as shooting navigating an unamiliar spaceor painting
B983154983137983158983141 good or charging into mortal danger act-ing oolhardy and getting into deep trouble
C983148983157983149983155983161 a problem when carrying a valuable vase
visiting an antique store or trying to cross a booby-trapped room
G983154983141983141983140983161 a pain when resisting the urge to steal lieor in some other way keep or obtain wealth
I983150-H983157983149983137983150 A983152983152983141983137983154983137983150983139983141 a hindrance when try-ing not to get noticed avoiding attention or finding apair o pants that fit just right
M983145983155983155983145983150983143 L983141983143 a problem when running climbingor perorming any other activity that involves move-ment without prosthetics or a wheel chair
O983148983140 a pain when trying to look cool climb stairsuse a computer or be positive about your health
P983151983151983154 a hindrance when wanting to buy ood orclothes or trying to get into an exclusive party
P983151983151983154 S983145983143983144983156 a pain when trying to recognizesomeone or thing driving at night or noticing visualclues
P983154983145983149983145983156983145983158983141 a problem when using mobile phonescars and door bells as well as interacting at more civi-lized social occasions
S983149983141983148983148983161 a hindrance when trying to impress peo-
ple or hiding rom wild animals or trackersW983137983150983156983141983140 a pain when trying to keep out o trou-ble or needing something rom your apartment
Y983151983157983150983143 a problem when trying to get into clubs betaken seriously by adults avoid school or see over thedash in a car
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 2323
NAME CONCEPT
BODY
MIND
EDGE
FLAW
DESCRIPTION
ROLL RESULT
6 Yes and
4 Yes
2 Yes but
5 No but
3 No
1 No and
A983150983143983154983161 983154983137983152983152983141983140 D983137983162983141983140
S983139983137983154983141983140 B1048684983145983150983140983141983140 I983150983146983157983154983141983140
983145983154983141983140 H983157983150983143983154983161 D983161983145983150983143
DRIVESWHAT DO YOU WANT
WHAT IS STOPPING YOU
WHAT WILL YOU DO
RELATIONSHIPS
C O N D I T I O N S
F U
P O I N T S
T H E O D D S
NOTES
G E A R
FU
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 6236
C983148983145983139983144983273983155 983137983154983141 983161983151983157983154 983142983154983145983141983150983140
It is totally okay to use clicheacutes whencoming up with your concept Clicheacutescontain a host o ideas and conceptsthat we are immediately amiliar withWhen somebody says their character is
a barbarian we automatically picturethem as heavily muscled and uncivi-lised Using clicheacutes is a kind o a short-hand way to describe your character
C983144983151983151983155983145983150983143 D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155
You should strive to be imaginativeand honest Consider both your conceptand the setting Giving a character theFlaw lsquo canrsquot swimrsquo when you know allthe stories will take place in the desert ishardly sporting
Be imaginative keep your concept inmind and discuss your ideas with theNarrator Te possibilities are endless
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 983137983154983141 983139983148983141983137983154
A good Descriptor is understood byeveryone at the table I you or another
player think a Descriptor is ambiguoustalk about it It might need to be re-written but it might not either You justwant everyone to be on the same page
when it comes time to using itD983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 983137983154983141 983145983150983150983137983156983141
Each Descriptor is an integral andinnate part o the character Tey can-not normally be taken away lost orremoved (though they might be orgot-ten or restricted under the right circum-stances) Do not make your Descriptorsitems o equipment
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 983137983154983141 983142983145983150983145983156983141
Each Descriptor should have one ortwo obvious uses or a specific purposeIt might also be applicable in a rangeo other unoreseen circumstances but
you will find that out in play Medicine is better than Doctor or example asthe latter could be used in a variety onon-medical situations (ldquoAs a Doctor Iam well educated and quite wealthyrdquo)
W983144983137983156 983156983161983152983141 983151983142 D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154 983145983155 983156983144983145983155
Some Descriptors could easily allinto more than one categorymdashGood
Memory might or example be a MindDescriptor or an Edge Ugly could be aFlaw or a Body Descriptor Tatrsquos fine It
is up to you the Narrator and the other players to make a decision on whether aspecific Descriptor is appropriate or not
or the stories you are telling
W983144983137983156 983149983137983147983141983155 983137 983143983151983151983140 E983140983143983141 983078 F983148983137983159
Tings that might be called ldquoskillsrdquo orldquoeatsrdquo or ldquostuntsrdquo in other games make
great Edges - stuff like lsquo sword fighting rsquolsquo breath underwater rsquo and lsquo winningsmilersquo are all good examples
Te best Flaws are personality traitsor physical shortcomings Tings likelsquo always smells bad rsquo or lsquo deaf rsquo are better
flaws than lsquo canrsquot driversquo or lsquo canrsquot speakFrenchrsquo O course there are alwaysexceptions I the characters are Britishspies during the Napoleonic wars notspeaking French would be a real draw-back Likewise the Flaw lsquo canrsquot swimrsquobecomes a great eature in a game o
pirates and sea battles Look or waysto challenge your character add spice
to games and present obstacles to over-come
S983144983151983157983148983140 I 983155983152983141983139983145983137983148983145983155983141
You can ocus your Descriptors ona single concept and ldquospecialiserdquo Fora really awesome warrior give themBody Strong Mind Tactician Edge
Melee and Flaw Reckless It would bevery easy to bring most o these descrip-tors into play whenever you get intoa fight BU there isnrsquot a lot o depth
there and you are going to be in a bindwhen in noncombat situations Instead
you might replace a couple o Descrip-tors with more versatile options BodyTough Mind Focused Edge Melee and Flaw Reckless
Describe your characterrsquos Body asHuge and their Edge as Strong i you
want a wrestler body builder or angry green super hero Give your brilliantscientist Mind Book-Smart and EdgeRocket Science Just be aware the more
you specialise the harder you will haveto work in scenes unrelated to your
orte Some players like this challenge
A983148983156983141983154983150983137983156983145983158983141 D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155
Te our deault Descriptors (Body Mind Edge amp Flaw) are not the onlyway to define your characters Changeor replace them to suit your game set-ting and stories In a game about giantmecha you might replace Body and
Mind with Chassis and Pilot or ex-ample In a game where everyone playsdifferent types o were-creatures one
Descriptor might become Animal FormIn these cases some o the advice in thissidebar might also need to be adjusted
Animal Form Jaguar is broader thanthe Descriptors discussed here but is to-tally appropriate to capture the ideas o
your game Use your imagination andmodiy things as needed
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7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 7237
G983141983137983154Gear is the equipment gadgets and weapons that
a character will use on their adventures All charactershave the basic clothes or items that are appropriate totheir concept Gear is the important and cool stuff thata character carries
Like Descriptors a characterrsquos Gear will modiy
lsquobeat the oddsrsquo rolls Gear can be anything - guns andknives to ancy clothes credit cards a horse mobilephone or even a star ship Like Descriptors your char-acterrsquos Gear depends on character concept game set-ting and the stories you want to tell Unlike Descrip-tors Gear is always made up o an adjective and nounRusting Sword Long Rope Fast Horse Long-rangedRifle Dadrsquos Camero Heavy Armour
Your character has two items o Gear Choose twoitems or your character
Dave decides his Daredevil Explorer to have aSturdy Bull Whip since he is quite skilled with itand a Worn Leather Jacket to keep out the coldand offer a little protection rom scrapes and alls
Nina thinks about her Alien Emissary beoredeciding on some Official Documents that indi-cating her political status and some Exotic Robes designed to impress and inspire awe
E98316098313710486859831521048684983141 G983141983137983154Like the example Descriptors this list is not in any
way exhaustive It barely scratches the surace o whatyour character might possess
C983148983151983156983144983141983155 Designer Jeans Slinky Black Dress(letrsquos count ldquoblack dressrdquo as the noun) Filthy Un-derpants Worn Jacket State-o-the-art SpaceSuit Silk Smoking Jacket Beat-up Fedora allPowdered Wig
W983141983137983152983151983150983155 Rusting Sabre Heavy Axe MyFatherrsquos Service Revolver Concealed Dagger Ex- perimental Flamethrower Fake Revolver Reliable AK-47 Rubber Mallet
Transport Faithul Horse Beat-up BuickBullet-proo Limo Squeaky Clown Shoes uned-up Street Racer Girls Bicycle Unreliable Coupe
Rickety Wagon Fast Motorcycle Grandmarsquos Run-about
O983156983144983141983154 S983156983157983142983142 Huge Backpack MiniatureFlag Heavy RPG Books Faithul Hound DentedFrying Pan Water-damaged Notebook AncientSpell Book My Favourite Pet Rock
C983144983151983151983155983145983150983143 G983141983137983154Items should be ldquoiconicrdquo to your
character Tink Batmanrsquos SinisterBatsuit the Ghostbusterrsquos Unstable
Proton-packs James Bondrsquos ReliableBerretta or Zorrorsquos Flashing Blade
Each piece o Gear should add some-thing to your characterrsquos background
personality or goals It should make astatement about who the character is orwhat they do
G983141983137983154 983145983155 983141983153983157983145983152983149983141983150983156
Gear is never innate - it can bedropped lost broken and stolen A Cy-bernetic Arm is not Gear but an Ar-moured Power Glove is
D983141983155983139983154983145983138983145983150983143 G983141983137983154
When describing gear make the ad- jective tell us something useul andorinteresting about it A Long Dagger isokay a Broken Dagger is better
Like Descriptors the description o your Gear should be clear - you donrsquotwant to be guessing at the purpose ormain eature o an item
O983150983141 983137983140983146983141983139983156983145983158983141 983151983150983148983161
Te description o your gear shouldhave a single adjective - no less and nomore A Sharp Sabre is okay as is a
Magic Sword but a Sharp Magic Sabreis not allowed
S983152983141983139983145983142983145983139 983150983151983157983150983155
Choose specific descriptive nounsSabre is better than Sword BaseballCap is better than Hat You can usemore than one noun but keep the de-scription to as ew words as possible
T983137983148983147 983137983138983151983157983156 983161983151983157983154 G983141983137983154
Discuss your Gear Everyone needsto be clear on what you are describingwhat the Gear will be useul or andwhen it might be a hindrance
Gear is not innately ldquogoodrdquo or ldquobadrdquoWhat you do with it and the situations you find yoursel in will dictate whetherhaving an item is useul or not
G983151983151983140 G983141983137983154 B983137983140 G983141983137983154
You can i you want dictate thatone piece o Gear must have a ldquogoodrdquoadjective and the other a ldquobadrdquo oneYou might have a Warm Jacket and anOld Gun or a Fast Motorcycle and a
Maxed-out Credit Card
S983156983157983142983142 983156983144983137983156 983145983155983150rsquo983156 G983141983137983154
Any objects items or equipment thatare not listed as Gear are props Propshave no effect on a characterrsquos chanceo success at an action - they are merelywindow-dressing However you canswap steal and pick-up another charac-terrsquos Gear and use that
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7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 8238
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983145983151983150By now you should have a good idea o who your
character is Now it is time to fill in all the other detailsTis is the bit where you describe the characterrsquos
appearance and personality their past goals riendsenemies and any other detail you think important orinteresting
Dave takes a moment to note a ew thingsabout the Daredevil Explorer
ennessee Smith is a mild-mannered proessoro history but in his spare time he travels into thewilderness in search o lost arteacts and treasureRuggedly handsome he always seems to keep hiscool no matter how much danger he is inmdashandhe tends to get into a lot o it
Ninarsquos description o the Alien Emissary is
Lumina is an important diplomat rom the planet Jupiter which is ruled by the Dread LordKang Like all her kind she has purple skin a baldhead and delicate eatures Lumina works or the Jupiter Underground attempting to overthrowDread Lord Kang
D983154983145983158983141983155Every character has a purpose - a goal they are striv-
ing to achieve It may not be world changing (thoughit can be) but it should be important to that characterAsk the ollowing questions o your character
W983144983137983156 983140983151 983161983151983157 983159983137983150983156 What is it that you desirethe thing that drives you to action
W983144983137983156 983145983155 983155983156983151983152983152983145983150983143 983161983151983157 What obstacle or adver-sary is stopping you rom getting what you want
W983144983137983156 983159983145983148983148 983161983151983157 983140983151 What is the next step to getwhat you want What are you willing to do to succeed
ennessee Smith is in search o the Idol o otan arteact he has coveted or decades His rivalGiles Fishburne is also afer the idol and always
seems to be one step ahead ennessee is desperateto succeed this time and will do almost anythingto get the idol - though he would never kill or it
Lumina seeks reedom or all the people o Jupi-ter Dread Lord Kang rules the planet with an iron fist and his agents are always on the look out orrenegades Lumina is willing to put her own lie onthe line to achieve her vision
R9831411048684983137983156983145983151983150983155983144983145983152983155Choose at least one other character that will takepart in the story and write a short statement aboutyour relationship with them Tis should be clear andadd some interesting depth to both characters back-grounds For example Old drinking buddies Datedthe same woman Fought in the war together Weretrained by the same master
Dave writes ennessee Smith and Lumina metat Harvard where Lumina was giving a presen-tation on the ancient cultures o Jupiter Nina is
happy with this adding only that both characterswere attracted to each other but Lumina is too o-cussed on her mission to have any romantic dal-liance
I983156rsquo983155 983137983148983148 983137983138983151983157983156 983154983151983148983141983152983148983137983161983145983150983143 983150983151983159
Your Description Drives and Re-lationships all help develop your char-acter and put them into the ldquoworldrdquo o
your stories and adventures Te Narra-tor might occasionally give you a bonusto dice rolls because o the inormation
you reveal here but that is by no meansrequired
Use your Drives and Relationshipsto inorm the way you roleplay yourcharacter the way they interact with theother playerrsquos characters and the worldaround them
L983151983150983143 983151983154 983155983144983151983154983156 983156983141983154983149 983143983151983137983148983155
When choosing your Drive you are ree to pick long or short term goals I you are only playing a one-off game
then it is a better idea to pick somethingthat will have an immediate impact onthe plot I you are planning a series o
games then by all means come up witha longer-term goal or your character
H983151983159 983149983137983150983161 R983141983148983137983156983145983151983150983155983144983145983152983155
wo is a good number o Relation-ships to begin with Pick two differentcharacters and decide how they knoweach other You and another player can
work together to decide on a relation-ship or you can have separate unre-lated or ldquoopposedrdquo relationships (orexample ldquoIn love withrdquoldquoRepulsed byrdquo)
D983151983150rsquo983156 983138983141 983137983150983156983137983143983151983150983145983155983156983145983139
Donrsquot create Drives or Relationshipsthat will have characters constantly ateach others throats It is okay to havecharacters that donrsquot see eye-to-eye (in
act that can be un) but donrsquot havethem hate each other You want thecharacters to unction together in orderto deeat the antagonist solve the mys-tery or complete the mission
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7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 9239
CHARACTER CREATION
SUMMARY
CONCEPTWho is your character What is the ldquoHigh ConceptrdquoClicheacutes and archetypes are okay
DESCRIPTORSIdentiy the our most important or interesting eatures o your characterone each or Body Mind Edge and FlawEach Descriptor should be short punchy clear innate and finite
GEARWhat cool iconic stuff does your character carryChoose two items o gear describing each with an adjective and noun(eg Sharp Sabre Fast Motorcycle)
DESCRIPTIONWhat does your character look like What is their name Where are theyrom What makes them interesting and unique
DRIVESWhat does your character want What is stopping them What will they doto get it
RELATIONSHIPSHow do the characters know each other What connections do they have
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 102310
In FU you and the other players work together totell exciting stories about your characters It is notabout winning or even competing with anyone but itis about everyone having un while you create this col-
laborative story
S983139983141983150983141983155 983078 983157983154983150983155Play is broken into scenes and turns A scene is a
period o story involving a specific situation locationor group o characters Scenes are the primary buildingblocks o the story and can represent anything rom aew seconds to many hours o time Each scene shouldhave a specific objective and the scene ends when thatobjective has been addressed A scene should advancethe plot o the story reveal inormation about a char-
acter or add background colour to the events beingdescribed Ofen a scene will do all o these things atthe same time
During a scene players and Narrator describe whatthe characters are doing Players ldquoact outrdquo their char-acters speaking or them and declaring what actionsthey take while the Narrator does the same or all theother characters creatures and monsters in the scene
Scenes might be resolved through dice rolls but theydonrsquot have to be It is entirely possible that a scenersquosobjective is met through roleplaying and character in-teraction
When it is important to know the specific actionso each character and the order in which they occura scene is broken into turns A turn is a period longenough or each character to take a single actionwhether that be to make an attack deliver a rousingspeech throw an object to a companion look up someinormation on their iPhone or perorm some othertask
Players declare what action their characters aretaking while the Narrator decides what the othercharacters and creatures are going to do Everyonethen works together to decide what order everythingoccurs When all the characters involved have had achance to act the turn ends A new turn will begin inecessary
It is worth pointing out at this point that only play-ers roll dice Tis leaves the Narratorrsquos hands and mindree to scheme and plot and prepare or the next excit-ing encounter
ACTION
W983144983151 ldquo983155983141983156983155rdquo 983156983144983141 983155983139983141983150983141 Players might suggest scenes they
would like to see or be involved in butmost o the time the Narrator decideswhat scenes occur and in what orderthey happen Discussion might occurabout the order events occur in whatis happening where it is happening andwho is involved beore the Narratormakes a final call on all these matters
Some groups like to give everyone a
turn at setting a scene and that is to-tally cool too
H983151983159 983140983151 983161983151983157 ldquo983155983141983156 983137 983155983139983141983150983141rdquo
Setting a scene is a matter o defin-ing where and when the action takes
place who is there and what has justhappened or what is about to happenLocation Characters Event or WhereWhen Who amp What
When describing the scene draw on
all the senses point out interesting orimportant details o the location andall the characters involved Consider theobjective o the scene as you create it
W983144983137983156 983145983155 983137983150 983151983138983146983141983139983156983145983158983141
An objective can be anything thata player or character wants Characterobjectives might include finding a pieceo inormation deeating an enemytalking to someone travelling a small or
great distance preparing or battle con-
ning a mark or stealing an object Play-er objectives could include seeing theircharacter in a cool fight solving themystery revealing a secret about theircharacter or interacting with a specificcharacter or player Ofen player andcharacter goals overlap
D983151 983155983139983141983150983141983155 983144983137983158983141 983156983151 983138983141 983145983150 983151983154983140983141983154
You can use all the techniques o sto-ries novels and movies which means
flashbacks and flash orwards parallel
story lines and even montages can be played out in scenes While most o thetime your scenes will occur in a chrono-logical order you do not have to be re-stricted by this
D983151 I 983144983137983158983141 983156983151 983157983155983141 983156983157983154983150983155
urns are an optional measuremento time useul or when a variety o stuffis being attempted by several charac-ters Use them to organise the action asneeded Some scenes will naturally all
into turns while others will be resolvedwithout ever considering them
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B983141983137983156983145983150983143 983156983144983141 O983140983140983155When a character attempts an action where the
outcome is not immediately andor completely obvi-ous you make a beat the odds roll
o resolve an action roll a d6 Your objective is tolsquobeat the oddsrsquo by rolling an even number Te higherthe even number the better the result I you roll an
odd number the action either ailed or wasnrsquot quite asgood as needed or expected Te lower the odd num-ber the worse the result Tere is a handy chart belowthat helps illustrate this idea
Te beat the odds roll is the heart o FU While mosto the time even numbers are good and odd numbersare bad the precise situation will dictate the actual re-sults It may be that the roll o a 1 does not indicate anoutrageous ailure so much as a success in the mostminimal or ragile o ways
We are going to ollow the trials and tribula-tions o two characters rom two different settingsin this chapter
Sir Camden is riding afer the evil Lord KaneHe sees Lord Kane leap a tall hedgerow disappear-ing into the orest beyond Sir Camden now triesto leap the hedge so you roll a d6 scoring 2 SirCamdenrsquos horse clears the hedge but Sir Camdenis jostled about in the saddle and is momentarilyconused
Captain Vance ducks as another hail o bullets peppers the wall he is hiding behind Grabbing adamaged radio he flicks some switches and triesto call HQ or back-up You roll a d6 and score a 1Vance ails to find the right requency and a straybullet hits the radio destroying it
R983151983148983148 D983151 983161983151983157 983143983141983156 983159983144983137983156 983161983151983157 983159983137983150983156983103
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 donrsquot get what you want but itrsquos not a total loss
3 No You donrsquot get what you were afer
1 No and You donrsquot get what you want and things get worse
C983148983151983155983141983140 Q983157983141983155983156983145983151983150983155
FU uses a closed question ormat tohelp resolve actions A closed questioncan only be answered with a ldquoyesrdquo orldquonordquo statement When you reach a situ-ation that needs to be resolved by dice
propose a closed question ldquoDo I leapthe chasmrdquo ldquoDo I punch that jerk inthe noserdquo ldquoDoes the tavern wench all
or my easy charm and winning smilerdquoTe roll o the die will answer the ques-tion and guide your response
A lot o the time you wonrsquot need toask the question explicitly - it will be ob-vious rom the action you attempt ldquoyoutake a run up and leap rom the edge othe chasm Rollrdquo
A983148983156983141983154983150983137983156983145983158983141 Q983157983141983155983156983145983151983150983155
You can pose different questionsi you want though you will have tochange the result chart An obviousquestion is ldquoHow well do I succeedrdquoTis might garner the ollowing results
Roll How well do you succeed
6 Legendary success
4 Complete success
2 Only just succeed
5 Fail by the smallest margin
3 Complete ailure
1 Epic ailure and then some
Feel ree to come up with your ownquestions and answers as suits theneeds o your group game and story
A983148983156983141983154983150983137983156983145983158983141 D983145983139983141 R983151983148983148983155
Some players are not ans o theevenodd results Many preer a 1-3Bad 4-6 Good result In that case theresult chart would look like this
Roll Do you get what you want
6 Yes and
5 Yes
4 Yes but
3 No but
2 No
1 No and
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 122312
S983157983139983139983141983155983155 983078 F9831379831451048684983157983154983141When you make a beat the odds roll your character
will either succeed at what they were attempting orthey wont Tis is usually enough to push your storyurther along but other things can happen too
When you attempt an action you are asking ldquoDoesmy character get what they wantrdquo Tere are six pos-
sible answers to this questionYes and
Yes
Yes but
No but
No
No and
Yes and No are pretty straight orward - they tell youwhether the action succeeded or not Te and and but are qualifiers that modiy how good the success or howbad the ailure was When you get a qualifier you makean extra statement about how the action succeeded orailed Tis extra statement can add a Condition to acharacter or a Detail to a scene
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 Tese are physical mental or socialeffects that impact on the way a character behaves orattempts actions Conditions include things like an- gry conused tired and unconscious Tere are severallisted on the FU character sheet and there is space oryou to write your own
D983141983156983137983145983148983155 Tese are eatures o an environment orscene that might change as a result o an action Detailsmight include curtains catching fire windows break-ing animals running off or machinery stalling De-tails are always closely tied to the scene and the action
E983160983137983149983152983148983141983155 983151983142 S983157983139983139983141983155983155 983078 F983137983145983148983157983154983141
Going back to an earlier exampleletrsquos see what might have happenedwhen we apply each possible answer tothe question
ldquoDoes Sir Camden leap the hedgerdquo
Yes and he catches up with LordKane Tis is a Detail that changes thescene
Yes he leaps the hedge Tere is noandbut qualifier so no Condition orDetail is added
Yes but Sir Camden is disorientedand momentarily confused Tis is aCondition applied to the character
No but he spots a gap in the hedge urther along Tis Detail gives the char-acter another way to continue the chase
No the horse shies away rom the jump Tere is no andbut qualifier sono Condition or Detail is added
No and his horse rears up throwinghim to the ground causing an injury Tis is a Condition
W983144983151 983139983144983151983151983155983141983155 C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 983078D983141983156983137983145983148983155
Anyone can suggest a Condition orDetail that they eel is appropriate tothe action taken and result achievedUsually the player that rolled the diceand the Narrator will work together tocome up with a suitably dramatic effectBut really anyone at the table shouldthrow in whatever cool idea they have
Te Narrator always has final sayover what Condition or Detail is ap-
plied to a result
W983144983141983150 983155983144983151983157983148983140 I 983157983155983141 C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155
Like all qualifiers it depends onsituation In the examples above Con-ditions are applied to the acting playerwhen things donrsquot quite go right orthem ( Yes but No and ) Te Condi-tions make lie a bit more difficult or
the character because o the minimalsuccess or outright ailure
You can also apply Conditions tothe target o an action when things are
going right or your character I youare debating with a bureaucrat and geta Yes and result you might apply theconfused Condition to the target I youattempt to outrun an enemy and get the
No but result they might catch up with
you but have the tired Condition Ap- plying Conditions in this way will likely give player characters an advantagelater in the scene
W983144983141983150 983155983144983151983157983148983140 I 983157983155983141 D983141983156983137983145983148983155
Apply Details when the action is like-ly to change the scene or environment insome way Tis might be a change in the
power dynamic o the scene (ldquo Yes he
leaps the hedge and he catches up withLord Kanerdquo) or a change in the physicalenvironment (ldquo No but he spots a gap inthe hedgerdquo)
Details are ofen applied when theacting character gains some advantage( Yes and No but ) Tey can be usedto great effect however to make situa-tions more entertaining and or dan-
gerous
ldquoDo you swing across the room on
the chandelier Yes but candles allloose and set fire to the tavernrdquo
Details can provide instant or on- going effects depending on the circum-stances A gap in the hedge can be usedimmediately to continue the chase aburning tavern will continue to be ahazard until someone puts the fire out
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httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 132313
M983151983140983145983142983145983141983154983155Sometimes circumstances equipment and skill will
make actions easier or harder Modifiers change thenumber o dice you get to roll when taking action
M983137983147983145983150983143 T983144983145983150983143983155 E983137983155983145983141983154 Roll an additional dieor each Descriptor piece o Gear Condition or De-tail that provides some advantage to the action being
taken Te result is the single best (not necessarilyhighest) die roll as the player chooses
In the woods Sir Camden tries to track LordKane You point out that the knight is a goodhunter so you get an extra d6 Rolling 2d6 youscore a 5 and a 4 Keeping the 4 it is decided thatafer a brie search Sir Camden finds Lord Kanersquostracks and ollows them to a sinister citadel
M983137983147983145983150983143 T983144983145983150983143983155 H983137983154983140983141983154 Roll an extra die oreach Descriptor bit o Gear Condition or Detail that
makes the action harder Te result is the single worstdie roll
Captain Vance decides to run to a near-by jeepTe Narrator points out there is no cover betweenVancersquos hiding spot and the vehicle ldquoDoes Vance get to the jeep uninjuredrdquo You roll 2d6 scoringa 3 and a 5 You must accept the 3 and CaptainVance is injured as he reaches the jeep
C983137983150983139983141983148983148983145983150983143 O983157983156 One beneficial die cancels out
one hindering die so you will never be rolling lsquonega-tiversquo and lsquopositiversquo dice at the same time
Later in his quest Sir Camden must scale asheer (-) cliff Te knight is strong (+) and hasa rope (+) Overall this means a single bonus tothe action (the sheer cliff and the knightrsquos strengthcancel each other out just leaving the rope) Youroll 2d6 scoring a 3 and 6
E983160983137983149983152983148983141 983151983142 M983151983140983145983142983145983141983154983155
Captain Vance hurtles along in the jeep when a guard tries to drag himout through the window ldquoWill Vanceshake the guard offrdquo It is hard (+) todrag Vance out the window but he iswounded (-) and surprised (-) and the
attacker is very strong (-) In total youmust roll 2 penalty dice You roll 3d6scoring a 2 4 and 3 and must take theworst result the 3 Te guard wrestlesVance out o the jeep
O983156983144983141983154 983156983161983152983141983155 983151983142 983154983151983148983148983155
FU has no such thing as lsquoopposedrollsrsquo or lsquocontested actionsrsquo lsquodamagerollsrsquo and lsquorolling to hitrsquo Te beat theodds roll is the only kind o roll usedin FU whether you are trying to drive
a car through a crowded mall armwrestle a giant or shrug off the damagecaused by a stray bullet
H983151983159 983140983151 ldquo983151983152983152983151983155983141983140rdquo 983137983139983156983145983151983150983155 983159983151983154983147
For a start only players ever rolldice You begin by actoring in all thebonuses (+) and penalties (-) that applyto your character Ten you take stocko all the actors that would apply tothe opponent and apply those into your
roll too Is the opponent weak You geta bonus die Is the opponent a worldchampion arm wrestler You actor ina penalty die And so on until every-thing is actored in When you knowhow many bonus andor penalty dice
you have roll I the result is an even
number you win the contest i the finalresult is an odd number your opponenthas the advantage
D983145983137983148983145983150983143 983145983150 983151983150 Y983151983157983154 983137983139983156983145983151983150
Sword fights political debates spaceraces international wars argumentsand gun battles are all resolved usingthe beat the odds roll Te key is to dialin or out o the action through the kindo questions you attempt to resolve Youcan fight a dramatic sword fight and ex-
change a series o blows by asking ldquoDoI hit the Count De Montierdquo But youcould also resolve the entire fight witha single roll by asking ldquoDo I deeat theCount De Montie in a duelrdquo Or takeit to the next level and ask ldquoDo my men-at-arms storm the Count De Montiersquoscastlerdquo Adjust the dial as necessary
O983152983156983145983151983150 M983137983156983139983144983145983150983143 D983145983139983141
Rolling doubles triples or quadru- ples can make a success much better ora ailure ar worse I your result die hasa match the effects will be much moredramatic You may add one ldquoandrdquostatement or each matching die I the
action is ailed this statement shouldmake the situation worse I the actionis a success the additional statement(s)should make the situation even better
For example Sir Camden aces LordKanersquos henchmen ldquoWill Sir Camden de-
eat the henchmenrdquo He is injured andoutnumbered so you will roll 2 penaltydice You roll and score 3 3 and 2 Youmust take the worst result - the double3 Normally this would be a ldquo Nordquo re-
sult but the matching 3 turns it into aldquo No andrdquo I you had rolled triple 3the result would have been ldquo No andandrdquo
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 142314
FU P983151983145983150983156983155FU Points are a resource that you spend to improve
a characterrsquos chance o success at an action Tey canbe used in two ways
B983151983150983157983155 D983145983141 Spend a FU Point beore a beat theodds roll to add a single bonus die Tis works like anyother bonus die You can add as many bonus dice as
you have FU Points but they must all be declared atthe same time
R983141-983154983151983148983148 Spend a FU Point afer a beat the oddsroll to re-roll a single die Te second result must stand- you cannot re-roll a re-roll You can re-roll as manydice as you have FU Points but you must declare themall at the same time beore the first die is re-rolled
You can spend multiple FU Points on any givenaction and or either or both effects It is completelywithin the rules to spend a FU Point to add a bonus
die beore a roll then another FU Point to re-roll a dieaferwards
Back at HQ Captain Vance tries to convinceGeneral Wallace to deploy the Rocket roops un-der his command Vance doesnrsquot have much going or him in this situation in terms o Descriptorsso you decide to spend 2 FU Points on the roll You
roll the basic die plus the two bonus dice gettinga 1 1 and 3 Not happy with this you spends yourlast FU Point on a re-roll You pick up one o the1rsquos and throw the die again
E983137983154983150983145983150983143 FU P983151983145983150983156983155 FU Points are earned duringplay or doing cool stuff and roleplaying your charac-ter Whenever you do something that stops play andmakes everyone go ldquoWowrdquo or laugh out loud at yourantics or anything else that everyone thinks should berewarded you earn a FU Point
S983156983137983154983156983145983150983143 FU P983151983145983150983156983155
Te number o FU Points you begina game with should be discussed beore
play begins Te more FU Points play-ers begin with the more easily they willachieve successes I playing games ohigh adventure or over-the-top actionit would be reasonable to begin with 2FU Points Super-powered heroes mightbegin with as many as 3 FU Points For
grittier games each player might onlybegin with 1 FU Point or even none
C983137983150 I 983143983145983158983141 983155983144983137983154983141 FU P983151983145983150983156983155
Tat is up to you and your groupTe deault is ldquonordquo but
D983151 N983137983154983154983137983156983151983154983155 983143983141983156 FU 983152983151983145983150983156983155
Usually no but they might allow a powerul villain or monster to have onetwo or three
O983156983144983141983154 983159983137983161983155 983156983151 983141983137983154983150 FU
You might like to change the way youearn FU Points You might earn them
or dealing the killing blow to monstersachieving your characterrsquos goal or roll-ing multiple 1rsquos or 6rsquos
Tis is a really good way to changethe tone or style o the game Want to
play a dungeon crawl Reward FU orkilling monsters A gritty dystopian
game Reward FU when the characters
lose out to Te Man Decide i these arethe only ways to earn FU or i they arein addition to the normal roleplayingrewards Tis decision will also have adramatic effect on the tone o play Seewhat you can do with it
O983156983144983141983154 983159983137983161983155 983156983151 983157983155983141 FU
Play around with FU Points Experi-ment or adjust the ways you use them
to suit your gaming group or the typeo story you are playing Here are somesuggestions
FU 983137983155 H983141983137983148983156983144
Rather than having a varying andchangeable number o FU points everycharacter begins with 3 Tey can bespent as normal but can also be lostwhen the character suffers physical ormental stress (injuries atigue earetc) FU in this instance can be rereshed
(brought back up to 3) by roleplayingout a (non-dice rolling) scene with an-other character that reveals somethingabout your relationship
R983141-R983151983148983148 E983158983141983154983161983156983144983145983150983143
Spend a FU point to re-roll all yourdice Tis is an all-or-nothing thing so
you canrsquot keep a couple o good resultsand roll the rest Use this variant in-stead o the normal re-roll rule
F983148983145983152 983137 P983145983152
Spend a FU Point to adjust a singledie up or down by one pip Spend mul-tiple FU points to adjust a die multiple
pips Tis option is more reliable thana re-roll as you will always be able toturn a ldquonordquo into a ldquoyesrdquo I you used thisvariant the normal re-roll rule shouldnot be used
U983155983141 983137 P983154983151983152Spend a FU point to turn a prop into
an item o Gear or the duration o thescene
S983156983157983150983156983155 983137983150983140 P983151983159983141983154983155
Give characters special abilitiesskills or powers that can only be used byspending a FU Point Tese should bemore powerul than Descriptors - makethem break the rules or give a superhu-man knack like the ability to fly or read
minds teleport or whatever
T983137983147983145983150983143 983137 H983145983156
Instead o rolling declare you areldquotaking a hitrdquo All the dice you shouldhave rolled are treated as i they rolled1rsquos (yes i you are holding 5 dice theycount as five 1rsquos) In return or your su-
ering you earn a FU Point
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 152315
ACTION
SUMMARY
SET THE SCENEWhere does the scene take place Who is there What do they want Doyou need to break down into turns
ACTRoleplay your character and describe what is going on Push toward theobjective
ASK A QUESTIONWhen you need to resolve a conflict or complete an action ask a closedquestion (eg ldquoDo I succeedrdquo)
FACTOR IN MODIFIERS+1 bonus die or every Descriptor item o Gear Detail Condition or other
eature that makes the action easier+1 penalty die or every Descriptor item o Gear Detail Condition or othereature that makes the action harder
ROLLRoll all your dice Te result is the single best die (i rolling bonus dice) orsingle worst die (i rolling penalty dice)
DESCRIBE RESULTUse the die result to describe how the conflict or action turned out Apply
Conditions or Details as necessary
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 162316
Following is some simple straightorward adviceor Narrators It is all airly generic because all the spe-cific stuff is going to relate to the genre tone and styleo game that you and your players choose to play
9831371048684983147983145983150983143 983145983155 983143983151983151983140Start your game with a conversation alk about
what players want out o the game what you want andwhere those ideas overlap Tose overlaps are likelywhere everyone is going to have the most un At the very least you should work together to establish thegenre and tone o your shared story alk about thisstuff too so that everyone is clear o the specifics (thereis a world o difference between Gothic horror andsplatter films or example)
alk during the game too Encourage players toshare ideas and give input into scenes objectives andthe challenges characters ace I you need to clariyideas themes or issues then do that
L983145983155983156983141983150983145983150983143 983145983155 983143983151983151983140I there is going to be talk there needs to be listen-
ing Listen to your players and the things they tell youeither in conversation or when they do things withtheir character Do stuff that relates to the Descriptors
written on the playerrsquos character sheets because that iswhat they think is cool
W983144983141983150 9831521048684983137983161983145983150983143When running games donrsquot plan too much ahead
o time Te dice rolls are going to direct a lot o theaction and you and the players will fill in the gaps byapplying Conditions and Details Here are some tipsto keep things moving and help you enjoy the game as
much as the players doK983141983141983152 983156983144983145983150983143983155 983155983145983149983152983148983141 Do not complicate your job
by introducing lots o sub-plots or convoluted twistsTings will get all messed about by themselves and the
story will run off on tangents that you never dreamedo
Y983151983157 983137983154983141 983150983151983156 983156983144983141 983141983150983141983149983161 this may seem obviousbut is worth stating Your role is to help guide the storyin interesting directions not to kill everyone You cangive players hints and ideas i you think this will lead toa better story Sometimes you will portray the adver-saries and are expected to do so vigorously but airlyOther times you will get to be an ally companion orpeer and once again you should be true to the spirit othe game
S983137983161 ldquoY983141983155rdquo i players make suggestions or ask ques-tions it is probably because they are interested in whatis going on Tey probably have a cool idea to introduceto the story Encourage this and confidently say ldquoyesrdquoto requests Tis doesnrsquot mean you should let playersget anything they want ndash but you should let players in-troduce elements into the story when the time is right
M983137983147983141 983154983151983148983148983155 983149983141983137983150983145983150983143983142983157983148 Every time you callor a die roll it should mean something interesting isgoing to happen NO MAER HE RESUL Donrsquot
have players make rolls i the result is not important tothe story or i ailure will stop the momentum o thestory
NARRATOR
983091 Q983157983141983155983156983145983151983150983155 983156983151 983142983154983137983149983141 983161983151983157983154 983143983137983149983141
When you begin a game talk withthe players about their expectations ryto answer the ollowing three questions
W983144983137983156 983159983145983148983148 983139983144983137983154983137983139983156983141983154983155 983140983151983103
Do players want to kick in doorskill monsters and take home piles otreasure Do they want to eel like epicheroes Or the underdogs strugglingagainst ridiculous odds
H983151983159 983140983151 983152983148983137983161983141983154983155 983159983137983150983156 983156983151 983142983141983141983148983103
Do the players want to eel like theyare changing the world Like their char-acter is gaining in wealth prestige or
power Or do they want to eel like theirbacks are against the wall and their livesconstantly at risk
W983144983137983156 983145983155 983156983144983141 N983137983154983154983137983156983151983154rsquo983155 983154983151983148983141983103
What kinds o challenges encoun-ters and situations are you going to pre-
sent the characters in order to achievethe above Do you need to ensure everychallenge is accompanied by a generousreward Are you going to make every
fight hard but air Will you be relent-less in the pursuit o the antagonistrsquos
goals
Answer these questions and every-one at the table will be clear on theirrole in the coming adventure
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 172317
R983141983139983151983158983141983154983161During games characters can suffer injuries be-
come physically or mentally stressed and be afflictedby a range o other Conditions Conditions are alwaysrecovered at a time andor rate appropriate to the sto-ry Tis is usually with the passing o time but doesnot have to be A good rule o thumb is that one or
more Conditions can be removedrecovered betweenscenes though this will depend on the timing o suchencounters
R983141983159983137983154983140983155Reward players or good roleplaying and achieving
goals by giving them FU Points You may also rewardthem or a variety o other reasons as your group de-cides (see the sidebar on page 12) FU Points can beused to improve a characters chance o success and arethereore a great immediate tangible reward You donrsquot
have to be the only one at the table offering rewardsthough All players should speak up when someonehas done something cool unny or awesome and re-ward a FU Point
H983151983159 983149983157983139983144 983144983151983159 983151983142983156983141983150 Be generous with yourrewards as the positive reinorcement o earning FUPoints will inspire them on to greater acts o heroismspectacle or depravity as the case may be Also takeinto account whether this will be a ldquoone offrdquo game ora part o an ongoing story or campaign - players arelikely to burn through FU Points aster in a singe ses-
sion game and will need their resources replenishedaster
C983144983137983154983137983139983156983141983154983155 983078 O9831389831559831569831379831391048684983141983155All the characters monsters traps villains terrain
eatures creatures and obstacles that are encounteredduring a story are defined in much the same way ascharacters You are not confined by any rules or re-strictions when creating characters or obstacles theonly thing you must do is make them entertaining andinteresting
T983144983141 B983151983159983148
One technique or rewarding FUPoints is to place a bowl o beads chitsor tokens in the centre o the table Eachbead is a FU Point Te Narrator cantell players to ldquotake one rom the bowlrdquoand other players can reach in when it isappropriate to reward a player by pass-ing a bead rom the bowl Tis requirestrust between players and Narrator butmakes the running o the game verysmooth as no-one has to stop and askldquoDoes that deserve a FU Pointrdquo
A983140983158983137983150983139983141983149983141983150983156
FU is not a game about ldquolevellinguprdquo While characters might have avariety o experiences and learn romthem the real advancement comes romthe changing story andor world
I appropriate players can changeone Descriptor between game sessionsTis alteration should relate in someway to the experiences and story theircharacter just participated in Gear canbe changed between sessions at the Nar-ratorrsquos discretion
Goals might also change rom gamesession to game session Give playerstime to consider their goals at the starto each session and let them adjust orchange them as necessary
T983154983137983139983147983145983150983143 983151983138983155983156983137983139983148983141983155
Use sticky-notes or index cards torecord details about your charactersmonsters and obstacles Write downDescriptors Gear and other ino Asthey suffer Conditions record those onthe card
Use index cards to record importantterrain eatures too Write down anyDescriptor(s) pertaining to the eature
so players can take them into accountas they plan their actions
W983144983137983156 983140983151 I 983155983144983137983154983141 983159983145983156983144 983152983148983137983161983141983154983155
Some groups play open making nosecret o the Descriptors and details ocreatures and monsters Other groups(andor Narrators) keep this inorma-tion hidden rom players Both options
provide or different styles o play
Playing an open table means eve-ryone is clear about what is going onwhat opportunities exist or cool scenesand actions Players can see what GearConditions and Descriptors are ldquoin
playrdquo and incorporate them into scenes
Keeping the details o villains trapsand other obstacles rom the playerswill push them to test their enemies ex-
plore the environment and try differentthings Tey can manoeuvre themselvesand situations in directions they thinkwill be advantageous It is always satis-
ying to be rewarded with bonus dice oraccurately guessing an enemyrsquos Descrip-tors
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 182318
ennessee Smith amed explorer has finally got a solid lead on the whereabouts o the ancientIdol o ot an object o reported supernatural power Unortunately Smithrsquos arch enemy Giles
Fishburne is also on the trail o the Idol and hasthrown his lot in with the Nazis
Tis short adventure will get you into the actionquickly It illustrates one way you might prepare yourown adventures adversaries and obstacles Use thepre-generated characters presented at the end o theadventure Race to the emple o ot consists o a serieso set-piece encounters that you can use rearrange andignore at your leisure Remember that beat the oddsrolls will lead to all kinds o interesting twists and
turns and once the characters set out on the adventureanything is possible
B983141983142983151983154983141 983161983151983157 983138983141983143983145983150Beore starting play have a quick discussion about
the tone and style o the game Te scenario is clas-sic pulp - over the top action outrageous villains andlarger than lie heroes Make sure everyone is on thesame page here - talk about what makes this genre cooland perhaps point out examples o the genre (Indiana Jones Te Mummy Te Rocketeer ) and what parts o
these you enjoyedRead the flavour text above (the stuff in italics) and
get everyone at the table to throw around some ideaso cool stuff they would like to see happen during theadventure Note it all down - when things slow or iyou get stuck or what to do next chuck one o theseideas into the mix
S983139983141983150983141983155Te scenes presented here have a description o
where the action takes place and suggest Descriptorsyou or the players might incorporate into the actionTe italics set up the action o the scene and the objec-tive Paraphrase the details or your players
C98314498313710486841048684983141983150983143983141983155Te challenges and adversaries in this adventure
are recorded in boxes with relevant Descriptors Con-ditions and Notes Tese are to guide you and do nothave to be used Your own cool ideas should alwaystrump anything written here
E983155983139983137983152983141 983156983144983141 B9831571048684983137983147 M983137983154983147983141983156S983139983141983150983141 Central Asia - a bustling market in the city
o Bulak - Midday all stone and mud-brick buildingswith narrow arched windows surround the central
market stalls and caes bars and emporiums run offin all directions along winding narrow streets
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Crowded streets Exotic goods
Te characters have just acquired a map to theemple o ot Unortunately Nazi goons have ar-rived and want the map too Tere are a lot o goons and while the characters could fight themit might be easier to flee Do the characters escape
NAZI GOONS
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Lots o goons Beey AryansNot too bright
G983141983137983154 Noisy Sub-machine guns
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 ConusedrappedSlowedOut o Action
N983151983156983141983155 Tere are a number o goon squads equal tothe number o characters
W983144983137983156 983139983137983150 983143983151 983159983154983151983150983143983103 Te characters are cap-tured Te map is lost
9831549831379831509831551048684983137983156983145983150983143 983156983144983141 M983137983152S983139983141983150983141 A dark coffee lounge cae or back roomsomewhere in the city o Bulak Te smell o strongcoffee and exotic ood permeates the room
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Private
ennessee Smith and his companions have themap but must now translate it puzzling out thestrange symbols and markings Do they translatethe map
TRANSLATING THE MAP
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Ancient glyphs Brittle paperC983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 ornRuinedSmudged
Burnt to a crisp
W983144983137983156 983139983137983150 983143983151 983159983154983151983150983143983103 Te map is damaged Techaracters misread the map Tey cannot read the mapand must get help rom an expert in ancient languages
RACE TO THE TEMPLE OF TOT
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 192319
983144983141 G983151983157 Z983151983157 G983151983154983143983141S983139983141983150983141 Te majestic Gou Zou Gorge hal a mile
deep and crossed by a single iron girder railway bridgeWide open plains lie on either side o the gorge and theKow Mountains lie in the distance
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Open plains Impassible Gorge
Te characters ollow the map to Gou ZouGorge by car or horse back Giles Fishburne is ap- proaching ast aboard the German dirigible DerVogel Do the characters cross the bridge saelyDo they keep their lead on the Germans
NAZI BIRD TRUPPEN
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Tey Fly Agile
G983141983137983154 Delicate Flying Harness DeadlyStick Grenade
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 ConusedGrounded
SlowedOut o ActionN983151983156983141983155 Tere are a number o Bird ruppen equalto the number o characters
GOU ZOU BRIDGE
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Wide but narrow
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 RicketyBlown all to hell
N983151983156983141983155 You know you must introduce an approach-ing train right
W983144983137983156 983139983137983150 983143983151 983159983154983151983150983143983103 Te bridge is destroyed
Te map is lost the characters are captured
983144983141 98314110486859831521048684983141S983139983141983150983141 An ancient temple ashioned into the side
o a mountain Grand statues o sinister looking godsand daemons line the walls Dust covers everythingTe tunnel leads deeper into the mountain
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Dark Silent
Te characters must penetrate the heart o thetemple but the map warned o nearious traps
and terrible guardians Do they get past the trapsand guardians
NEFARIOUS TRAPS
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Hidden Deadly
G983141983137983154 Poison Darts Rusting Spears
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 DisarmedSet-offRevealed
N983151983156983141983155 Challenge characters with one or two trapsell them the passage is trapped but donrsquot tell themhow or where the traps are until they are sprung
STONE STATUE GUARDIAN
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Big Heavy Slow Relentless
G983141983137983154 Heavy Stone Weapons
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 DamagedOff balanceSlowedOut o Action
N983151983156983141983155 Tere is one Statue Guardian or every two
characters Te large heavy weapons can strikemultiple characters at once
W983144983137983156 983139983137983150 983143983151 983159983154983151983150983143983103 Characters cannot getpast traps characters are injured by traps
983144983141 I9831409831511048684 C9831449831371048685983138983141983154S983139983141983150983141 A large stone chamber ingeniously lit by
mirrors reflecting sunlight Te Idol o ot - a gold-en statue o a seven-headed monkey - sits on a stoneplinth in the centre o the room
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Large bronze mirrors
Te characters enter the chamber o the idolonly to find that Giles Fishburne and his Nazi goons are here too Do they deeat Giles and es-cape with the Idol
GILES FISHBURNE
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Smart Arrogant Sword fighter
G983141983137983154 Polished Sabre
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 ConusedInjuredSlowedOut o Action
N983151983156983141983155 Giles is a greedy arrogant villain but heisnrsquot stupid I things start looking dire he will attemptto escape make a deal andor double-cross anyone inhis way He has no loyalty to the Nazis
C983144983137983154983137983139983156983141983154983155Four pre-made characters can be ound on the next
page Tey are each examples o classic pulp charac-ter archetypes Players may tweak or adjust them atthe Narratorrsquos discretion beore play starts perhapschanging a Descriptor or two or switching out an item
o Gear Beore starting the game each player shoulddefine one or two relationships describing how thecharacters know each other A quick and easy way todo this is or everyone to describe how they know thecharacter to their lef
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 202320
TENNESSEE SMITH DAREDEVIL EXPLORER
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Nimble Level Headed Use BullWhip Araid o Heights
G983141983137983154 Bull Whip Worn Leather Jacket
D983154983145983158983141983155 Find the Idol o ot
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 AngryScaredired
rapped
Blinded
HungryDazedInjuredDying
ennessee Smith is a mild-mannered proes-sor o history but in his spare time he travelsinto the wilderness in search o lost arteacts andtreasure Ruggedly handsome he always seemsto keep his cool no matter how much danger heis inmdashand he tends to get into a lot o it
R983141983148983137983156983145983151983150983155983144983145983152983155
N983151983156983141983155
HARVEY REED RETIRED BOXER
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Strong Tinks-on-his-Feet BoxerUgly as Sin
G983141983137983154 Roll o quarters Poor fitting suitD983154983145983158983141983155 Look out or ennessee Smith
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 AngryScarediredrappedBlindedHungryDazedInjuredDying
Harvey Reed is a recently retired championboxer Finding the sedentary lie a little too bor-ing he has joined his old riend ennessee insearch o adventure
R983141983148983137983156983145983151983150983155983144983145983152983155
N983151983156983141983155
JIMMY SWEET PLUCKY KID
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Quick Smart-aleckUnderestimated Young
G983141983137983154 Noisy Firecrackers Dirty BaseballCap
D983154983145983158983141983155 See the 7 wonders o the world
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155
Angry
Scared
iredrappedBlindedHungryDazedInjuredDying
Jimmy Sweet is a happy-go-lucky kid who hasnever had anyone to rely on but himsel He iswiry tough and quick with a cheeky attitudethat requently gets him into trouble Jimmystowed away on a tramp steamer with the inten-tion o seeing the world and making his ortune
R983141983148983137983156983145983151983150983155983144983145983152983155
N983151983156983141983155
OCTOBER JONES GIRL REPORTER
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Beautiul Witty Good MemoryCurious
G983141983137983154 rusty Camera Tick Notebook D983154983145983158983141983155 Get the scoop on the real ennes-
see Smith
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 AngryScarediredrappedBlindedHungryDazedInjuredDying
October Jones is a reporter and adventurerafforded a great deal o reedom by her atherrsquosimmense wealth Beautiul intelligent and spoiltshe is a woman used to getting what she wants
R983141983148983137983156983145983151983150983155983144983145983152983155
N983151983156983141983155
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 212321
Tis list is by no means exhaustive but itrsquos a goodplace to start Each entry lists the kinds o things aDescriptor might be an advantage or hindrance orwhich makes it a handy reerence or both players and
Narrators
B983151983140983161 D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155A983143983145983148983141 helpul when dancing leaping doing gym-
nastics crawling through tight spaces and balancingA983149983138983145983140983141983160983156983154983151983157983155 great when shooting two guns at
the same time or doing slight-o-hand magic tricksB983148983151983150983140983141 good or getting people to underestimate
you not good i you spend too much time in the sunF983137983147983141 O983154983137983150983143983141 T983137983150 great or passing as an aging
celebrity and or drawing attention to yoursel
F983157983154983154983161 useul or resisting cold weather and livingin the woods
H983137983150983140983155983151983149983141 useul or flirting selling stuff gettingroles on V modelling and being popular
H983157983143983141 good or looking menacing reaching highplaces acting like a body builder or getting stuck insmall spaces
O983158983141983154983159983141983145983143983144983156 a problem when exercising andborrowing clothes
P983151983151983154 C983151983150983155983156983145983156983157983156983145983151983150 a hindrance when long dis-
tance running resisting damage perorming eats oendurance and healingQ983157983145983139983147 handy or ducking to and rom places
slight-o-hand dodging and other actions that requirespeed o action
R983137983162983151983154-983155983144983137983154983152 C983148983137983159983155 great or slicing up en-emies cutting vegetables and maybe climbing trees
S983144983151983154983156 a pain or reaching the top shel but use-ul or crawling under low objects and getting lost ina crowd
S983148983151983159 a problem when running dodging and re-
acting to thingsS983156983154983151983150983143 useul or lifing carrying smashing
and throwing things Wrestling and avoiding beingcrushed might also be aided
T983137983148983148 good or reaching the top shel climbingand seeing over other peoplersquos heads
T983144983145983150 handy or squeezing into places and clotheshiding behind poles and perorming on the catwalk
U983143983148983161 a problem when trying to seduce someoneor get a role on V
V983145983143983151983157983154 great or resisting poison long distancerunning and other eats o endurance
Weak a pain when lifing carrying smashing andthrowing stuff
W983141983138983138983141983140 F983141983141983156 great or swimming but terriblewhen buying shoes
M983145983150983140 D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155A983138983155983141983150983156-M983145983150983140983141983140 good or being distracted but a
problem when remembering where you lef the keysor that you just pulled the pin rom a hand grenade
B983151983151983147-S983149983137983154983156 great when doing exams knowingmath ormulas remembering dates in history andgenerally getting into Law at Harvard
C983151983149983152983157983156983141983154-W983145983162 good or programming fixing
your laptop and getting into PC vs Apple flame-warsD983145983149-W983145983156983156983141983140 a problem when listening to jokes
recognizing a trick or generally keeping up appear-ances in social settings
E983149983152983137983156983144983141983156983145983139 good or reading peoples emotionsdoing psychological evaluations and knowing how tocomort distressed people
F983151983139983157983155983141983140 good or staying on task not getting dis-tracted and looking serious
L983137983156983141983154983137983148 T983144983145983150983147983141983154 handy or problem solving
and approaching issues in new or unusual waysM983137983156983144983141983149983137983156983145983139983145983137983150 great or doing sums solvingequations and doing your tax
O983138983155983141983154983158983137983150983156 great or spotting hidden clues no-ticing details doing find-a-words and reading bodylanguage
O983154983137983156983151983154 good or public speaking debating andgetting people to see your point o view
S983148983151983159 a pain when trying to understand plans orlearn new things
T983137983139983156983145983139983145983137983150 great or planning battles remember-
ing military history and quoting sun suU983150983141983140983157983139983137983156983141983140 a pain when reading doing math
remembering important dates in history and doingany school-type tests
W983145983155983141 handy or sprouting proverbs giving adviceputting unrelated clues together interpreting peoplersquosreactions and saying lsquoI told you sorsquo
W983145983156983156983161 good or making unny comments beingcharming and or entertaining and always knowingthe right thing to say
APPENDIX - DESCRIPTORS
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 222322
E983140983143983141 D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155A983139983154983151983138983137983156983145983139983155 great or joining the circus leaping
through narrow gaps and doing impressive flipsA983154983139983137983150983141 K983150983151983159983148983141983140983143983141 good or identiying mys-
tic arteacts recognizing the presence o evil magicand reading ancient scrolls
C983151983157983154983137983143983141 handy when seeing something scary
telling your wie you orgot your anniversary and at-tempting other dangerous acts
D983154983145983158983145983150983143 great or car racing car chases and pass-ing your driving exam
F983141983150983139983145983150983143 good or sword fighting and other civi-lized orms o melee
G983151983151983140 M983141983149983151983154983161 handy or remembering namesand aces vital clues and mathematical ormulas
H983157983150983156983145983150983143 good when tracking and stalking look-ing good in camouflage and knowing what an angryrhinoceros sounds like
K983141983141983150 S983145983143983144983156 great or seeing a long way or evendoing stuff by moonlight
L983145983150983143983157983145983155983156983145983139983155 good or speaking one (or more)oreign languages and generally communicating withothers
M983137983143983145983139 great or knowing the mystic arts castingspells or acting like a stage magician
M983141983140983145983139983145983150983141 good or perorming operations diag-nosing illness and administering first aid
N983137983155983156983161 B983145983156983141 great or really hurting someone in
combat chewing your own arm off or winning a pieeating contestR983145983139983144 handy or buying luxury sports cars getting
invited to exclusive parties and bribing city officialsW983154983141983155983156983148983145983150983143 good or fighting unarmed combat
and pinning opponents to the ground
F1048684983137983159 D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155B983148983145983150983140 a pain when doing anything that requires
sight such as shooting navigating an unamiliar spaceor painting
B983154983137983158983141 good or charging into mortal danger act-ing oolhardy and getting into deep trouble
C983148983157983149983155983161 a problem when carrying a valuable vase
visiting an antique store or trying to cross a booby-trapped room
G983154983141983141983140983161 a pain when resisting the urge to steal lieor in some other way keep or obtain wealth
I983150-H983157983149983137983150 A983152983152983141983137983154983137983150983139983141 a hindrance when try-ing not to get noticed avoiding attention or finding apair o pants that fit just right
M983145983155983155983145983150983143 L983141983143 a problem when running climbingor perorming any other activity that involves move-ment without prosthetics or a wheel chair
O983148983140 a pain when trying to look cool climb stairsuse a computer or be positive about your health
P983151983151983154 a hindrance when wanting to buy ood orclothes or trying to get into an exclusive party
P983151983151983154 S983145983143983144983156 a pain when trying to recognizesomeone or thing driving at night or noticing visualclues
P983154983145983149983145983156983145983158983141 a problem when using mobile phonescars and door bells as well as interacting at more civi-lized social occasions
S983149983141983148983148983161 a hindrance when trying to impress peo-
ple or hiding rom wild animals or trackersW983137983150983156983141983140 a pain when trying to keep out o trou-ble or needing something rom your apartment
Y983151983157983150983143 a problem when trying to get into clubs betaken seriously by adults avoid school or see over thedash in a car
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7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 2323
NAME CONCEPT
BODY
MIND
EDGE
FLAW
DESCRIPTION
ROLL RESULT
6 Yes and
4 Yes
2 Yes but
5 No but
3 No
1 No and
A983150983143983154983161 983154983137983152983152983141983140 D983137983162983141983140
S983139983137983154983141983140 B1048684983145983150983140983141983140 I983150983146983157983154983141983140
983145983154983141983140 H983157983150983143983154983161 D983161983145983150983143
DRIVESWHAT DO YOU WANT
WHAT IS STOPPING YOU
WHAT WILL YOU DO
RELATIONSHIPS
C O N D I T I O N S
F U
P O I N T S
T H E O D D S
NOTES
G E A R
FU
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 7237
G983141983137983154Gear is the equipment gadgets and weapons that
a character will use on their adventures All charactershave the basic clothes or items that are appropriate totheir concept Gear is the important and cool stuff thata character carries
Like Descriptors a characterrsquos Gear will modiy
lsquobeat the oddsrsquo rolls Gear can be anything - guns andknives to ancy clothes credit cards a horse mobilephone or even a star ship Like Descriptors your char-acterrsquos Gear depends on character concept game set-ting and the stories you want to tell Unlike Descrip-tors Gear is always made up o an adjective and nounRusting Sword Long Rope Fast Horse Long-rangedRifle Dadrsquos Camero Heavy Armour
Your character has two items o Gear Choose twoitems or your character
Dave decides his Daredevil Explorer to have aSturdy Bull Whip since he is quite skilled with itand a Worn Leather Jacket to keep out the coldand offer a little protection rom scrapes and alls
Nina thinks about her Alien Emissary beoredeciding on some Official Documents that indi-cating her political status and some Exotic Robes designed to impress and inspire awe
E98316098313710486859831521048684983141 G983141983137983154Like the example Descriptors this list is not in any
way exhaustive It barely scratches the surace o whatyour character might possess
C983148983151983156983144983141983155 Designer Jeans Slinky Black Dress(letrsquos count ldquoblack dressrdquo as the noun) Filthy Un-derpants Worn Jacket State-o-the-art SpaceSuit Silk Smoking Jacket Beat-up Fedora allPowdered Wig
W983141983137983152983151983150983155 Rusting Sabre Heavy Axe MyFatherrsquos Service Revolver Concealed Dagger Ex- perimental Flamethrower Fake Revolver Reliable AK-47 Rubber Mallet
Transport Faithul Horse Beat-up BuickBullet-proo Limo Squeaky Clown Shoes uned-up Street Racer Girls Bicycle Unreliable Coupe
Rickety Wagon Fast Motorcycle Grandmarsquos Run-about
O983156983144983141983154 S983156983157983142983142 Huge Backpack MiniatureFlag Heavy RPG Books Faithul Hound DentedFrying Pan Water-damaged Notebook AncientSpell Book My Favourite Pet Rock
C983144983151983151983155983145983150983143 G983141983137983154Items should be ldquoiconicrdquo to your
character Tink Batmanrsquos SinisterBatsuit the Ghostbusterrsquos Unstable
Proton-packs James Bondrsquos ReliableBerretta or Zorrorsquos Flashing Blade
Each piece o Gear should add some-thing to your characterrsquos background
personality or goals It should make astatement about who the character is orwhat they do
G983141983137983154 983145983155 983141983153983157983145983152983149983141983150983156
Gear is never innate - it can bedropped lost broken and stolen A Cy-bernetic Arm is not Gear but an Ar-moured Power Glove is
D983141983155983139983154983145983138983145983150983143 G983141983137983154
When describing gear make the ad- jective tell us something useul andorinteresting about it A Long Dagger isokay a Broken Dagger is better
Like Descriptors the description o your Gear should be clear - you donrsquotwant to be guessing at the purpose ormain eature o an item
O983150983141 983137983140983146983141983139983156983145983158983141 983151983150983148983161
Te description o your gear shouldhave a single adjective - no less and nomore A Sharp Sabre is okay as is a
Magic Sword but a Sharp Magic Sabreis not allowed
S983152983141983139983145983142983145983139 983150983151983157983150983155
Choose specific descriptive nounsSabre is better than Sword BaseballCap is better than Hat You can usemore than one noun but keep the de-scription to as ew words as possible
T983137983148983147 983137983138983151983157983156 983161983151983157983154 G983141983137983154
Discuss your Gear Everyone needsto be clear on what you are describingwhat the Gear will be useul or andwhen it might be a hindrance
Gear is not innately ldquogoodrdquo or ldquobadrdquoWhat you do with it and the situations you find yoursel in will dictate whetherhaving an item is useul or not
G983151983151983140 G983141983137983154 B983137983140 G983141983137983154
You can i you want dictate thatone piece o Gear must have a ldquogoodrdquoadjective and the other a ldquobadrdquo oneYou might have a Warm Jacket and anOld Gun or a Fast Motorcycle and a
Maxed-out Credit Card
S983156983157983142983142 983156983144983137983156 983145983155983150rsquo983156 G983141983137983154
Any objects items or equipment thatare not listed as Gear are props Propshave no effect on a characterrsquos chanceo success at an action - they are merelywindow-dressing However you canswap steal and pick-up another charac-terrsquos Gear and use that
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D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983145983151983150By now you should have a good idea o who your
character is Now it is time to fill in all the other detailsTis is the bit where you describe the characterrsquos
appearance and personality their past goals riendsenemies and any other detail you think important orinteresting
Dave takes a moment to note a ew thingsabout the Daredevil Explorer
ennessee Smith is a mild-mannered proessoro history but in his spare time he travels into thewilderness in search o lost arteacts and treasureRuggedly handsome he always seems to keep hiscool no matter how much danger he is inmdashandhe tends to get into a lot o it
Ninarsquos description o the Alien Emissary is
Lumina is an important diplomat rom the planet Jupiter which is ruled by the Dread LordKang Like all her kind she has purple skin a baldhead and delicate eatures Lumina works or the Jupiter Underground attempting to overthrowDread Lord Kang
D983154983145983158983141983155Every character has a purpose - a goal they are striv-
ing to achieve It may not be world changing (thoughit can be) but it should be important to that characterAsk the ollowing questions o your character
W983144983137983156 983140983151 983161983151983157 983159983137983150983156 What is it that you desirethe thing that drives you to action
W983144983137983156 983145983155 983155983156983151983152983152983145983150983143 983161983151983157 What obstacle or adver-sary is stopping you rom getting what you want
W983144983137983156 983159983145983148983148 983161983151983157 983140983151 What is the next step to getwhat you want What are you willing to do to succeed
ennessee Smith is in search o the Idol o otan arteact he has coveted or decades His rivalGiles Fishburne is also afer the idol and always
seems to be one step ahead ennessee is desperateto succeed this time and will do almost anythingto get the idol - though he would never kill or it
Lumina seeks reedom or all the people o Jupi-ter Dread Lord Kang rules the planet with an iron fist and his agents are always on the look out orrenegades Lumina is willing to put her own lie onthe line to achieve her vision
R9831411048684983137983156983145983151983150983155983144983145983152983155Choose at least one other character that will takepart in the story and write a short statement aboutyour relationship with them Tis should be clear andadd some interesting depth to both characters back-grounds For example Old drinking buddies Datedthe same woman Fought in the war together Weretrained by the same master
Dave writes ennessee Smith and Lumina metat Harvard where Lumina was giving a presen-tation on the ancient cultures o Jupiter Nina is
happy with this adding only that both characterswere attracted to each other but Lumina is too o-cussed on her mission to have any romantic dal-liance
I983156rsquo983155 983137983148983148 983137983138983151983157983156 983154983151983148983141983152983148983137983161983145983150983143 983150983151983159
Your Description Drives and Re-lationships all help develop your char-acter and put them into the ldquoworldrdquo o
your stories and adventures Te Narra-tor might occasionally give you a bonusto dice rolls because o the inormation
you reveal here but that is by no meansrequired
Use your Drives and Relationshipsto inorm the way you roleplay yourcharacter the way they interact with theother playerrsquos characters and the worldaround them
L983151983150983143 983151983154 983155983144983151983154983156 983156983141983154983149 983143983151983137983148983155
When choosing your Drive you are ree to pick long or short term goals I you are only playing a one-off game
then it is a better idea to pick somethingthat will have an immediate impact onthe plot I you are planning a series o
games then by all means come up witha longer-term goal or your character
H983151983159 983149983137983150983161 R983141983148983137983156983145983151983150983155983144983145983152983155
wo is a good number o Relation-ships to begin with Pick two differentcharacters and decide how they knoweach other You and another player can
work together to decide on a relation-ship or you can have separate unre-lated or ldquoopposedrdquo relationships (orexample ldquoIn love withrdquoldquoRepulsed byrdquo)
D983151983150rsquo983156 983138983141 983137983150983156983137983143983151983150983145983155983156983145983139
Donrsquot create Drives or Relationshipsthat will have characters constantly ateach others throats It is okay to havecharacters that donrsquot see eye-to-eye (in
act that can be un) but donrsquot havethem hate each other You want thecharacters to unction together in orderto deeat the antagonist solve the mys-tery or complete the mission
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 9239
CHARACTER CREATION
SUMMARY
CONCEPTWho is your character What is the ldquoHigh ConceptrdquoClicheacutes and archetypes are okay
DESCRIPTORSIdentiy the our most important or interesting eatures o your characterone each or Body Mind Edge and FlawEach Descriptor should be short punchy clear innate and finite
GEARWhat cool iconic stuff does your character carryChoose two items o gear describing each with an adjective and noun(eg Sharp Sabre Fast Motorcycle)
DESCRIPTIONWhat does your character look like What is their name Where are theyrom What makes them interesting and unique
DRIVESWhat does your character want What is stopping them What will they doto get it
RELATIONSHIPSHow do the characters know each other What connections do they have
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 102310
In FU you and the other players work together totell exciting stories about your characters It is notabout winning or even competing with anyone but itis about everyone having un while you create this col-
laborative story
S983139983141983150983141983155 983078 983157983154983150983155Play is broken into scenes and turns A scene is a
period o story involving a specific situation locationor group o characters Scenes are the primary buildingblocks o the story and can represent anything rom aew seconds to many hours o time Each scene shouldhave a specific objective and the scene ends when thatobjective has been addressed A scene should advancethe plot o the story reveal inormation about a char-
acter or add background colour to the events beingdescribed Ofen a scene will do all o these things atthe same time
During a scene players and Narrator describe whatthe characters are doing Players ldquoact outrdquo their char-acters speaking or them and declaring what actionsthey take while the Narrator does the same or all theother characters creatures and monsters in the scene
Scenes might be resolved through dice rolls but theydonrsquot have to be It is entirely possible that a scenersquosobjective is met through roleplaying and character in-teraction
When it is important to know the specific actionso each character and the order in which they occura scene is broken into turns A turn is a period longenough or each character to take a single actionwhether that be to make an attack deliver a rousingspeech throw an object to a companion look up someinormation on their iPhone or perorm some othertask
Players declare what action their characters aretaking while the Narrator decides what the othercharacters and creatures are going to do Everyonethen works together to decide what order everythingoccurs When all the characters involved have had achance to act the turn ends A new turn will begin inecessary
It is worth pointing out at this point that only play-ers roll dice Tis leaves the Narratorrsquos hands and mindree to scheme and plot and prepare or the next excit-ing encounter
ACTION
W983144983151 ldquo983155983141983156983155rdquo 983156983144983141 983155983139983141983150983141 Players might suggest scenes they
would like to see or be involved in butmost o the time the Narrator decideswhat scenes occur and in what orderthey happen Discussion might occurabout the order events occur in whatis happening where it is happening andwho is involved beore the Narratormakes a final call on all these matters
Some groups like to give everyone a
turn at setting a scene and that is to-tally cool too
H983151983159 983140983151 983161983151983157 ldquo983155983141983156 983137 983155983139983141983150983141rdquo
Setting a scene is a matter o defin-ing where and when the action takes
place who is there and what has justhappened or what is about to happenLocation Characters Event or WhereWhen Who amp What
When describing the scene draw on
all the senses point out interesting orimportant details o the location andall the characters involved Consider theobjective o the scene as you create it
W983144983137983156 983145983155 983137983150 983151983138983146983141983139983156983145983158983141
An objective can be anything thata player or character wants Characterobjectives might include finding a pieceo inormation deeating an enemytalking to someone travelling a small or
great distance preparing or battle con-
ning a mark or stealing an object Play-er objectives could include seeing theircharacter in a cool fight solving themystery revealing a secret about theircharacter or interacting with a specificcharacter or player Ofen player andcharacter goals overlap
D983151 983155983139983141983150983141983155 983144983137983158983141 983156983151 983138983141 983145983150 983151983154983140983141983154
You can use all the techniques o sto-ries novels and movies which means
flashbacks and flash orwards parallel
story lines and even montages can be played out in scenes While most o thetime your scenes will occur in a chrono-logical order you do not have to be re-stricted by this
D983151 I 983144983137983158983141 983156983151 983157983155983141 983156983157983154983150983155
urns are an optional measuremento time useul or when a variety o stuffis being attempted by several charac-ters Use them to organise the action asneeded Some scenes will naturally all
into turns while others will be resolvedwithout ever considering them
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 112311
B983141983137983156983145983150983143 983156983144983141 O983140983140983155When a character attempts an action where the
outcome is not immediately andor completely obvi-ous you make a beat the odds roll
o resolve an action roll a d6 Your objective is tolsquobeat the oddsrsquo by rolling an even number Te higherthe even number the better the result I you roll an
odd number the action either ailed or wasnrsquot quite asgood as needed or expected Te lower the odd num-ber the worse the result Tere is a handy chart belowthat helps illustrate this idea
Te beat the odds roll is the heart o FU While mosto the time even numbers are good and odd numbersare bad the precise situation will dictate the actual re-sults It may be that the roll o a 1 does not indicate anoutrageous ailure so much as a success in the mostminimal or ragile o ways
We are going to ollow the trials and tribula-tions o two characters rom two different settingsin this chapter
Sir Camden is riding afer the evil Lord KaneHe sees Lord Kane leap a tall hedgerow disappear-ing into the orest beyond Sir Camden now triesto leap the hedge so you roll a d6 scoring 2 SirCamdenrsquos horse clears the hedge but Sir Camdenis jostled about in the saddle and is momentarilyconused
Captain Vance ducks as another hail o bullets peppers the wall he is hiding behind Grabbing adamaged radio he flicks some switches and triesto call HQ or back-up You roll a d6 and score a 1Vance ails to find the right requency and a straybullet hits the radio destroying it
R983151983148983148 D983151 983161983151983157 983143983141983156 983159983144983137983156 983161983151983157 983159983137983150983156983103
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 donrsquot get what you want but itrsquos not a total loss
3 No You donrsquot get what you were afer
1 No and You donrsquot get what you want and things get worse
C983148983151983155983141983140 Q983157983141983155983156983145983151983150983155
FU uses a closed question ormat tohelp resolve actions A closed questioncan only be answered with a ldquoyesrdquo orldquonordquo statement When you reach a situ-ation that needs to be resolved by dice
propose a closed question ldquoDo I leapthe chasmrdquo ldquoDo I punch that jerk inthe noserdquo ldquoDoes the tavern wench all
or my easy charm and winning smilerdquoTe roll o the die will answer the ques-tion and guide your response
A lot o the time you wonrsquot need toask the question explicitly - it will be ob-vious rom the action you attempt ldquoyoutake a run up and leap rom the edge othe chasm Rollrdquo
A983148983156983141983154983150983137983156983145983158983141 Q983157983141983155983156983145983151983150983155
You can pose different questionsi you want though you will have tochange the result chart An obviousquestion is ldquoHow well do I succeedrdquoTis might garner the ollowing results
Roll How well do you succeed
6 Legendary success
4 Complete success
2 Only just succeed
5 Fail by the smallest margin
3 Complete ailure
1 Epic ailure and then some
Feel ree to come up with your ownquestions and answers as suits theneeds o your group game and story
A983148983156983141983154983150983137983156983145983158983141 D983145983139983141 R983151983148983148983155
Some players are not ans o theevenodd results Many preer a 1-3Bad 4-6 Good result In that case theresult chart would look like this
Roll Do you get what you want
6 Yes and
5 Yes
4 Yes but
3 No but
2 No
1 No and
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 122312
S983157983139983139983141983155983155 983078 F9831379831451048684983157983154983141When you make a beat the odds roll your character
will either succeed at what they were attempting orthey wont Tis is usually enough to push your storyurther along but other things can happen too
When you attempt an action you are asking ldquoDoesmy character get what they wantrdquo Tere are six pos-
sible answers to this questionYes and
Yes
Yes but
No but
No
No and
Yes and No are pretty straight orward - they tell youwhether the action succeeded or not Te and and but are qualifiers that modiy how good the success or howbad the ailure was When you get a qualifier you makean extra statement about how the action succeeded orailed Tis extra statement can add a Condition to acharacter or a Detail to a scene
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 Tese are physical mental or socialeffects that impact on the way a character behaves orattempts actions Conditions include things like an- gry conused tired and unconscious Tere are severallisted on the FU character sheet and there is space oryou to write your own
D983141983156983137983145983148983155 Tese are eatures o an environment orscene that might change as a result o an action Detailsmight include curtains catching fire windows break-ing animals running off or machinery stalling De-tails are always closely tied to the scene and the action
E983160983137983149983152983148983141983155 983151983142 S983157983139983139983141983155983155 983078 F983137983145983148983157983154983141
Going back to an earlier exampleletrsquos see what might have happenedwhen we apply each possible answer tothe question
ldquoDoes Sir Camden leap the hedgerdquo
Yes and he catches up with LordKane Tis is a Detail that changes thescene
Yes he leaps the hedge Tere is noandbut qualifier so no Condition orDetail is added
Yes but Sir Camden is disorientedand momentarily confused Tis is aCondition applied to the character
No but he spots a gap in the hedge urther along Tis Detail gives the char-acter another way to continue the chase
No the horse shies away rom the jump Tere is no andbut qualifier sono Condition or Detail is added
No and his horse rears up throwinghim to the ground causing an injury Tis is a Condition
W983144983151 983139983144983151983151983155983141983155 C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 983078D983141983156983137983145983148983155
Anyone can suggest a Condition orDetail that they eel is appropriate tothe action taken and result achievedUsually the player that rolled the diceand the Narrator will work together tocome up with a suitably dramatic effectBut really anyone at the table shouldthrow in whatever cool idea they have
Te Narrator always has final sayover what Condition or Detail is ap-
plied to a result
W983144983141983150 983155983144983151983157983148983140 I 983157983155983141 C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155
Like all qualifiers it depends onsituation In the examples above Con-ditions are applied to the acting playerwhen things donrsquot quite go right orthem ( Yes but No and ) Te Condi-tions make lie a bit more difficult or
the character because o the minimalsuccess or outright ailure
You can also apply Conditions tothe target o an action when things are
going right or your character I youare debating with a bureaucrat and geta Yes and result you might apply theconfused Condition to the target I youattempt to outrun an enemy and get the
No but result they might catch up with
you but have the tired Condition Ap- plying Conditions in this way will likely give player characters an advantagelater in the scene
W983144983141983150 983155983144983151983157983148983140 I 983157983155983141 D983141983156983137983145983148983155
Apply Details when the action is like-ly to change the scene or environment insome way Tis might be a change in the
power dynamic o the scene (ldquo Yes he
leaps the hedge and he catches up withLord Kanerdquo) or a change in the physicalenvironment (ldquo No but he spots a gap inthe hedgerdquo)
Details are ofen applied when theacting character gains some advantage( Yes and No but ) Tey can be usedto great effect however to make situa-tions more entertaining and or dan-
gerous
ldquoDo you swing across the room on
the chandelier Yes but candles allloose and set fire to the tavernrdquo
Details can provide instant or on- going effects depending on the circum-stances A gap in the hedge can be usedimmediately to continue the chase aburning tavern will continue to be ahazard until someone puts the fire out
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 132313
M983151983140983145983142983145983141983154983155Sometimes circumstances equipment and skill will
make actions easier or harder Modifiers change thenumber o dice you get to roll when taking action
M983137983147983145983150983143 T983144983145983150983143983155 E983137983155983145983141983154 Roll an additional dieor each Descriptor piece o Gear Condition or De-tail that provides some advantage to the action being
taken Te result is the single best (not necessarilyhighest) die roll as the player chooses
In the woods Sir Camden tries to track LordKane You point out that the knight is a goodhunter so you get an extra d6 Rolling 2d6 youscore a 5 and a 4 Keeping the 4 it is decided thatafer a brie search Sir Camden finds Lord Kanersquostracks and ollows them to a sinister citadel
M983137983147983145983150983143 T983144983145983150983143983155 H983137983154983140983141983154 Roll an extra die oreach Descriptor bit o Gear Condition or Detail that
makes the action harder Te result is the single worstdie roll
Captain Vance decides to run to a near-by jeepTe Narrator points out there is no cover betweenVancersquos hiding spot and the vehicle ldquoDoes Vance get to the jeep uninjuredrdquo You roll 2d6 scoringa 3 and a 5 You must accept the 3 and CaptainVance is injured as he reaches the jeep
C983137983150983139983141983148983148983145983150983143 O983157983156 One beneficial die cancels out
one hindering die so you will never be rolling lsquonega-tiversquo and lsquopositiversquo dice at the same time
Later in his quest Sir Camden must scale asheer (-) cliff Te knight is strong (+) and hasa rope (+) Overall this means a single bonus tothe action (the sheer cliff and the knightrsquos strengthcancel each other out just leaving the rope) Youroll 2d6 scoring a 3 and 6
E983160983137983149983152983148983141 983151983142 M983151983140983145983142983145983141983154983155
Captain Vance hurtles along in the jeep when a guard tries to drag himout through the window ldquoWill Vanceshake the guard offrdquo It is hard (+) todrag Vance out the window but he iswounded (-) and surprised (-) and the
attacker is very strong (-) In total youmust roll 2 penalty dice You roll 3d6scoring a 2 4 and 3 and must take theworst result the 3 Te guard wrestlesVance out o the jeep
O983156983144983141983154 983156983161983152983141983155 983151983142 983154983151983148983148983155
FU has no such thing as lsquoopposedrollsrsquo or lsquocontested actionsrsquo lsquodamagerollsrsquo and lsquorolling to hitrsquo Te beat theodds roll is the only kind o roll usedin FU whether you are trying to drive
a car through a crowded mall armwrestle a giant or shrug off the damagecaused by a stray bullet
H983151983159 983140983151 ldquo983151983152983152983151983155983141983140rdquo 983137983139983156983145983151983150983155 983159983151983154983147
For a start only players ever rolldice You begin by actoring in all thebonuses (+) and penalties (-) that applyto your character Ten you take stocko all the actors that would apply tothe opponent and apply those into your
roll too Is the opponent weak You geta bonus die Is the opponent a worldchampion arm wrestler You actor ina penalty die And so on until every-thing is actored in When you knowhow many bonus andor penalty dice
you have roll I the result is an even
number you win the contest i the finalresult is an odd number your opponenthas the advantage
D983145983137983148983145983150983143 983145983150 983151983150 Y983151983157983154 983137983139983156983145983151983150
Sword fights political debates spaceraces international wars argumentsand gun battles are all resolved usingthe beat the odds roll Te key is to dialin or out o the action through the kindo questions you attempt to resolve Youcan fight a dramatic sword fight and ex-
change a series o blows by asking ldquoDoI hit the Count De Montierdquo But youcould also resolve the entire fight witha single roll by asking ldquoDo I deeat theCount De Montie in a duelrdquo Or takeit to the next level and ask ldquoDo my men-at-arms storm the Count De Montiersquoscastlerdquo Adjust the dial as necessary
O983152983156983145983151983150 M983137983156983139983144983145983150983143 D983145983139983141
Rolling doubles triples or quadru- ples can make a success much better ora ailure ar worse I your result die hasa match the effects will be much moredramatic You may add one ldquoandrdquostatement or each matching die I the
action is ailed this statement shouldmake the situation worse I the actionis a success the additional statement(s)should make the situation even better
For example Sir Camden aces LordKanersquos henchmen ldquoWill Sir Camden de-
eat the henchmenrdquo He is injured andoutnumbered so you will roll 2 penaltydice You roll and score 3 3 and 2 Youmust take the worst result - the double3 Normally this would be a ldquo Nordquo re-
sult but the matching 3 turns it into aldquo No andrdquo I you had rolled triple 3the result would have been ldquo No andandrdquo
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 142314
FU P983151983145983150983156983155FU Points are a resource that you spend to improve
a characterrsquos chance o success at an action Tey canbe used in two ways
B983151983150983157983155 D983145983141 Spend a FU Point beore a beat theodds roll to add a single bonus die Tis works like anyother bonus die You can add as many bonus dice as
you have FU Points but they must all be declared atthe same time
R983141-983154983151983148983148 Spend a FU Point afer a beat the oddsroll to re-roll a single die Te second result must stand- you cannot re-roll a re-roll You can re-roll as manydice as you have FU Points but you must declare themall at the same time beore the first die is re-rolled
You can spend multiple FU Points on any givenaction and or either or both effects It is completelywithin the rules to spend a FU Point to add a bonus
die beore a roll then another FU Point to re-roll a dieaferwards
Back at HQ Captain Vance tries to convinceGeneral Wallace to deploy the Rocket roops un-der his command Vance doesnrsquot have much going or him in this situation in terms o Descriptorsso you decide to spend 2 FU Points on the roll You
roll the basic die plus the two bonus dice gettinga 1 1 and 3 Not happy with this you spends yourlast FU Point on a re-roll You pick up one o the1rsquos and throw the die again
E983137983154983150983145983150983143 FU P983151983145983150983156983155 FU Points are earned duringplay or doing cool stuff and roleplaying your charac-ter Whenever you do something that stops play andmakes everyone go ldquoWowrdquo or laugh out loud at yourantics or anything else that everyone thinks should berewarded you earn a FU Point
S983156983137983154983156983145983150983143 FU P983151983145983150983156983155
Te number o FU Points you begina game with should be discussed beore
play begins Te more FU Points play-ers begin with the more easily they willachieve successes I playing games ohigh adventure or over-the-top actionit would be reasonable to begin with 2FU Points Super-powered heroes mightbegin with as many as 3 FU Points For
grittier games each player might onlybegin with 1 FU Point or even none
C983137983150 I 983143983145983158983141 983155983144983137983154983141 FU P983151983145983150983156983155
Tat is up to you and your groupTe deault is ldquonordquo but
D983151 N983137983154983154983137983156983151983154983155 983143983141983156 FU 983152983151983145983150983156983155
Usually no but they might allow a powerul villain or monster to have onetwo or three
O983156983144983141983154 983159983137983161983155 983156983151 983141983137983154983150 FU
You might like to change the way youearn FU Points You might earn them
or dealing the killing blow to monstersachieving your characterrsquos goal or roll-ing multiple 1rsquos or 6rsquos
Tis is a really good way to changethe tone or style o the game Want to
play a dungeon crawl Reward FU orkilling monsters A gritty dystopian
game Reward FU when the characters
lose out to Te Man Decide i these arethe only ways to earn FU or i they arein addition to the normal roleplayingrewards Tis decision will also have adramatic effect on the tone o play Seewhat you can do with it
O983156983144983141983154 983159983137983161983155 983156983151 983157983155983141 FU
Play around with FU Points Experi-ment or adjust the ways you use them
to suit your gaming group or the typeo story you are playing Here are somesuggestions
FU 983137983155 H983141983137983148983156983144
Rather than having a varying andchangeable number o FU points everycharacter begins with 3 Tey can bespent as normal but can also be lostwhen the character suffers physical ormental stress (injuries atigue earetc) FU in this instance can be rereshed
(brought back up to 3) by roleplayingout a (non-dice rolling) scene with an-other character that reveals somethingabout your relationship
R983141-R983151983148983148 E983158983141983154983161983156983144983145983150983143
Spend a FU point to re-roll all yourdice Tis is an all-or-nothing thing so
you canrsquot keep a couple o good resultsand roll the rest Use this variant in-stead o the normal re-roll rule
F983148983145983152 983137 P983145983152
Spend a FU Point to adjust a singledie up or down by one pip Spend mul-tiple FU points to adjust a die multiple
pips Tis option is more reliable thana re-roll as you will always be able toturn a ldquonordquo into a ldquoyesrdquo I you used thisvariant the normal re-roll rule shouldnot be used
U983155983141 983137 P983154983151983152Spend a FU point to turn a prop into
an item o Gear or the duration o thescene
S983156983157983150983156983155 983137983150983140 P983151983159983141983154983155
Give characters special abilitiesskills or powers that can only be used byspending a FU Point Tese should bemore powerul than Descriptors - makethem break the rules or give a superhu-man knack like the ability to fly or read
minds teleport or whatever
T983137983147983145983150983143 983137 H983145983156
Instead o rolling declare you areldquotaking a hitrdquo All the dice you shouldhave rolled are treated as i they rolled1rsquos (yes i you are holding 5 dice theycount as five 1rsquos) In return or your su-
ering you earn a FU Point
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 152315
ACTION
SUMMARY
SET THE SCENEWhere does the scene take place Who is there What do they want Doyou need to break down into turns
ACTRoleplay your character and describe what is going on Push toward theobjective
ASK A QUESTIONWhen you need to resolve a conflict or complete an action ask a closedquestion (eg ldquoDo I succeedrdquo)
FACTOR IN MODIFIERS+1 bonus die or every Descriptor item o Gear Detail Condition or other
eature that makes the action easier+1 penalty die or every Descriptor item o Gear Detail Condition or othereature that makes the action harder
ROLLRoll all your dice Te result is the single best die (i rolling bonus dice) orsingle worst die (i rolling penalty dice)
DESCRIBE RESULTUse the die result to describe how the conflict or action turned out Apply
Conditions or Details as necessary
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 162316
Following is some simple straightorward adviceor Narrators It is all airly generic because all the spe-cific stuff is going to relate to the genre tone and styleo game that you and your players choose to play
9831371048684983147983145983150983143 983145983155 983143983151983151983140Start your game with a conversation alk about
what players want out o the game what you want andwhere those ideas overlap Tose overlaps are likelywhere everyone is going to have the most un At the very least you should work together to establish thegenre and tone o your shared story alk about thisstuff too so that everyone is clear o the specifics (thereis a world o difference between Gothic horror andsplatter films or example)
alk during the game too Encourage players toshare ideas and give input into scenes objectives andthe challenges characters ace I you need to clariyideas themes or issues then do that
L983145983155983156983141983150983145983150983143 983145983155 983143983151983151983140I there is going to be talk there needs to be listen-
ing Listen to your players and the things they tell youeither in conversation or when they do things withtheir character Do stuff that relates to the Descriptors
written on the playerrsquos character sheets because that iswhat they think is cool
W983144983141983150 9831521048684983137983161983145983150983143When running games donrsquot plan too much ahead
o time Te dice rolls are going to direct a lot o theaction and you and the players will fill in the gaps byapplying Conditions and Details Here are some tipsto keep things moving and help you enjoy the game as
much as the players doK983141983141983152 983156983144983145983150983143983155 983155983145983149983152983148983141 Do not complicate your job
by introducing lots o sub-plots or convoluted twistsTings will get all messed about by themselves and the
story will run off on tangents that you never dreamedo
Y983151983157 983137983154983141 983150983151983156 983156983144983141 983141983150983141983149983161 this may seem obviousbut is worth stating Your role is to help guide the storyin interesting directions not to kill everyone You cangive players hints and ideas i you think this will lead toa better story Sometimes you will portray the adver-saries and are expected to do so vigorously but airlyOther times you will get to be an ally companion orpeer and once again you should be true to the spirit othe game
S983137983161 ldquoY983141983155rdquo i players make suggestions or ask ques-tions it is probably because they are interested in whatis going on Tey probably have a cool idea to introduceto the story Encourage this and confidently say ldquoyesrdquoto requests Tis doesnrsquot mean you should let playersget anything they want ndash but you should let players in-troduce elements into the story when the time is right
M983137983147983141 983154983151983148983148983155 983149983141983137983150983145983150983143983142983157983148 Every time you callor a die roll it should mean something interesting isgoing to happen NO MAER HE RESUL Donrsquot
have players make rolls i the result is not important tothe story or i ailure will stop the momentum o thestory
NARRATOR
983091 Q983157983141983155983156983145983151983150983155 983156983151 983142983154983137983149983141 983161983151983157983154 983143983137983149983141
When you begin a game talk withthe players about their expectations ryto answer the ollowing three questions
W983144983137983156 983159983145983148983148 983139983144983137983154983137983139983156983141983154983155 983140983151983103
Do players want to kick in doorskill monsters and take home piles otreasure Do they want to eel like epicheroes Or the underdogs strugglingagainst ridiculous odds
H983151983159 983140983151 983152983148983137983161983141983154983155 983159983137983150983156 983156983151 983142983141983141983148983103
Do the players want to eel like theyare changing the world Like their char-acter is gaining in wealth prestige or
power Or do they want to eel like theirbacks are against the wall and their livesconstantly at risk
W983144983137983156 983145983155 983156983144983141 N983137983154983154983137983156983151983154rsquo983155 983154983151983148983141983103
What kinds o challenges encoun-ters and situations are you going to pre-
sent the characters in order to achievethe above Do you need to ensure everychallenge is accompanied by a generousreward Are you going to make every
fight hard but air Will you be relent-less in the pursuit o the antagonistrsquos
goals
Answer these questions and every-one at the table will be clear on theirrole in the coming adventure
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 172317
R983141983139983151983158983141983154983161During games characters can suffer injuries be-
come physically or mentally stressed and be afflictedby a range o other Conditions Conditions are alwaysrecovered at a time andor rate appropriate to the sto-ry Tis is usually with the passing o time but doesnot have to be A good rule o thumb is that one or
more Conditions can be removedrecovered betweenscenes though this will depend on the timing o suchencounters
R983141983159983137983154983140983155Reward players or good roleplaying and achieving
goals by giving them FU Points You may also rewardthem or a variety o other reasons as your group de-cides (see the sidebar on page 12) FU Points can beused to improve a characters chance o success and arethereore a great immediate tangible reward You donrsquot
have to be the only one at the table offering rewardsthough All players should speak up when someonehas done something cool unny or awesome and re-ward a FU Point
H983151983159 983149983157983139983144 983144983151983159 983151983142983156983141983150 Be generous with yourrewards as the positive reinorcement o earning FUPoints will inspire them on to greater acts o heroismspectacle or depravity as the case may be Also takeinto account whether this will be a ldquoone offrdquo game ora part o an ongoing story or campaign - players arelikely to burn through FU Points aster in a singe ses-
sion game and will need their resources replenishedaster
C983144983137983154983137983139983156983141983154983155 983078 O9831389831559831569831379831391048684983141983155All the characters monsters traps villains terrain
eatures creatures and obstacles that are encounteredduring a story are defined in much the same way ascharacters You are not confined by any rules or re-strictions when creating characters or obstacles theonly thing you must do is make them entertaining andinteresting
T983144983141 B983151983159983148
One technique or rewarding FUPoints is to place a bowl o beads chitsor tokens in the centre o the table Eachbead is a FU Point Te Narrator cantell players to ldquotake one rom the bowlrdquoand other players can reach in when it isappropriate to reward a player by pass-ing a bead rom the bowl Tis requirestrust between players and Narrator butmakes the running o the game verysmooth as no-one has to stop and askldquoDoes that deserve a FU Pointrdquo
A983140983158983137983150983139983141983149983141983150983156
FU is not a game about ldquolevellinguprdquo While characters might have avariety o experiences and learn romthem the real advancement comes romthe changing story andor world
I appropriate players can changeone Descriptor between game sessionsTis alteration should relate in someway to the experiences and story theircharacter just participated in Gear canbe changed between sessions at the Nar-ratorrsquos discretion
Goals might also change rom gamesession to game session Give playerstime to consider their goals at the starto each session and let them adjust orchange them as necessary
T983154983137983139983147983145983150983143 983151983138983155983156983137983139983148983141983155
Use sticky-notes or index cards torecord details about your charactersmonsters and obstacles Write downDescriptors Gear and other ino Asthey suffer Conditions record those onthe card
Use index cards to record importantterrain eatures too Write down anyDescriptor(s) pertaining to the eature
so players can take them into accountas they plan their actions
W983144983137983156 983140983151 I 983155983144983137983154983141 983159983145983156983144 983152983148983137983161983141983154983155
Some groups play open making nosecret o the Descriptors and details ocreatures and monsters Other groups(andor Narrators) keep this inorma-tion hidden rom players Both options
provide or different styles o play
Playing an open table means eve-ryone is clear about what is going onwhat opportunities exist or cool scenesand actions Players can see what GearConditions and Descriptors are ldquoin
playrdquo and incorporate them into scenes
Keeping the details o villains trapsand other obstacles rom the playerswill push them to test their enemies ex-
plore the environment and try differentthings Tey can manoeuvre themselvesand situations in directions they thinkwill be advantageous It is always satis-
ying to be rewarded with bonus dice oraccurately guessing an enemyrsquos Descrip-tors
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 182318
ennessee Smith amed explorer has finally got a solid lead on the whereabouts o the ancientIdol o ot an object o reported supernatural power Unortunately Smithrsquos arch enemy Giles
Fishburne is also on the trail o the Idol and hasthrown his lot in with the Nazis
Tis short adventure will get you into the actionquickly It illustrates one way you might prepare yourown adventures adversaries and obstacles Use thepre-generated characters presented at the end o theadventure Race to the emple o ot consists o a serieso set-piece encounters that you can use rearrange andignore at your leisure Remember that beat the oddsrolls will lead to all kinds o interesting twists and
turns and once the characters set out on the adventureanything is possible
B983141983142983151983154983141 983161983151983157 983138983141983143983145983150Beore starting play have a quick discussion about
the tone and style o the game Te scenario is clas-sic pulp - over the top action outrageous villains andlarger than lie heroes Make sure everyone is on thesame page here - talk about what makes this genre cooland perhaps point out examples o the genre (Indiana Jones Te Mummy Te Rocketeer ) and what parts o
these you enjoyedRead the flavour text above (the stuff in italics) and
get everyone at the table to throw around some ideaso cool stuff they would like to see happen during theadventure Note it all down - when things slow or iyou get stuck or what to do next chuck one o theseideas into the mix
S983139983141983150983141983155Te scenes presented here have a description o
where the action takes place and suggest Descriptorsyou or the players might incorporate into the actionTe italics set up the action o the scene and the objec-tive Paraphrase the details or your players
C98314498313710486841048684983141983150983143983141983155Te challenges and adversaries in this adventure
are recorded in boxes with relevant Descriptors Con-ditions and Notes Tese are to guide you and do nothave to be used Your own cool ideas should alwaystrump anything written here
E983155983139983137983152983141 983156983144983141 B9831571048684983137983147 M983137983154983147983141983156S983139983141983150983141 Central Asia - a bustling market in the city
o Bulak - Midday all stone and mud-brick buildingswith narrow arched windows surround the central
market stalls and caes bars and emporiums run offin all directions along winding narrow streets
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Crowded streets Exotic goods
Te characters have just acquired a map to theemple o ot Unortunately Nazi goons have ar-rived and want the map too Tere are a lot o goons and while the characters could fight themit might be easier to flee Do the characters escape
NAZI GOONS
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Lots o goons Beey AryansNot too bright
G983141983137983154 Noisy Sub-machine guns
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 ConusedrappedSlowedOut o Action
N983151983156983141983155 Tere are a number o goon squads equal tothe number o characters
W983144983137983156 983139983137983150 983143983151 983159983154983151983150983143983103 Te characters are cap-tured Te map is lost
9831549831379831509831551048684983137983156983145983150983143 983156983144983141 M983137983152S983139983141983150983141 A dark coffee lounge cae or back roomsomewhere in the city o Bulak Te smell o strongcoffee and exotic ood permeates the room
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Private
ennessee Smith and his companions have themap but must now translate it puzzling out thestrange symbols and markings Do they translatethe map
TRANSLATING THE MAP
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Ancient glyphs Brittle paperC983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 ornRuinedSmudged
Burnt to a crisp
W983144983137983156 983139983137983150 983143983151 983159983154983151983150983143983103 Te map is damaged Techaracters misread the map Tey cannot read the mapand must get help rom an expert in ancient languages
RACE TO THE TEMPLE OF TOT
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 192319
983144983141 G983151983157 Z983151983157 G983151983154983143983141S983139983141983150983141 Te majestic Gou Zou Gorge hal a mile
deep and crossed by a single iron girder railway bridgeWide open plains lie on either side o the gorge and theKow Mountains lie in the distance
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Open plains Impassible Gorge
Te characters ollow the map to Gou ZouGorge by car or horse back Giles Fishburne is ap- proaching ast aboard the German dirigible DerVogel Do the characters cross the bridge saelyDo they keep their lead on the Germans
NAZI BIRD TRUPPEN
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Tey Fly Agile
G983141983137983154 Delicate Flying Harness DeadlyStick Grenade
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 ConusedGrounded
SlowedOut o ActionN983151983156983141983155 Tere are a number o Bird ruppen equalto the number o characters
GOU ZOU BRIDGE
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Wide but narrow
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 RicketyBlown all to hell
N983151983156983141983155 You know you must introduce an approach-ing train right
W983144983137983156 983139983137983150 983143983151 983159983154983151983150983143983103 Te bridge is destroyed
Te map is lost the characters are captured
983144983141 98314110486859831521048684983141S983139983141983150983141 An ancient temple ashioned into the side
o a mountain Grand statues o sinister looking godsand daemons line the walls Dust covers everythingTe tunnel leads deeper into the mountain
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Dark Silent
Te characters must penetrate the heart o thetemple but the map warned o nearious traps
and terrible guardians Do they get past the trapsand guardians
NEFARIOUS TRAPS
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Hidden Deadly
G983141983137983154 Poison Darts Rusting Spears
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 DisarmedSet-offRevealed
N983151983156983141983155 Challenge characters with one or two trapsell them the passage is trapped but donrsquot tell themhow or where the traps are until they are sprung
STONE STATUE GUARDIAN
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Big Heavy Slow Relentless
G983141983137983154 Heavy Stone Weapons
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 DamagedOff balanceSlowedOut o Action
N983151983156983141983155 Tere is one Statue Guardian or every two
characters Te large heavy weapons can strikemultiple characters at once
W983144983137983156 983139983137983150 983143983151 983159983154983151983150983143983103 Characters cannot getpast traps characters are injured by traps
983144983141 I9831409831511048684 C9831449831371048685983138983141983154S983139983141983150983141 A large stone chamber ingeniously lit by
mirrors reflecting sunlight Te Idol o ot - a gold-en statue o a seven-headed monkey - sits on a stoneplinth in the centre o the room
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Large bronze mirrors
Te characters enter the chamber o the idolonly to find that Giles Fishburne and his Nazi goons are here too Do they deeat Giles and es-cape with the Idol
GILES FISHBURNE
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Smart Arrogant Sword fighter
G983141983137983154 Polished Sabre
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 ConusedInjuredSlowedOut o Action
N983151983156983141983155 Giles is a greedy arrogant villain but heisnrsquot stupid I things start looking dire he will attemptto escape make a deal andor double-cross anyone inhis way He has no loyalty to the Nazis
C983144983137983154983137983139983156983141983154983155Four pre-made characters can be ound on the next
page Tey are each examples o classic pulp charac-ter archetypes Players may tweak or adjust them atthe Narratorrsquos discretion beore play starts perhapschanging a Descriptor or two or switching out an item
o Gear Beore starting the game each player shoulddefine one or two relationships describing how thecharacters know each other A quick and easy way todo this is or everyone to describe how they know thecharacter to their lef
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
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TENNESSEE SMITH DAREDEVIL EXPLORER
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Nimble Level Headed Use BullWhip Araid o Heights
G983141983137983154 Bull Whip Worn Leather Jacket
D983154983145983158983141983155 Find the Idol o ot
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 AngryScaredired
rapped
Blinded
HungryDazedInjuredDying
ennessee Smith is a mild-mannered proes-sor o history but in his spare time he travelsinto the wilderness in search o lost arteacts andtreasure Ruggedly handsome he always seemsto keep his cool no matter how much danger heis inmdashand he tends to get into a lot o it
R983141983148983137983156983145983151983150983155983144983145983152983155
N983151983156983141983155
HARVEY REED RETIRED BOXER
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Strong Tinks-on-his-Feet BoxerUgly as Sin
G983141983137983154 Roll o quarters Poor fitting suitD983154983145983158983141983155 Look out or ennessee Smith
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 AngryScarediredrappedBlindedHungryDazedInjuredDying
Harvey Reed is a recently retired championboxer Finding the sedentary lie a little too bor-ing he has joined his old riend ennessee insearch o adventure
R983141983148983137983156983145983151983150983155983144983145983152983155
N983151983156983141983155
JIMMY SWEET PLUCKY KID
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Quick Smart-aleckUnderestimated Young
G983141983137983154 Noisy Firecrackers Dirty BaseballCap
D983154983145983158983141983155 See the 7 wonders o the world
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155
Angry
Scared
iredrappedBlindedHungryDazedInjuredDying
Jimmy Sweet is a happy-go-lucky kid who hasnever had anyone to rely on but himsel He iswiry tough and quick with a cheeky attitudethat requently gets him into trouble Jimmystowed away on a tramp steamer with the inten-tion o seeing the world and making his ortune
R983141983148983137983156983145983151983150983155983144983145983152983155
N983151983156983141983155
OCTOBER JONES GIRL REPORTER
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Beautiul Witty Good MemoryCurious
G983141983137983154 rusty Camera Tick Notebook D983154983145983158983141983155 Get the scoop on the real ennes-
see Smith
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 AngryScarediredrappedBlindedHungryDazedInjuredDying
October Jones is a reporter and adventurerafforded a great deal o reedom by her atherrsquosimmense wealth Beautiul intelligent and spoiltshe is a woman used to getting what she wants
R983141983148983137983156983145983151983150983155983144983145983152983155
N983151983156983141983155
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 212321
Tis list is by no means exhaustive but itrsquos a goodplace to start Each entry lists the kinds o things aDescriptor might be an advantage or hindrance orwhich makes it a handy reerence or both players and
Narrators
B983151983140983161 D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155A983143983145983148983141 helpul when dancing leaping doing gym-
nastics crawling through tight spaces and balancingA983149983138983145983140983141983160983156983154983151983157983155 great when shooting two guns at
the same time or doing slight-o-hand magic tricksB983148983151983150983140983141 good or getting people to underestimate
you not good i you spend too much time in the sunF983137983147983141 O983154983137983150983143983141 T983137983150 great or passing as an aging
celebrity and or drawing attention to yoursel
F983157983154983154983161 useul or resisting cold weather and livingin the woods
H983137983150983140983155983151983149983141 useul or flirting selling stuff gettingroles on V modelling and being popular
H983157983143983141 good or looking menacing reaching highplaces acting like a body builder or getting stuck insmall spaces
O983158983141983154983159983141983145983143983144983156 a problem when exercising andborrowing clothes
P983151983151983154 C983151983150983155983156983145983156983157983156983145983151983150 a hindrance when long dis-
tance running resisting damage perorming eats oendurance and healingQ983157983145983139983147 handy or ducking to and rom places
slight-o-hand dodging and other actions that requirespeed o action
R983137983162983151983154-983155983144983137983154983152 C983148983137983159983155 great or slicing up en-emies cutting vegetables and maybe climbing trees
S983144983151983154983156 a pain or reaching the top shel but use-ul or crawling under low objects and getting lost ina crowd
S983148983151983159 a problem when running dodging and re-
acting to thingsS983156983154983151983150983143 useul or lifing carrying smashing
and throwing things Wrestling and avoiding beingcrushed might also be aided
T983137983148983148 good or reaching the top shel climbingand seeing over other peoplersquos heads
T983144983145983150 handy or squeezing into places and clotheshiding behind poles and perorming on the catwalk
U983143983148983161 a problem when trying to seduce someoneor get a role on V
V983145983143983151983157983154 great or resisting poison long distancerunning and other eats o endurance
Weak a pain when lifing carrying smashing andthrowing stuff
W983141983138983138983141983140 F983141983141983156 great or swimming but terriblewhen buying shoes
M983145983150983140 D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155A983138983155983141983150983156-M983145983150983140983141983140 good or being distracted but a
problem when remembering where you lef the keysor that you just pulled the pin rom a hand grenade
B983151983151983147-S983149983137983154983156 great when doing exams knowingmath ormulas remembering dates in history andgenerally getting into Law at Harvard
C983151983149983152983157983156983141983154-W983145983162 good or programming fixing
your laptop and getting into PC vs Apple flame-warsD983145983149-W983145983156983156983141983140 a problem when listening to jokes
recognizing a trick or generally keeping up appear-ances in social settings
E983149983152983137983156983144983141983156983145983139 good or reading peoples emotionsdoing psychological evaluations and knowing how tocomort distressed people
F983151983139983157983155983141983140 good or staying on task not getting dis-tracted and looking serious
L983137983156983141983154983137983148 T983144983145983150983147983141983154 handy or problem solving
and approaching issues in new or unusual waysM983137983156983144983141983149983137983156983145983139983145983137983150 great or doing sums solvingequations and doing your tax
O983138983155983141983154983158983137983150983156 great or spotting hidden clues no-ticing details doing find-a-words and reading bodylanguage
O983154983137983156983151983154 good or public speaking debating andgetting people to see your point o view
S983148983151983159 a pain when trying to understand plans orlearn new things
T983137983139983156983145983139983145983137983150 great or planning battles remember-
ing military history and quoting sun suU983150983141983140983157983139983137983156983141983140 a pain when reading doing math
remembering important dates in history and doingany school-type tests
W983145983155983141 handy or sprouting proverbs giving adviceputting unrelated clues together interpreting peoplersquosreactions and saying lsquoI told you sorsquo
W983145983156983156983161 good or making unny comments beingcharming and or entertaining and always knowingthe right thing to say
APPENDIX - DESCRIPTORS
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 222322
E983140983143983141 D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155A983139983154983151983138983137983156983145983139983155 great or joining the circus leaping
through narrow gaps and doing impressive flipsA983154983139983137983150983141 K983150983151983159983148983141983140983143983141 good or identiying mys-
tic arteacts recognizing the presence o evil magicand reading ancient scrolls
C983151983157983154983137983143983141 handy when seeing something scary
telling your wie you orgot your anniversary and at-tempting other dangerous acts
D983154983145983158983145983150983143 great or car racing car chases and pass-ing your driving exam
F983141983150983139983145983150983143 good or sword fighting and other civi-lized orms o melee
G983151983151983140 M983141983149983151983154983161 handy or remembering namesand aces vital clues and mathematical ormulas
H983157983150983156983145983150983143 good when tracking and stalking look-ing good in camouflage and knowing what an angryrhinoceros sounds like
K983141983141983150 S983145983143983144983156 great or seeing a long way or evendoing stuff by moonlight
L983145983150983143983157983145983155983156983145983139983155 good or speaking one (or more)oreign languages and generally communicating withothers
M983137983143983145983139 great or knowing the mystic arts castingspells or acting like a stage magician
M983141983140983145983139983145983150983141 good or perorming operations diag-nosing illness and administering first aid
N983137983155983156983161 B983145983156983141 great or really hurting someone in
combat chewing your own arm off or winning a pieeating contestR983145983139983144 handy or buying luxury sports cars getting
invited to exclusive parties and bribing city officialsW983154983141983155983156983148983145983150983143 good or fighting unarmed combat
and pinning opponents to the ground
F1048684983137983159 D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155B983148983145983150983140 a pain when doing anything that requires
sight such as shooting navigating an unamiliar spaceor painting
B983154983137983158983141 good or charging into mortal danger act-ing oolhardy and getting into deep trouble
C983148983157983149983155983161 a problem when carrying a valuable vase
visiting an antique store or trying to cross a booby-trapped room
G983154983141983141983140983161 a pain when resisting the urge to steal lieor in some other way keep or obtain wealth
I983150-H983157983149983137983150 A983152983152983141983137983154983137983150983139983141 a hindrance when try-ing not to get noticed avoiding attention or finding apair o pants that fit just right
M983145983155983155983145983150983143 L983141983143 a problem when running climbingor perorming any other activity that involves move-ment without prosthetics or a wheel chair
O983148983140 a pain when trying to look cool climb stairsuse a computer or be positive about your health
P983151983151983154 a hindrance when wanting to buy ood orclothes or trying to get into an exclusive party
P983151983151983154 S983145983143983144983156 a pain when trying to recognizesomeone or thing driving at night or noticing visualclues
P983154983145983149983145983156983145983158983141 a problem when using mobile phonescars and door bells as well as interacting at more civi-lized social occasions
S983149983141983148983148983161 a hindrance when trying to impress peo-
ple or hiding rom wild animals or trackersW983137983150983156983141983140 a pain when trying to keep out o trou-ble or needing something rom your apartment
Y983151983157983150983143 a problem when trying to get into clubs betaken seriously by adults avoid school or see over thedash in a car
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 2323
NAME CONCEPT
BODY
MIND
EDGE
FLAW
DESCRIPTION
ROLL RESULT
6 Yes and
4 Yes
2 Yes but
5 No but
3 No
1 No and
A983150983143983154983161 983154983137983152983152983141983140 D983137983162983141983140
S983139983137983154983141983140 B1048684983145983150983140983141983140 I983150983146983157983154983141983140
983145983154983141983140 H983157983150983143983154983161 D983161983145983150983143
DRIVESWHAT DO YOU WANT
WHAT IS STOPPING YOU
WHAT WILL YOU DO
RELATIONSHIPS
C O N D I T I O N S
F U
P O I N T S
T H E O D D S
NOTES
G E A R
FU
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 8238
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983145983151983150By now you should have a good idea o who your
character is Now it is time to fill in all the other detailsTis is the bit where you describe the characterrsquos
appearance and personality their past goals riendsenemies and any other detail you think important orinteresting
Dave takes a moment to note a ew thingsabout the Daredevil Explorer
ennessee Smith is a mild-mannered proessoro history but in his spare time he travels into thewilderness in search o lost arteacts and treasureRuggedly handsome he always seems to keep hiscool no matter how much danger he is inmdashandhe tends to get into a lot o it
Ninarsquos description o the Alien Emissary is
Lumina is an important diplomat rom the planet Jupiter which is ruled by the Dread LordKang Like all her kind she has purple skin a baldhead and delicate eatures Lumina works or the Jupiter Underground attempting to overthrowDread Lord Kang
D983154983145983158983141983155Every character has a purpose - a goal they are striv-
ing to achieve It may not be world changing (thoughit can be) but it should be important to that characterAsk the ollowing questions o your character
W983144983137983156 983140983151 983161983151983157 983159983137983150983156 What is it that you desirethe thing that drives you to action
W983144983137983156 983145983155 983155983156983151983152983152983145983150983143 983161983151983157 What obstacle or adver-sary is stopping you rom getting what you want
W983144983137983156 983159983145983148983148 983161983151983157 983140983151 What is the next step to getwhat you want What are you willing to do to succeed
ennessee Smith is in search o the Idol o otan arteact he has coveted or decades His rivalGiles Fishburne is also afer the idol and always
seems to be one step ahead ennessee is desperateto succeed this time and will do almost anythingto get the idol - though he would never kill or it
Lumina seeks reedom or all the people o Jupi-ter Dread Lord Kang rules the planet with an iron fist and his agents are always on the look out orrenegades Lumina is willing to put her own lie onthe line to achieve her vision
R9831411048684983137983156983145983151983150983155983144983145983152983155Choose at least one other character that will takepart in the story and write a short statement aboutyour relationship with them Tis should be clear andadd some interesting depth to both characters back-grounds For example Old drinking buddies Datedthe same woman Fought in the war together Weretrained by the same master
Dave writes ennessee Smith and Lumina metat Harvard where Lumina was giving a presen-tation on the ancient cultures o Jupiter Nina is
happy with this adding only that both characterswere attracted to each other but Lumina is too o-cussed on her mission to have any romantic dal-liance
I983156rsquo983155 983137983148983148 983137983138983151983157983156 983154983151983148983141983152983148983137983161983145983150983143 983150983151983159
Your Description Drives and Re-lationships all help develop your char-acter and put them into the ldquoworldrdquo o
your stories and adventures Te Narra-tor might occasionally give you a bonusto dice rolls because o the inormation
you reveal here but that is by no meansrequired
Use your Drives and Relationshipsto inorm the way you roleplay yourcharacter the way they interact with theother playerrsquos characters and the worldaround them
L983151983150983143 983151983154 983155983144983151983154983156 983156983141983154983149 983143983151983137983148983155
When choosing your Drive you are ree to pick long or short term goals I you are only playing a one-off game
then it is a better idea to pick somethingthat will have an immediate impact onthe plot I you are planning a series o
games then by all means come up witha longer-term goal or your character
H983151983159 983149983137983150983161 R983141983148983137983156983145983151983150983155983144983145983152983155
wo is a good number o Relation-ships to begin with Pick two differentcharacters and decide how they knoweach other You and another player can
work together to decide on a relation-ship or you can have separate unre-lated or ldquoopposedrdquo relationships (orexample ldquoIn love withrdquoldquoRepulsed byrdquo)
D983151983150rsquo983156 983138983141 983137983150983156983137983143983151983150983145983155983156983145983139
Donrsquot create Drives or Relationshipsthat will have characters constantly ateach others throats It is okay to havecharacters that donrsquot see eye-to-eye (in
act that can be un) but donrsquot havethem hate each other You want thecharacters to unction together in orderto deeat the antagonist solve the mys-tery or complete the mission
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 9239
CHARACTER CREATION
SUMMARY
CONCEPTWho is your character What is the ldquoHigh ConceptrdquoClicheacutes and archetypes are okay
DESCRIPTORSIdentiy the our most important or interesting eatures o your characterone each or Body Mind Edge and FlawEach Descriptor should be short punchy clear innate and finite
GEARWhat cool iconic stuff does your character carryChoose two items o gear describing each with an adjective and noun(eg Sharp Sabre Fast Motorcycle)
DESCRIPTIONWhat does your character look like What is their name Where are theyrom What makes them interesting and unique
DRIVESWhat does your character want What is stopping them What will they doto get it
RELATIONSHIPSHow do the characters know each other What connections do they have
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 102310
In FU you and the other players work together totell exciting stories about your characters It is notabout winning or even competing with anyone but itis about everyone having un while you create this col-
laborative story
S983139983141983150983141983155 983078 983157983154983150983155Play is broken into scenes and turns A scene is a
period o story involving a specific situation locationor group o characters Scenes are the primary buildingblocks o the story and can represent anything rom aew seconds to many hours o time Each scene shouldhave a specific objective and the scene ends when thatobjective has been addressed A scene should advancethe plot o the story reveal inormation about a char-
acter or add background colour to the events beingdescribed Ofen a scene will do all o these things atthe same time
During a scene players and Narrator describe whatthe characters are doing Players ldquoact outrdquo their char-acters speaking or them and declaring what actionsthey take while the Narrator does the same or all theother characters creatures and monsters in the scene
Scenes might be resolved through dice rolls but theydonrsquot have to be It is entirely possible that a scenersquosobjective is met through roleplaying and character in-teraction
When it is important to know the specific actionso each character and the order in which they occura scene is broken into turns A turn is a period longenough or each character to take a single actionwhether that be to make an attack deliver a rousingspeech throw an object to a companion look up someinormation on their iPhone or perorm some othertask
Players declare what action their characters aretaking while the Narrator decides what the othercharacters and creatures are going to do Everyonethen works together to decide what order everythingoccurs When all the characters involved have had achance to act the turn ends A new turn will begin inecessary
It is worth pointing out at this point that only play-ers roll dice Tis leaves the Narratorrsquos hands and mindree to scheme and plot and prepare or the next excit-ing encounter
ACTION
W983144983151 ldquo983155983141983156983155rdquo 983156983144983141 983155983139983141983150983141 Players might suggest scenes they
would like to see or be involved in butmost o the time the Narrator decideswhat scenes occur and in what orderthey happen Discussion might occurabout the order events occur in whatis happening where it is happening andwho is involved beore the Narratormakes a final call on all these matters
Some groups like to give everyone a
turn at setting a scene and that is to-tally cool too
H983151983159 983140983151 983161983151983157 ldquo983155983141983156 983137 983155983139983141983150983141rdquo
Setting a scene is a matter o defin-ing where and when the action takes
place who is there and what has justhappened or what is about to happenLocation Characters Event or WhereWhen Who amp What
When describing the scene draw on
all the senses point out interesting orimportant details o the location andall the characters involved Consider theobjective o the scene as you create it
W983144983137983156 983145983155 983137983150 983151983138983146983141983139983156983145983158983141
An objective can be anything thata player or character wants Characterobjectives might include finding a pieceo inormation deeating an enemytalking to someone travelling a small or
great distance preparing or battle con-
ning a mark or stealing an object Play-er objectives could include seeing theircharacter in a cool fight solving themystery revealing a secret about theircharacter or interacting with a specificcharacter or player Ofen player andcharacter goals overlap
D983151 983155983139983141983150983141983155 983144983137983158983141 983156983151 983138983141 983145983150 983151983154983140983141983154
You can use all the techniques o sto-ries novels and movies which means
flashbacks and flash orwards parallel
story lines and even montages can be played out in scenes While most o thetime your scenes will occur in a chrono-logical order you do not have to be re-stricted by this
D983151 I 983144983137983158983141 983156983151 983157983155983141 983156983157983154983150983155
urns are an optional measuremento time useul or when a variety o stuffis being attempted by several charac-ters Use them to organise the action asneeded Some scenes will naturally all
into turns while others will be resolvedwithout ever considering them
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 112311
B983141983137983156983145983150983143 983156983144983141 O983140983140983155When a character attempts an action where the
outcome is not immediately andor completely obvi-ous you make a beat the odds roll
o resolve an action roll a d6 Your objective is tolsquobeat the oddsrsquo by rolling an even number Te higherthe even number the better the result I you roll an
odd number the action either ailed or wasnrsquot quite asgood as needed or expected Te lower the odd num-ber the worse the result Tere is a handy chart belowthat helps illustrate this idea
Te beat the odds roll is the heart o FU While mosto the time even numbers are good and odd numbersare bad the precise situation will dictate the actual re-sults It may be that the roll o a 1 does not indicate anoutrageous ailure so much as a success in the mostminimal or ragile o ways
We are going to ollow the trials and tribula-tions o two characters rom two different settingsin this chapter
Sir Camden is riding afer the evil Lord KaneHe sees Lord Kane leap a tall hedgerow disappear-ing into the orest beyond Sir Camden now triesto leap the hedge so you roll a d6 scoring 2 SirCamdenrsquos horse clears the hedge but Sir Camdenis jostled about in the saddle and is momentarilyconused
Captain Vance ducks as another hail o bullets peppers the wall he is hiding behind Grabbing adamaged radio he flicks some switches and triesto call HQ or back-up You roll a d6 and score a 1Vance ails to find the right requency and a straybullet hits the radio destroying it
R983151983148983148 D983151 983161983151983157 983143983141983156 983159983144983137983156 983161983151983157 983159983137983150983156983103
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 donrsquot get what you want but itrsquos not a total loss
3 No You donrsquot get what you were afer
1 No and You donrsquot get what you want and things get worse
C983148983151983155983141983140 Q983157983141983155983156983145983151983150983155
FU uses a closed question ormat tohelp resolve actions A closed questioncan only be answered with a ldquoyesrdquo orldquonordquo statement When you reach a situ-ation that needs to be resolved by dice
propose a closed question ldquoDo I leapthe chasmrdquo ldquoDo I punch that jerk inthe noserdquo ldquoDoes the tavern wench all
or my easy charm and winning smilerdquoTe roll o the die will answer the ques-tion and guide your response
A lot o the time you wonrsquot need toask the question explicitly - it will be ob-vious rom the action you attempt ldquoyoutake a run up and leap rom the edge othe chasm Rollrdquo
A983148983156983141983154983150983137983156983145983158983141 Q983157983141983155983156983145983151983150983155
You can pose different questionsi you want though you will have tochange the result chart An obviousquestion is ldquoHow well do I succeedrdquoTis might garner the ollowing results
Roll How well do you succeed
6 Legendary success
4 Complete success
2 Only just succeed
5 Fail by the smallest margin
3 Complete ailure
1 Epic ailure and then some
Feel ree to come up with your ownquestions and answers as suits theneeds o your group game and story
A983148983156983141983154983150983137983156983145983158983141 D983145983139983141 R983151983148983148983155
Some players are not ans o theevenodd results Many preer a 1-3Bad 4-6 Good result In that case theresult chart would look like this
Roll Do you get what you want
6 Yes and
5 Yes
4 Yes but
3 No but
2 No
1 No and
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 122312
S983157983139983139983141983155983155 983078 F9831379831451048684983157983154983141When you make a beat the odds roll your character
will either succeed at what they were attempting orthey wont Tis is usually enough to push your storyurther along but other things can happen too
When you attempt an action you are asking ldquoDoesmy character get what they wantrdquo Tere are six pos-
sible answers to this questionYes and
Yes
Yes but
No but
No
No and
Yes and No are pretty straight orward - they tell youwhether the action succeeded or not Te and and but are qualifiers that modiy how good the success or howbad the ailure was When you get a qualifier you makean extra statement about how the action succeeded orailed Tis extra statement can add a Condition to acharacter or a Detail to a scene
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 Tese are physical mental or socialeffects that impact on the way a character behaves orattempts actions Conditions include things like an- gry conused tired and unconscious Tere are severallisted on the FU character sheet and there is space oryou to write your own
D983141983156983137983145983148983155 Tese are eatures o an environment orscene that might change as a result o an action Detailsmight include curtains catching fire windows break-ing animals running off or machinery stalling De-tails are always closely tied to the scene and the action
E983160983137983149983152983148983141983155 983151983142 S983157983139983139983141983155983155 983078 F983137983145983148983157983154983141
Going back to an earlier exampleletrsquos see what might have happenedwhen we apply each possible answer tothe question
ldquoDoes Sir Camden leap the hedgerdquo
Yes and he catches up with LordKane Tis is a Detail that changes thescene
Yes he leaps the hedge Tere is noandbut qualifier so no Condition orDetail is added
Yes but Sir Camden is disorientedand momentarily confused Tis is aCondition applied to the character
No but he spots a gap in the hedge urther along Tis Detail gives the char-acter another way to continue the chase
No the horse shies away rom the jump Tere is no andbut qualifier sono Condition or Detail is added
No and his horse rears up throwinghim to the ground causing an injury Tis is a Condition
W983144983151 983139983144983151983151983155983141983155 C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 983078D983141983156983137983145983148983155
Anyone can suggest a Condition orDetail that they eel is appropriate tothe action taken and result achievedUsually the player that rolled the diceand the Narrator will work together tocome up with a suitably dramatic effectBut really anyone at the table shouldthrow in whatever cool idea they have
Te Narrator always has final sayover what Condition or Detail is ap-
plied to a result
W983144983141983150 983155983144983151983157983148983140 I 983157983155983141 C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155
Like all qualifiers it depends onsituation In the examples above Con-ditions are applied to the acting playerwhen things donrsquot quite go right orthem ( Yes but No and ) Te Condi-tions make lie a bit more difficult or
the character because o the minimalsuccess or outright ailure
You can also apply Conditions tothe target o an action when things are
going right or your character I youare debating with a bureaucrat and geta Yes and result you might apply theconfused Condition to the target I youattempt to outrun an enemy and get the
No but result they might catch up with
you but have the tired Condition Ap- plying Conditions in this way will likely give player characters an advantagelater in the scene
W983144983141983150 983155983144983151983157983148983140 I 983157983155983141 D983141983156983137983145983148983155
Apply Details when the action is like-ly to change the scene or environment insome way Tis might be a change in the
power dynamic o the scene (ldquo Yes he
leaps the hedge and he catches up withLord Kanerdquo) or a change in the physicalenvironment (ldquo No but he spots a gap inthe hedgerdquo)
Details are ofen applied when theacting character gains some advantage( Yes and No but ) Tey can be usedto great effect however to make situa-tions more entertaining and or dan-
gerous
ldquoDo you swing across the room on
the chandelier Yes but candles allloose and set fire to the tavernrdquo
Details can provide instant or on- going effects depending on the circum-stances A gap in the hedge can be usedimmediately to continue the chase aburning tavern will continue to be ahazard until someone puts the fire out
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 132313
M983151983140983145983142983145983141983154983155Sometimes circumstances equipment and skill will
make actions easier or harder Modifiers change thenumber o dice you get to roll when taking action
M983137983147983145983150983143 T983144983145983150983143983155 E983137983155983145983141983154 Roll an additional dieor each Descriptor piece o Gear Condition or De-tail that provides some advantage to the action being
taken Te result is the single best (not necessarilyhighest) die roll as the player chooses
In the woods Sir Camden tries to track LordKane You point out that the knight is a goodhunter so you get an extra d6 Rolling 2d6 youscore a 5 and a 4 Keeping the 4 it is decided thatafer a brie search Sir Camden finds Lord Kanersquostracks and ollows them to a sinister citadel
M983137983147983145983150983143 T983144983145983150983143983155 H983137983154983140983141983154 Roll an extra die oreach Descriptor bit o Gear Condition or Detail that
makes the action harder Te result is the single worstdie roll
Captain Vance decides to run to a near-by jeepTe Narrator points out there is no cover betweenVancersquos hiding spot and the vehicle ldquoDoes Vance get to the jeep uninjuredrdquo You roll 2d6 scoringa 3 and a 5 You must accept the 3 and CaptainVance is injured as he reaches the jeep
C983137983150983139983141983148983148983145983150983143 O983157983156 One beneficial die cancels out
one hindering die so you will never be rolling lsquonega-tiversquo and lsquopositiversquo dice at the same time
Later in his quest Sir Camden must scale asheer (-) cliff Te knight is strong (+) and hasa rope (+) Overall this means a single bonus tothe action (the sheer cliff and the knightrsquos strengthcancel each other out just leaving the rope) Youroll 2d6 scoring a 3 and 6
E983160983137983149983152983148983141 983151983142 M983151983140983145983142983145983141983154983155
Captain Vance hurtles along in the jeep when a guard tries to drag himout through the window ldquoWill Vanceshake the guard offrdquo It is hard (+) todrag Vance out the window but he iswounded (-) and surprised (-) and the
attacker is very strong (-) In total youmust roll 2 penalty dice You roll 3d6scoring a 2 4 and 3 and must take theworst result the 3 Te guard wrestlesVance out o the jeep
O983156983144983141983154 983156983161983152983141983155 983151983142 983154983151983148983148983155
FU has no such thing as lsquoopposedrollsrsquo or lsquocontested actionsrsquo lsquodamagerollsrsquo and lsquorolling to hitrsquo Te beat theodds roll is the only kind o roll usedin FU whether you are trying to drive
a car through a crowded mall armwrestle a giant or shrug off the damagecaused by a stray bullet
H983151983159 983140983151 ldquo983151983152983152983151983155983141983140rdquo 983137983139983156983145983151983150983155 983159983151983154983147
For a start only players ever rolldice You begin by actoring in all thebonuses (+) and penalties (-) that applyto your character Ten you take stocko all the actors that would apply tothe opponent and apply those into your
roll too Is the opponent weak You geta bonus die Is the opponent a worldchampion arm wrestler You actor ina penalty die And so on until every-thing is actored in When you knowhow many bonus andor penalty dice
you have roll I the result is an even
number you win the contest i the finalresult is an odd number your opponenthas the advantage
D983145983137983148983145983150983143 983145983150 983151983150 Y983151983157983154 983137983139983156983145983151983150
Sword fights political debates spaceraces international wars argumentsand gun battles are all resolved usingthe beat the odds roll Te key is to dialin or out o the action through the kindo questions you attempt to resolve Youcan fight a dramatic sword fight and ex-
change a series o blows by asking ldquoDoI hit the Count De Montierdquo But youcould also resolve the entire fight witha single roll by asking ldquoDo I deeat theCount De Montie in a duelrdquo Or takeit to the next level and ask ldquoDo my men-at-arms storm the Count De Montiersquoscastlerdquo Adjust the dial as necessary
O983152983156983145983151983150 M983137983156983139983144983145983150983143 D983145983139983141
Rolling doubles triples or quadru- ples can make a success much better ora ailure ar worse I your result die hasa match the effects will be much moredramatic You may add one ldquoandrdquostatement or each matching die I the
action is ailed this statement shouldmake the situation worse I the actionis a success the additional statement(s)should make the situation even better
For example Sir Camden aces LordKanersquos henchmen ldquoWill Sir Camden de-
eat the henchmenrdquo He is injured andoutnumbered so you will roll 2 penaltydice You roll and score 3 3 and 2 Youmust take the worst result - the double3 Normally this would be a ldquo Nordquo re-
sult but the matching 3 turns it into aldquo No andrdquo I you had rolled triple 3the result would have been ldquo No andandrdquo
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 142314
FU P983151983145983150983156983155FU Points are a resource that you spend to improve
a characterrsquos chance o success at an action Tey canbe used in two ways
B983151983150983157983155 D983145983141 Spend a FU Point beore a beat theodds roll to add a single bonus die Tis works like anyother bonus die You can add as many bonus dice as
you have FU Points but they must all be declared atthe same time
R983141-983154983151983148983148 Spend a FU Point afer a beat the oddsroll to re-roll a single die Te second result must stand- you cannot re-roll a re-roll You can re-roll as manydice as you have FU Points but you must declare themall at the same time beore the first die is re-rolled
You can spend multiple FU Points on any givenaction and or either or both effects It is completelywithin the rules to spend a FU Point to add a bonus
die beore a roll then another FU Point to re-roll a dieaferwards
Back at HQ Captain Vance tries to convinceGeneral Wallace to deploy the Rocket roops un-der his command Vance doesnrsquot have much going or him in this situation in terms o Descriptorsso you decide to spend 2 FU Points on the roll You
roll the basic die plus the two bonus dice gettinga 1 1 and 3 Not happy with this you spends yourlast FU Point on a re-roll You pick up one o the1rsquos and throw the die again
E983137983154983150983145983150983143 FU P983151983145983150983156983155 FU Points are earned duringplay or doing cool stuff and roleplaying your charac-ter Whenever you do something that stops play andmakes everyone go ldquoWowrdquo or laugh out loud at yourantics or anything else that everyone thinks should berewarded you earn a FU Point
S983156983137983154983156983145983150983143 FU P983151983145983150983156983155
Te number o FU Points you begina game with should be discussed beore
play begins Te more FU Points play-ers begin with the more easily they willachieve successes I playing games ohigh adventure or over-the-top actionit would be reasonable to begin with 2FU Points Super-powered heroes mightbegin with as many as 3 FU Points For
grittier games each player might onlybegin with 1 FU Point or even none
C983137983150 I 983143983145983158983141 983155983144983137983154983141 FU P983151983145983150983156983155
Tat is up to you and your groupTe deault is ldquonordquo but
D983151 N983137983154983154983137983156983151983154983155 983143983141983156 FU 983152983151983145983150983156983155
Usually no but they might allow a powerul villain or monster to have onetwo or three
O983156983144983141983154 983159983137983161983155 983156983151 983141983137983154983150 FU
You might like to change the way youearn FU Points You might earn them
or dealing the killing blow to monstersachieving your characterrsquos goal or roll-ing multiple 1rsquos or 6rsquos
Tis is a really good way to changethe tone or style o the game Want to
play a dungeon crawl Reward FU orkilling monsters A gritty dystopian
game Reward FU when the characters
lose out to Te Man Decide i these arethe only ways to earn FU or i they arein addition to the normal roleplayingrewards Tis decision will also have adramatic effect on the tone o play Seewhat you can do with it
O983156983144983141983154 983159983137983161983155 983156983151 983157983155983141 FU
Play around with FU Points Experi-ment or adjust the ways you use them
to suit your gaming group or the typeo story you are playing Here are somesuggestions
FU 983137983155 H983141983137983148983156983144
Rather than having a varying andchangeable number o FU points everycharacter begins with 3 Tey can bespent as normal but can also be lostwhen the character suffers physical ormental stress (injuries atigue earetc) FU in this instance can be rereshed
(brought back up to 3) by roleplayingout a (non-dice rolling) scene with an-other character that reveals somethingabout your relationship
R983141-R983151983148983148 E983158983141983154983161983156983144983145983150983143
Spend a FU point to re-roll all yourdice Tis is an all-or-nothing thing so
you canrsquot keep a couple o good resultsand roll the rest Use this variant in-stead o the normal re-roll rule
F983148983145983152 983137 P983145983152
Spend a FU Point to adjust a singledie up or down by one pip Spend mul-tiple FU points to adjust a die multiple
pips Tis option is more reliable thana re-roll as you will always be able toturn a ldquonordquo into a ldquoyesrdquo I you used thisvariant the normal re-roll rule shouldnot be used
U983155983141 983137 P983154983151983152Spend a FU point to turn a prop into
an item o Gear or the duration o thescene
S983156983157983150983156983155 983137983150983140 P983151983159983141983154983155
Give characters special abilitiesskills or powers that can only be used byspending a FU Point Tese should bemore powerul than Descriptors - makethem break the rules or give a superhu-man knack like the ability to fly or read
minds teleport or whatever
T983137983147983145983150983143 983137 H983145983156
Instead o rolling declare you areldquotaking a hitrdquo All the dice you shouldhave rolled are treated as i they rolled1rsquos (yes i you are holding 5 dice theycount as five 1rsquos) In return or your su-
ering you earn a FU Point
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 152315
ACTION
SUMMARY
SET THE SCENEWhere does the scene take place Who is there What do they want Doyou need to break down into turns
ACTRoleplay your character and describe what is going on Push toward theobjective
ASK A QUESTIONWhen you need to resolve a conflict or complete an action ask a closedquestion (eg ldquoDo I succeedrdquo)
FACTOR IN MODIFIERS+1 bonus die or every Descriptor item o Gear Detail Condition or other
eature that makes the action easier+1 penalty die or every Descriptor item o Gear Detail Condition or othereature that makes the action harder
ROLLRoll all your dice Te result is the single best die (i rolling bonus dice) orsingle worst die (i rolling penalty dice)
DESCRIBE RESULTUse the die result to describe how the conflict or action turned out Apply
Conditions or Details as necessary
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 162316
Following is some simple straightorward adviceor Narrators It is all airly generic because all the spe-cific stuff is going to relate to the genre tone and styleo game that you and your players choose to play
9831371048684983147983145983150983143 983145983155 983143983151983151983140Start your game with a conversation alk about
what players want out o the game what you want andwhere those ideas overlap Tose overlaps are likelywhere everyone is going to have the most un At the very least you should work together to establish thegenre and tone o your shared story alk about thisstuff too so that everyone is clear o the specifics (thereis a world o difference between Gothic horror andsplatter films or example)
alk during the game too Encourage players toshare ideas and give input into scenes objectives andthe challenges characters ace I you need to clariyideas themes or issues then do that
L983145983155983156983141983150983145983150983143 983145983155 983143983151983151983140I there is going to be talk there needs to be listen-
ing Listen to your players and the things they tell youeither in conversation or when they do things withtheir character Do stuff that relates to the Descriptors
written on the playerrsquos character sheets because that iswhat they think is cool
W983144983141983150 9831521048684983137983161983145983150983143When running games donrsquot plan too much ahead
o time Te dice rolls are going to direct a lot o theaction and you and the players will fill in the gaps byapplying Conditions and Details Here are some tipsto keep things moving and help you enjoy the game as
much as the players doK983141983141983152 983156983144983145983150983143983155 983155983145983149983152983148983141 Do not complicate your job
by introducing lots o sub-plots or convoluted twistsTings will get all messed about by themselves and the
story will run off on tangents that you never dreamedo
Y983151983157 983137983154983141 983150983151983156 983156983144983141 983141983150983141983149983161 this may seem obviousbut is worth stating Your role is to help guide the storyin interesting directions not to kill everyone You cangive players hints and ideas i you think this will lead toa better story Sometimes you will portray the adver-saries and are expected to do so vigorously but airlyOther times you will get to be an ally companion orpeer and once again you should be true to the spirit othe game
S983137983161 ldquoY983141983155rdquo i players make suggestions or ask ques-tions it is probably because they are interested in whatis going on Tey probably have a cool idea to introduceto the story Encourage this and confidently say ldquoyesrdquoto requests Tis doesnrsquot mean you should let playersget anything they want ndash but you should let players in-troduce elements into the story when the time is right
M983137983147983141 983154983151983148983148983155 983149983141983137983150983145983150983143983142983157983148 Every time you callor a die roll it should mean something interesting isgoing to happen NO MAER HE RESUL Donrsquot
have players make rolls i the result is not important tothe story or i ailure will stop the momentum o thestory
NARRATOR
983091 Q983157983141983155983156983145983151983150983155 983156983151 983142983154983137983149983141 983161983151983157983154 983143983137983149983141
When you begin a game talk withthe players about their expectations ryto answer the ollowing three questions
W983144983137983156 983159983145983148983148 983139983144983137983154983137983139983156983141983154983155 983140983151983103
Do players want to kick in doorskill monsters and take home piles otreasure Do they want to eel like epicheroes Or the underdogs strugglingagainst ridiculous odds
H983151983159 983140983151 983152983148983137983161983141983154983155 983159983137983150983156 983156983151 983142983141983141983148983103
Do the players want to eel like theyare changing the world Like their char-acter is gaining in wealth prestige or
power Or do they want to eel like theirbacks are against the wall and their livesconstantly at risk
W983144983137983156 983145983155 983156983144983141 N983137983154983154983137983156983151983154rsquo983155 983154983151983148983141983103
What kinds o challenges encoun-ters and situations are you going to pre-
sent the characters in order to achievethe above Do you need to ensure everychallenge is accompanied by a generousreward Are you going to make every
fight hard but air Will you be relent-less in the pursuit o the antagonistrsquos
goals
Answer these questions and every-one at the table will be clear on theirrole in the coming adventure
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 172317
R983141983139983151983158983141983154983161During games characters can suffer injuries be-
come physically or mentally stressed and be afflictedby a range o other Conditions Conditions are alwaysrecovered at a time andor rate appropriate to the sto-ry Tis is usually with the passing o time but doesnot have to be A good rule o thumb is that one or
more Conditions can be removedrecovered betweenscenes though this will depend on the timing o suchencounters
R983141983159983137983154983140983155Reward players or good roleplaying and achieving
goals by giving them FU Points You may also rewardthem or a variety o other reasons as your group de-cides (see the sidebar on page 12) FU Points can beused to improve a characters chance o success and arethereore a great immediate tangible reward You donrsquot
have to be the only one at the table offering rewardsthough All players should speak up when someonehas done something cool unny or awesome and re-ward a FU Point
H983151983159 983149983157983139983144 983144983151983159 983151983142983156983141983150 Be generous with yourrewards as the positive reinorcement o earning FUPoints will inspire them on to greater acts o heroismspectacle or depravity as the case may be Also takeinto account whether this will be a ldquoone offrdquo game ora part o an ongoing story or campaign - players arelikely to burn through FU Points aster in a singe ses-
sion game and will need their resources replenishedaster
C983144983137983154983137983139983156983141983154983155 983078 O9831389831559831569831379831391048684983141983155All the characters monsters traps villains terrain
eatures creatures and obstacles that are encounteredduring a story are defined in much the same way ascharacters You are not confined by any rules or re-strictions when creating characters or obstacles theonly thing you must do is make them entertaining andinteresting
T983144983141 B983151983159983148
One technique or rewarding FUPoints is to place a bowl o beads chitsor tokens in the centre o the table Eachbead is a FU Point Te Narrator cantell players to ldquotake one rom the bowlrdquoand other players can reach in when it isappropriate to reward a player by pass-ing a bead rom the bowl Tis requirestrust between players and Narrator butmakes the running o the game verysmooth as no-one has to stop and askldquoDoes that deserve a FU Pointrdquo
A983140983158983137983150983139983141983149983141983150983156
FU is not a game about ldquolevellinguprdquo While characters might have avariety o experiences and learn romthem the real advancement comes romthe changing story andor world
I appropriate players can changeone Descriptor between game sessionsTis alteration should relate in someway to the experiences and story theircharacter just participated in Gear canbe changed between sessions at the Nar-ratorrsquos discretion
Goals might also change rom gamesession to game session Give playerstime to consider their goals at the starto each session and let them adjust orchange them as necessary
T983154983137983139983147983145983150983143 983151983138983155983156983137983139983148983141983155
Use sticky-notes or index cards torecord details about your charactersmonsters and obstacles Write downDescriptors Gear and other ino Asthey suffer Conditions record those onthe card
Use index cards to record importantterrain eatures too Write down anyDescriptor(s) pertaining to the eature
so players can take them into accountas they plan their actions
W983144983137983156 983140983151 I 983155983144983137983154983141 983159983145983156983144 983152983148983137983161983141983154983155
Some groups play open making nosecret o the Descriptors and details ocreatures and monsters Other groups(andor Narrators) keep this inorma-tion hidden rom players Both options
provide or different styles o play
Playing an open table means eve-ryone is clear about what is going onwhat opportunities exist or cool scenesand actions Players can see what GearConditions and Descriptors are ldquoin
playrdquo and incorporate them into scenes
Keeping the details o villains trapsand other obstacles rom the playerswill push them to test their enemies ex-
plore the environment and try differentthings Tey can manoeuvre themselvesand situations in directions they thinkwill be advantageous It is always satis-
ying to be rewarded with bonus dice oraccurately guessing an enemyrsquos Descrip-tors
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 182318
ennessee Smith amed explorer has finally got a solid lead on the whereabouts o the ancientIdol o ot an object o reported supernatural power Unortunately Smithrsquos arch enemy Giles
Fishburne is also on the trail o the Idol and hasthrown his lot in with the Nazis
Tis short adventure will get you into the actionquickly It illustrates one way you might prepare yourown adventures adversaries and obstacles Use thepre-generated characters presented at the end o theadventure Race to the emple o ot consists o a serieso set-piece encounters that you can use rearrange andignore at your leisure Remember that beat the oddsrolls will lead to all kinds o interesting twists and
turns and once the characters set out on the adventureanything is possible
B983141983142983151983154983141 983161983151983157 983138983141983143983145983150Beore starting play have a quick discussion about
the tone and style o the game Te scenario is clas-sic pulp - over the top action outrageous villains andlarger than lie heroes Make sure everyone is on thesame page here - talk about what makes this genre cooland perhaps point out examples o the genre (Indiana Jones Te Mummy Te Rocketeer ) and what parts o
these you enjoyedRead the flavour text above (the stuff in italics) and
get everyone at the table to throw around some ideaso cool stuff they would like to see happen during theadventure Note it all down - when things slow or iyou get stuck or what to do next chuck one o theseideas into the mix
S983139983141983150983141983155Te scenes presented here have a description o
where the action takes place and suggest Descriptorsyou or the players might incorporate into the actionTe italics set up the action o the scene and the objec-tive Paraphrase the details or your players
C98314498313710486841048684983141983150983143983141983155Te challenges and adversaries in this adventure
are recorded in boxes with relevant Descriptors Con-ditions and Notes Tese are to guide you and do nothave to be used Your own cool ideas should alwaystrump anything written here
E983155983139983137983152983141 983156983144983141 B9831571048684983137983147 M983137983154983147983141983156S983139983141983150983141 Central Asia - a bustling market in the city
o Bulak - Midday all stone and mud-brick buildingswith narrow arched windows surround the central
market stalls and caes bars and emporiums run offin all directions along winding narrow streets
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Crowded streets Exotic goods
Te characters have just acquired a map to theemple o ot Unortunately Nazi goons have ar-rived and want the map too Tere are a lot o goons and while the characters could fight themit might be easier to flee Do the characters escape
NAZI GOONS
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Lots o goons Beey AryansNot too bright
G983141983137983154 Noisy Sub-machine guns
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 ConusedrappedSlowedOut o Action
N983151983156983141983155 Tere are a number o goon squads equal tothe number o characters
W983144983137983156 983139983137983150 983143983151 983159983154983151983150983143983103 Te characters are cap-tured Te map is lost
9831549831379831509831551048684983137983156983145983150983143 983156983144983141 M983137983152S983139983141983150983141 A dark coffee lounge cae or back roomsomewhere in the city o Bulak Te smell o strongcoffee and exotic ood permeates the room
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Private
ennessee Smith and his companions have themap but must now translate it puzzling out thestrange symbols and markings Do they translatethe map
TRANSLATING THE MAP
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Ancient glyphs Brittle paperC983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 ornRuinedSmudged
Burnt to a crisp
W983144983137983156 983139983137983150 983143983151 983159983154983151983150983143983103 Te map is damaged Techaracters misread the map Tey cannot read the mapand must get help rom an expert in ancient languages
RACE TO THE TEMPLE OF TOT
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 192319
983144983141 G983151983157 Z983151983157 G983151983154983143983141S983139983141983150983141 Te majestic Gou Zou Gorge hal a mile
deep and crossed by a single iron girder railway bridgeWide open plains lie on either side o the gorge and theKow Mountains lie in the distance
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Open plains Impassible Gorge
Te characters ollow the map to Gou ZouGorge by car or horse back Giles Fishburne is ap- proaching ast aboard the German dirigible DerVogel Do the characters cross the bridge saelyDo they keep their lead on the Germans
NAZI BIRD TRUPPEN
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Tey Fly Agile
G983141983137983154 Delicate Flying Harness DeadlyStick Grenade
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 ConusedGrounded
SlowedOut o ActionN983151983156983141983155 Tere are a number o Bird ruppen equalto the number o characters
GOU ZOU BRIDGE
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Wide but narrow
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 RicketyBlown all to hell
N983151983156983141983155 You know you must introduce an approach-ing train right
W983144983137983156 983139983137983150 983143983151 983159983154983151983150983143983103 Te bridge is destroyed
Te map is lost the characters are captured
983144983141 98314110486859831521048684983141S983139983141983150983141 An ancient temple ashioned into the side
o a mountain Grand statues o sinister looking godsand daemons line the walls Dust covers everythingTe tunnel leads deeper into the mountain
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Dark Silent
Te characters must penetrate the heart o thetemple but the map warned o nearious traps
and terrible guardians Do they get past the trapsand guardians
NEFARIOUS TRAPS
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Hidden Deadly
G983141983137983154 Poison Darts Rusting Spears
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 DisarmedSet-offRevealed
N983151983156983141983155 Challenge characters with one or two trapsell them the passage is trapped but donrsquot tell themhow or where the traps are until they are sprung
STONE STATUE GUARDIAN
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Big Heavy Slow Relentless
G983141983137983154 Heavy Stone Weapons
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 DamagedOff balanceSlowedOut o Action
N983151983156983141983155 Tere is one Statue Guardian or every two
characters Te large heavy weapons can strikemultiple characters at once
W983144983137983156 983139983137983150 983143983151 983159983154983151983150983143983103 Characters cannot getpast traps characters are injured by traps
983144983141 I9831409831511048684 C9831449831371048685983138983141983154S983139983141983150983141 A large stone chamber ingeniously lit by
mirrors reflecting sunlight Te Idol o ot - a gold-en statue o a seven-headed monkey - sits on a stoneplinth in the centre o the room
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Large bronze mirrors
Te characters enter the chamber o the idolonly to find that Giles Fishburne and his Nazi goons are here too Do they deeat Giles and es-cape with the Idol
GILES FISHBURNE
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Smart Arrogant Sword fighter
G983141983137983154 Polished Sabre
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 ConusedInjuredSlowedOut o Action
N983151983156983141983155 Giles is a greedy arrogant villain but heisnrsquot stupid I things start looking dire he will attemptto escape make a deal andor double-cross anyone inhis way He has no loyalty to the Nazis
C983144983137983154983137983139983156983141983154983155Four pre-made characters can be ound on the next
page Tey are each examples o classic pulp charac-ter archetypes Players may tweak or adjust them atthe Narratorrsquos discretion beore play starts perhapschanging a Descriptor or two or switching out an item
o Gear Beore starting the game each player shoulddefine one or two relationships describing how thecharacters know each other A quick and easy way todo this is or everyone to describe how they know thecharacter to their lef
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 202320
TENNESSEE SMITH DAREDEVIL EXPLORER
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Nimble Level Headed Use BullWhip Araid o Heights
G983141983137983154 Bull Whip Worn Leather Jacket
D983154983145983158983141983155 Find the Idol o ot
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 AngryScaredired
rapped
Blinded
HungryDazedInjuredDying
ennessee Smith is a mild-mannered proes-sor o history but in his spare time he travelsinto the wilderness in search o lost arteacts andtreasure Ruggedly handsome he always seemsto keep his cool no matter how much danger heis inmdashand he tends to get into a lot o it
R983141983148983137983156983145983151983150983155983144983145983152983155
N983151983156983141983155
HARVEY REED RETIRED BOXER
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Strong Tinks-on-his-Feet BoxerUgly as Sin
G983141983137983154 Roll o quarters Poor fitting suitD983154983145983158983141983155 Look out or ennessee Smith
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 AngryScarediredrappedBlindedHungryDazedInjuredDying
Harvey Reed is a recently retired championboxer Finding the sedentary lie a little too bor-ing he has joined his old riend ennessee insearch o adventure
R983141983148983137983156983145983151983150983155983144983145983152983155
N983151983156983141983155
JIMMY SWEET PLUCKY KID
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Quick Smart-aleckUnderestimated Young
G983141983137983154 Noisy Firecrackers Dirty BaseballCap
D983154983145983158983141983155 See the 7 wonders o the world
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155
Angry
Scared
iredrappedBlindedHungryDazedInjuredDying
Jimmy Sweet is a happy-go-lucky kid who hasnever had anyone to rely on but himsel He iswiry tough and quick with a cheeky attitudethat requently gets him into trouble Jimmystowed away on a tramp steamer with the inten-tion o seeing the world and making his ortune
R983141983148983137983156983145983151983150983155983144983145983152983155
N983151983156983141983155
OCTOBER JONES GIRL REPORTER
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Beautiul Witty Good MemoryCurious
G983141983137983154 rusty Camera Tick Notebook D983154983145983158983141983155 Get the scoop on the real ennes-
see Smith
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 AngryScarediredrappedBlindedHungryDazedInjuredDying
October Jones is a reporter and adventurerafforded a great deal o reedom by her atherrsquosimmense wealth Beautiul intelligent and spoiltshe is a woman used to getting what she wants
R983141983148983137983156983145983151983150983155983144983145983152983155
N983151983156983141983155
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 212321
Tis list is by no means exhaustive but itrsquos a goodplace to start Each entry lists the kinds o things aDescriptor might be an advantage or hindrance orwhich makes it a handy reerence or both players and
Narrators
B983151983140983161 D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155A983143983145983148983141 helpul when dancing leaping doing gym-
nastics crawling through tight spaces and balancingA983149983138983145983140983141983160983156983154983151983157983155 great when shooting two guns at
the same time or doing slight-o-hand magic tricksB983148983151983150983140983141 good or getting people to underestimate
you not good i you spend too much time in the sunF983137983147983141 O983154983137983150983143983141 T983137983150 great or passing as an aging
celebrity and or drawing attention to yoursel
F983157983154983154983161 useul or resisting cold weather and livingin the woods
H983137983150983140983155983151983149983141 useul or flirting selling stuff gettingroles on V modelling and being popular
H983157983143983141 good or looking menacing reaching highplaces acting like a body builder or getting stuck insmall spaces
O983158983141983154983159983141983145983143983144983156 a problem when exercising andborrowing clothes
P983151983151983154 C983151983150983155983156983145983156983157983156983145983151983150 a hindrance when long dis-
tance running resisting damage perorming eats oendurance and healingQ983157983145983139983147 handy or ducking to and rom places
slight-o-hand dodging and other actions that requirespeed o action
R983137983162983151983154-983155983144983137983154983152 C983148983137983159983155 great or slicing up en-emies cutting vegetables and maybe climbing trees
S983144983151983154983156 a pain or reaching the top shel but use-ul or crawling under low objects and getting lost ina crowd
S983148983151983159 a problem when running dodging and re-
acting to thingsS983156983154983151983150983143 useul or lifing carrying smashing
and throwing things Wrestling and avoiding beingcrushed might also be aided
T983137983148983148 good or reaching the top shel climbingand seeing over other peoplersquos heads
T983144983145983150 handy or squeezing into places and clotheshiding behind poles and perorming on the catwalk
U983143983148983161 a problem when trying to seduce someoneor get a role on V
V983145983143983151983157983154 great or resisting poison long distancerunning and other eats o endurance
Weak a pain when lifing carrying smashing andthrowing stuff
W983141983138983138983141983140 F983141983141983156 great or swimming but terriblewhen buying shoes
M983145983150983140 D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155A983138983155983141983150983156-M983145983150983140983141983140 good or being distracted but a
problem when remembering where you lef the keysor that you just pulled the pin rom a hand grenade
B983151983151983147-S983149983137983154983156 great when doing exams knowingmath ormulas remembering dates in history andgenerally getting into Law at Harvard
C983151983149983152983157983156983141983154-W983145983162 good or programming fixing
your laptop and getting into PC vs Apple flame-warsD983145983149-W983145983156983156983141983140 a problem when listening to jokes
recognizing a trick or generally keeping up appear-ances in social settings
E983149983152983137983156983144983141983156983145983139 good or reading peoples emotionsdoing psychological evaluations and knowing how tocomort distressed people
F983151983139983157983155983141983140 good or staying on task not getting dis-tracted and looking serious
L983137983156983141983154983137983148 T983144983145983150983147983141983154 handy or problem solving
and approaching issues in new or unusual waysM983137983156983144983141983149983137983156983145983139983145983137983150 great or doing sums solvingequations and doing your tax
O983138983155983141983154983158983137983150983156 great or spotting hidden clues no-ticing details doing find-a-words and reading bodylanguage
O983154983137983156983151983154 good or public speaking debating andgetting people to see your point o view
S983148983151983159 a pain when trying to understand plans orlearn new things
T983137983139983156983145983139983145983137983150 great or planning battles remember-
ing military history and quoting sun suU983150983141983140983157983139983137983156983141983140 a pain when reading doing math
remembering important dates in history and doingany school-type tests
W983145983155983141 handy or sprouting proverbs giving adviceputting unrelated clues together interpreting peoplersquosreactions and saying lsquoI told you sorsquo
W983145983156983156983161 good or making unny comments beingcharming and or entertaining and always knowingthe right thing to say
APPENDIX - DESCRIPTORS
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 222322
E983140983143983141 D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155A983139983154983151983138983137983156983145983139983155 great or joining the circus leaping
through narrow gaps and doing impressive flipsA983154983139983137983150983141 K983150983151983159983148983141983140983143983141 good or identiying mys-
tic arteacts recognizing the presence o evil magicand reading ancient scrolls
C983151983157983154983137983143983141 handy when seeing something scary
telling your wie you orgot your anniversary and at-tempting other dangerous acts
D983154983145983158983145983150983143 great or car racing car chases and pass-ing your driving exam
F983141983150983139983145983150983143 good or sword fighting and other civi-lized orms o melee
G983151983151983140 M983141983149983151983154983161 handy or remembering namesand aces vital clues and mathematical ormulas
H983157983150983156983145983150983143 good when tracking and stalking look-ing good in camouflage and knowing what an angryrhinoceros sounds like
K983141983141983150 S983145983143983144983156 great or seeing a long way or evendoing stuff by moonlight
L983145983150983143983157983145983155983156983145983139983155 good or speaking one (or more)oreign languages and generally communicating withothers
M983137983143983145983139 great or knowing the mystic arts castingspells or acting like a stage magician
M983141983140983145983139983145983150983141 good or perorming operations diag-nosing illness and administering first aid
N983137983155983156983161 B983145983156983141 great or really hurting someone in
combat chewing your own arm off or winning a pieeating contestR983145983139983144 handy or buying luxury sports cars getting
invited to exclusive parties and bribing city officialsW983154983141983155983156983148983145983150983143 good or fighting unarmed combat
and pinning opponents to the ground
F1048684983137983159 D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155B983148983145983150983140 a pain when doing anything that requires
sight such as shooting navigating an unamiliar spaceor painting
B983154983137983158983141 good or charging into mortal danger act-ing oolhardy and getting into deep trouble
C983148983157983149983155983161 a problem when carrying a valuable vase
visiting an antique store or trying to cross a booby-trapped room
G983154983141983141983140983161 a pain when resisting the urge to steal lieor in some other way keep or obtain wealth
I983150-H983157983149983137983150 A983152983152983141983137983154983137983150983139983141 a hindrance when try-ing not to get noticed avoiding attention or finding apair o pants that fit just right
M983145983155983155983145983150983143 L983141983143 a problem when running climbingor perorming any other activity that involves move-ment without prosthetics or a wheel chair
O983148983140 a pain when trying to look cool climb stairsuse a computer or be positive about your health
P983151983151983154 a hindrance when wanting to buy ood orclothes or trying to get into an exclusive party
P983151983151983154 S983145983143983144983156 a pain when trying to recognizesomeone or thing driving at night or noticing visualclues
P983154983145983149983145983156983145983158983141 a problem when using mobile phonescars and door bells as well as interacting at more civi-lized social occasions
S983149983141983148983148983161 a hindrance when trying to impress peo-
ple or hiding rom wild animals or trackersW983137983150983156983141983140 a pain when trying to keep out o trou-ble or needing something rom your apartment
Y983151983157983150983143 a problem when trying to get into clubs betaken seriously by adults avoid school or see over thedash in a car
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 2323
NAME CONCEPT
BODY
MIND
EDGE
FLAW
DESCRIPTION
ROLL RESULT
6 Yes and
4 Yes
2 Yes but
5 No but
3 No
1 No and
A983150983143983154983161 983154983137983152983152983141983140 D983137983162983141983140
S983139983137983154983141983140 B1048684983145983150983140983141983140 I983150983146983157983154983141983140
983145983154983141983140 H983157983150983143983154983161 D983161983145983150983143
DRIVESWHAT DO YOU WANT
WHAT IS STOPPING YOU
WHAT WILL YOU DO
RELATIONSHIPS
C O N D I T I O N S
F U
P O I N T S
T H E O D D S
NOTES
G E A R
FU
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 9239
CHARACTER CREATION
SUMMARY
CONCEPTWho is your character What is the ldquoHigh ConceptrdquoClicheacutes and archetypes are okay
DESCRIPTORSIdentiy the our most important or interesting eatures o your characterone each or Body Mind Edge and FlawEach Descriptor should be short punchy clear innate and finite
GEARWhat cool iconic stuff does your character carryChoose two items o gear describing each with an adjective and noun(eg Sharp Sabre Fast Motorcycle)
DESCRIPTIONWhat does your character look like What is their name Where are theyrom What makes them interesting and unique
DRIVESWhat does your character want What is stopping them What will they doto get it
RELATIONSHIPSHow do the characters know each other What connections do they have
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 102310
In FU you and the other players work together totell exciting stories about your characters It is notabout winning or even competing with anyone but itis about everyone having un while you create this col-
laborative story
S983139983141983150983141983155 983078 983157983154983150983155Play is broken into scenes and turns A scene is a
period o story involving a specific situation locationor group o characters Scenes are the primary buildingblocks o the story and can represent anything rom aew seconds to many hours o time Each scene shouldhave a specific objective and the scene ends when thatobjective has been addressed A scene should advancethe plot o the story reveal inormation about a char-
acter or add background colour to the events beingdescribed Ofen a scene will do all o these things atthe same time
During a scene players and Narrator describe whatthe characters are doing Players ldquoact outrdquo their char-acters speaking or them and declaring what actionsthey take while the Narrator does the same or all theother characters creatures and monsters in the scene
Scenes might be resolved through dice rolls but theydonrsquot have to be It is entirely possible that a scenersquosobjective is met through roleplaying and character in-teraction
When it is important to know the specific actionso each character and the order in which they occura scene is broken into turns A turn is a period longenough or each character to take a single actionwhether that be to make an attack deliver a rousingspeech throw an object to a companion look up someinormation on their iPhone or perorm some othertask
Players declare what action their characters aretaking while the Narrator decides what the othercharacters and creatures are going to do Everyonethen works together to decide what order everythingoccurs When all the characters involved have had achance to act the turn ends A new turn will begin inecessary
It is worth pointing out at this point that only play-ers roll dice Tis leaves the Narratorrsquos hands and mindree to scheme and plot and prepare or the next excit-ing encounter
ACTION
W983144983151 ldquo983155983141983156983155rdquo 983156983144983141 983155983139983141983150983141 Players might suggest scenes they
would like to see or be involved in butmost o the time the Narrator decideswhat scenes occur and in what orderthey happen Discussion might occurabout the order events occur in whatis happening where it is happening andwho is involved beore the Narratormakes a final call on all these matters
Some groups like to give everyone a
turn at setting a scene and that is to-tally cool too
H983151983159 983140983151 983161983151983157 ldquo983155983141983156 983137 983155983139983141983150983141rdquo
Setting a scene is a matter o defin-ing where and when the action takes
place who is there and what has justhappened or what is about to happenLocation Characters Event or WhereWhen Who amp What
When describing the scene draw on
all the senses point out interesting orimportant details o the location andall the characters involved Consider theobjective o the scene as you create it
W983144983137983156 983145983155 983137983150 983151983138983146983141983139983156983145983158983141
An objective can be anything thata player or character wants Characterobjectives might include finding a pieceo inormation deeating an enemytalking to someone travelling a small or
great distance preparing or battle con-
ning a mark or stealing an object Play-er objectives could include seeing theircharacter in a cool fight solving themystery revealing a secret about theircharacter or interacting with a specificcharacter or player Ofen player andcharacter goals overlap
D983151 983155983139983141983150983141983155 983144983137983158983141 983156983151 983138983141 983145983150 983151983154983140983141983154
You can use all the techniques o sto-ries novels and movies which means
flashbacks and flash orwards parallel
story lines and even montages can be played out in scenes While most o thetime your scenes will occur in a chrono-logical order you do not have to be re-stricted by this
D983151 I 983144983137983158983141 983156983151 983157983155983141 983156983157983154983150983155
urns are an optional measuremento time useul or when a variety o stuffis being attempted by several charac-ters Use them to organise the action asneeded Some scenes will naturally all
into turns while others will be resolvedwithout ever considering them
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 112311
B983141983137983156983145983150983143 983156983144983141 O983140983140983155When a character attempts an action where the
outcome is not immediately andor completely obvi-ous you make a beat the odds roll
o resolve an action roll a d6 Your objective is tolsquobeat the oddsrsquo by rolling an even number Te higherthe even number the better the result I you roll an
odd number the action either ailed or wasnrsquot quite asgood as needed or expected Te lower the odd num-ber the worse the result Tere is a handy chart belowthat helps illustrate this idea
Te beat the odds roll is the heart o FU While mosto the time even numbers are good and odd numbersare bad the precise situation will dictate the actual re-sults It may be that the roll o a 1 does not indicate anoutrageous ailure so much as a success in the mostminimal or ragile o ways
We are going to ollow the trials and tribula-tions o two characters rom two different settingsin this chapter
Sir Camden is riding afer the evil Lord KaneHe sees Lord Kane leap a tall hedgerow disappear-ing into the orest beyond Sir Camden now triesto leap the hedge so you roll a d6 scoring 2 SirCamdenrsquos horse clears the hedge but Sir Camdenis jostled about in the saddle and is momentarilyconused
Captain Vance ducks as another hail o bullets peppers the wall he is hiding behind Grabbing adamaged radio he flicks some switches and triesto call HQ or back-up You roll a d6 and score a 1Vance ails to find the right requency and a straybullet hits the radio destroying it
R983151983148983148 D983151 983161983151983157 983143983141983156 983159983144983137983156 983161983151983157 983159983137983150983156983103
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 donrsquot get what you want but itrsquos not a total loss
3 No You donrsquot get what you were afer
1 No and You donrsquot get what you want and things get worse
C983148983151983155983141983140 Q983157983141983155983156983145983151983150983155
FU uses a closed question ormat tohelp resolve actions A closed questioncan only be answered with a ldquoyesrdquo orldquonordquo statement When you reach a situ-ation that needs to be resolved by dice
propose a closed question ldquoDo I leapthe chasmrdquo ldquoDo I punch that jerk inthe noserdquo ldquoDoes the tavern wench all
or my easy charm and winning smilerdquoTe roll o the die will answer the ques-tion and guide your response
A lot o the time you wonrsquot need toask the question explicitly - it will be ob-vious rom the action you attempt ldquoyoutake a run up and leap rom the edge othe chasm Rollrdquo
A983148983156983141983154983150983137983156983145983158983141 Q983157983141983155983156983145983151983150983155
You can pose different questionsi you want though you will have tochange the result chart An obviousquestion is ldquoHow well do I succeedrdquoTis might garner the ollowing results
Roll How well do you succeed
6 Legendary success
4 Complete success
2 Only just succeed
5 Fail by the smallest margin
3 Complete ailure
1 Epic ailure and then some
Feel ree to come up with your ownquestions and answers as suits theneeds o your group game and story
A983148983156983141983154983150983137983156983145983158983141 D983145983139983141 R983151983148983148983155
Some players are not ans o theevenodd results Many preer a 1-3Bad 4-6 Good result In that case theresult chart would look like this
Roll Do you get what you want
6 Yes and
5 Yes
4 Yes but
3 No but
2 No
1 No and
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 122312
S983157983139983139983141983155983155 983078 F9831379831451048684983157983154983141When you make a beat the odds roll your character
will either succeed at what they were attempting orthey wont Tis is usually enough to push your storyurther along but other things can happen too
When you attempt an action you are asking ldquoDoesmy character get what they wantrdquo Tere are six pos-
sible answers to this questionYes and
Yes
Yes but
No but
No
No and
Yes and No are pretty straight orward - they tell youwhether the action succeeded or not Te and and but are qualifiers that modiy how good the success or howbad the ailure was When you get a qualifier you makean extra statement about how the action succeeded orailed Tis extra statement can add a Condition to acharacter or a Detail to a scene
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 Tese are physical mental or socialeffects that impact on the way a character behaves orattempts actions Conditions include things like an- gry conused tired and unconscious Tere are severallisted on the FU character sheet and there is space oryou to write your own
D983141983156983137983145983148983155 Tese are eatures o an environment orscene that might change as a result o an action Detailsmight include curtains catching fire windows break-ing animals running off or machinery stalling De-tails are always closely tied to the scene and the action
E983160983137983149983152983148983141983155 983151983142 S983157983139983139983141983155983155 983078 F983137983145983148983157983154983141
Going back to an earlier exampleletrsquos see what might have happenedwhen we apply each possible answer tothe question
ldquoDoes Sir Camden leap the hedgerdquo
Yes and he catches up with LordKane Tis is a Detail that changes thescene
Yes he leaps the hedge Tere is noandbut qualifier so no Condition orDetail is added
Yes but Sir Camden is disorientedand momentarily confused Tis is aCondition applied to the character
No but he spots a gap in the hedge urther along Tis Detail gives the char-acter another way to continue the chase
No the horse shies away rom the jump Tere is no andbut qualifier sono Condition or Detail is added
No and his horse rears up throwinghim to the ground causing an injury Tis is a Condition
W983144983151 983139983144983151983151983155983141983155 C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 983078D983141983156983137983145983148983155
Anyone can suggest a Condition orDetail that they eel is appropriate tothe action taken and result achievedUsually the player that rolled the diceand the Narrator will work together tocome up with a suitably dramatic effectBut really anyone at the table shouldthrow in whatever cool idea they have
Te Narrator always has final sayover what Condition or Detail is ap-
plied to a result
W983144983141983150 983155983144983151983157983148983140 I 983157983155983141 C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155
Like all qualifiers it depends onsituation In the examples above Con-ditions are applied to the acting playerwhen things donrsquot quite go right orthem ( Yes but No and ) Te Condi-tions make lie a bit more difficult or
the character because o the minimalsuccess or outright ailure
You can also apply Conditions tothe target o an action when things are
going right or your character I youare debating with a bureaucrat and geta Yes and result you might apply theconfused Condition to the target I youattempt to outrun an enemy and get the
No but result they might catch up with
you but have the tired Condition Ap- plying Conditions in this way will likely give player characters an advantagelater in the scene
W983144983141983150 983155983144983151983157983148983140 I 983157983155983141 D983141983156983137983145983148983155
Apply Details when the action is like-ly to change the scene or environment insome way Tis might be a change in the
power dynamic o the scene (ldquo Yes he
leaps the hedge and he catches up withLord Kanerdquo) or a change in the physicalenvironment (ldquo No but he spots a gap inthe hedgerdquo)
Details are ofen applied when theacting character gains some advantage( Yes and No but ) Tey can be usedto great effect however to make situa-tions more entertaining and or dan-
gerous
ldquoDo you swing across the room on
the chandelier Yes but candles allloose and set fire to the tavernrdquo
Details can provide instant or on- going effects depending on the circum-stances A gap in the hedge can be usedimmediately to continue the chase aburning tavern will continue to be ahazard until someone puts the fire out
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 132313
M983151983140983145983142983145983141983154983155Sometimes circumstances equipment and skill will
make actions easier or harder Modifiers change thenumber o dice you get to roll when taking action
M983137983147983145983150983143 T983144983145983150983143983155 E983137983155983145983141983154 Roll an additional dieor each Descriptor piece o Gear Condition or De-tail that provides some advantage to the action being
taken Te result is the single best (not necessarilyhighest) die roll as the player chooses
In the woods Sir Camden tries to track LordKane You point out that the knight is a goodhunter so you get an extra d6 Rolling 2d6 youscore a 5 and a 4 Keeping the 4 it is decided thatafer a brie search Sir Camden finds Lord Kanersquostracks and ollows them to a sinister citadel
M983137983147983145983150983143 T983144983145983150983143983155 H983137983154983140983141983154 Roll an extra die oreach Descriptor bit o Gear Condition or Detail that
makes the action harder Te result is the single worstdie roll
Captain Vance decides to run to a near-by jeepTe Narrator points out there is no cover betweenVancersquos hiding spot and the vehicle ldquoDoes Vance get to the jeep uninjuredrdquo You roll 2d6 scoringa 3 and a 5 You must accept the 3 and CaptainVance is injured as he reaches the jeep
C983137983150983139983141983148983148983145983150983143 O983157983156 One beneficial die cancels out
one hindering die so you will never be rolling lsquonega-tiversquo and lsquopositiversquo dice at the same time
Later in his quest Sir Camden must scale asheer (-) cliff Te knight is strong (+) and hasa rope (+) Overall this means a single bonus tothe action (the sheer cliff and the knightrsquos strengthcancel each other out just leaving the rope) Youroll 2d6 scoring a 3 and 6
E983160983137983149983152983148983141 983151983142 M983151983140983145983142983145983141983154983155
Captain Vance hurtles along in the jeep when a guard tries to drag himout through the window ldquoWill Vanceshake the guard offrdquo It is hard (+) todrag Vance out the window but he iswounded (-) and surprised (-) and the
attacker is very strong (-) In total youmust roll 2 penalty dice You roll 3d6scoring a 2 4 and 3 and must take theworst result the 3 Te guard wrestlesVance out o the jeep
O983156983144983141983154 983156983161983152983141983155 983151983142 983154983151983148983148983155
FU has no such thing as lsquoopposedrollsrsquo or lsquocontested actionsrsquo lsquodamagerollsrsquo and lsquorolling to hitrsquo Te beat theodds roll is the only kind o roll usedin FU whether you are trying to drive
a car through a crowded mall armwrestle a giant or shrug off the damagecaused by a stray bullet
H983151983159 983140983151 ldquo983151983152983152983151983155983141983140rdquo 983137983139983156983145983151983150983155 983159983151983154983147
For a start only players ever rolldice You begin by actoring in all thebonuses (+) and penalties (-) that applyto your character Ten you take stocko all the actors that would apply tothe opponent and apply those into your
roll too Is the opponent weak You geta bonus die Is the opponent a worldchampion arm wrestler You actor ina penalty die And so on until every-thing is actored in When you knowhow many bonus andor penalty dice
you have roll I the result is an even
number you win the contest i the finalresult is an odd number your opponenthas the advantage
D983145983137983148983145983150983143 983145983150 983151983150 Y983151983157983154 983137983139983156983145983151983150
Sword fights political debates spaceraces international wars argumentsand gun battles are all resolved usingthe beat the odds roll Te key is to dialin or out o the action through the kindo questions you attempt to resolve Youcan fight a dramatic sword fight and ex-
change a series o blows by asking ldquoDoI hit the Count De Montierdquo But youcould also resolve the entire fight witha single roll by asking ldquoDo I deeat theCount De Montie in a duelrdquo Or takeit to the next level and ask ldquoDo my men-at-arms storm the Count De Montiersquoscastlerdquo Adjust the dial as necessary
O983152983156983145983151983150 M983137983156983139983144983145983150983143 D983145983139983141
Rolling doubles triples or quadru- ples can make a success much better ora ailure ar worse I your result die hasa match the effects will be much moredramatic You may add one ldquoandrdquostatement or each matching die I the
action is ailed this statement shouldmake the situation worse I the actionis a success the additional statement(s)should make the situation even better
For example Sir Camden aces LordKanersquos henchmen ldquoWill Sir Camden de-
eat the henchmenrdquo He is injured andoutnumbered so you will roll 2 penaltydice You roll and score 3 3 and 2 Youmust take the worst result - the double3 Normally this would be a ldquo Nordquo re-
sult but the matching 3 turns it into aldquo No andrdquo I you had rolled triple 3the result would have been ldquo No andandrdquo
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 142314
FU P983151983145983150983156983155FU Points are a resource that you spend to improve
a characterrsquos chance o success at an action Tey canbe used in two ways
B983151983150983157983155 D983145983141 Spend a FU Point beore a beat theodds roll to add a single bonus die Tis works like anyother bonus die You can add as many bonus dice as
you have FU Points but they must all be declared atthe same time
R983141-983154983151983148983148 Spend a FU Point afer a beat the oddsroll to re-roll a single die Te second result must stand- you cannot re-roll a re-roll You can re-roll as manydice as you have FU Points but you must declare themall at the same time beore the first die is re-rolled
You can spend multiple FU Points on any givenaction and or either or both effects It is completelywithin the rules to spend a FU Point to add a bonus
die beore a roll then another FU Point to re-roll a dieaferwards
Back at HQ Captain Vance tries to convinceGeneral Wallace to deploy the Rocket roops un-der his command Vance doesnrsquot have much going or him in this situation in terms o Descriptorsso you decide to spend 2 FU Points on the roll You
roll the basic die plus the two bonus dice gettinga 1 1 and 3 Not happy with this you spends yourlast FU Point on a re-roll You pick up one o the1rsquos and throw the die again
E983137983154983150983145983150983143 FU P983151983145983150983156983155 FU Points are earned duringplay or doing cool stuff and roleplaying your charac-ter Whenever you do something that stops play andmakes everyone go ldquoWowrdquo or laugh out loud at yourantics or anything else that everyone thinks should berewarded you earn a FU Point
S983156983137983154983156983145983150983143 FU P983151983145983150983156983155
Te number o FU Points you begina game with should be discussed beore
play begins Te more FU Points play-ers begin with the more easily they willachieve successes I playing games ohigh adventure or over-the-top actionit would be reasonable to begin with 2FU Points Super-powered heroes mightbegin with as many as 3 FU Points For
grittier games each player might onlybegin with 1 FU Point or even none
C983137983150 I 983143983145983158983141 983155983144983137983154983141 FU P983151983145983150983156983155
Tat is up to you and your groupTe deault is ldquonordquo but
D983151 N983137983154983154983137983156983151983154983155 983143983141983156 FU 983152983151983145983150983156983155
Usually no but they might allow a powerul villain or monster to have onetwo or three
O983156983144983141983154 983159983137983161983155 983156983151 983141983137983154983150 FU
You might like to change the way youearn FU Points You might earn them
or dealing the killing blow to monstersachieving your characterrsquos goal or roll-ing multiple 1rsquos or 6rsquos
Tis is a really good way to changethe tone or style o the game Want to
play a dungeon crawl Reward FU orkilling monsters A gritty dystopian
game Reward FU when the characters
lose out to Te Man Decide i these arethe only ways to earn FU or i they arein addition to the normal roleplayingrewards Tis decision will also have adramatic effect on the tone o play Seewhat you can do with it
O983156983144983141983154 983159983137983161983155 983156983151 983157983155983141 FU
Play around with FU Points Experi-ment or adjust the ways you use them
to suit your gaming group or the typeo story you are playing Here are somesuggestions
FU 983137983155 H983141983137983148983156983144
Rather than having a varying andchangeable number o FU points everycharacter begins with 3 Tey can bespent as normal but can also be lostwhen the character suffers physical ormental stress (injuries atigue earetc) FU in this instance can be rereshed
(brought back up to 3) by roleplayingout a (non-dice rolling) scene with an-other character that reveals somethingabout your relationship
R983141-R983151983148983148 E983158983141983154983161983156983144983145983150983143
Spend a FU point to re-roll all yourdice Tis is an all-or-nothing thing so
you canrsquot keep a couple o good resultsand roll the rest Use this variant in-stead o the normal re-roll rule
F983148983145983152 983137 P983145983152
Spend a FU Point to adjust a singledie up or down by one pip Spend mul-tiple FU points to adjust a die multiple
pips Tis option is more reliable thana re-roll as you will always be able toturn a ldquonordquo into a ldquoyesrdquo I you used thisvariant the normal re-roll rule shouldnot be used
U983155983141 983137 P983154983151983152Spend a FU point to turn a prop into
an item o Gear or the duration o thescene
S983156983157983150983156983155 983137983150983140 P983151983159983141983154983155
Give characters special abilitiesskills or powers that can only be used byspending a FU Point Tese should bemore powerul than Descriptors - makethem break the rules or give a superhu-man knack like the ability to fly or read
minds teleport or whatever
T983137983147983145983150983143 983137 H983145983156
Instead o rolling declare you areldquotaking a hitrdquo All the dice you shouldhave rolled are treated as i they rolled1rsquos (yes i you are holding 5 dice theycount as five 1rsquos) In return or your su-
ering you earn a FU Point
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 152315
ACTION
SUMMARY
SET THE SCENEWhere does the scene take place Who is there What do they want Doyou need to break down into turns
ACTRoleplay your character and describe what is going on Push toward theobjective
ASK A QUESTIONWhen you need to resolve a conflict or complete an action ask a closedquestion (eg ldquoDo I succeedrdquo)
FACTOR IN MODIFIERS+1 bonus die or every Descriptor item o Gear Detail Condition or other
eature that makes the action easier+1 penalty die or every Descriptor item o Gear Detail Condition or othereature that makes the action harder
ROLLRoll all your dice Te result is the single best die (i rolling bonus dice) orsingle worst die (i rolling penalty dice)
DESCRIBE RESULTUse the die result to describe how the conflict or action turned out Apply
Conditions or Details as necessary
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 162316
Following is some simple straightorward adviceor Narrators It is all airly generic because all the spe-cific stuff is going to relate to the genre tone and styleo game that you and your players choose to play
9831371048684983147983145983150983143 983145983155 983143983151983151983140Start your game with a conversation alk about
what players want out o the game what you want andwhere those ideas overlap Tose overlaps are likelywhere everyone is going to have the most un At the very least you should work together to establish thegenre and tone o your shared story alk about thisstuff too so that everyone is clear o the specifics (thereis a world o difference between Gothic horror andsplatter films or example)
alk during the game too Encourage players toshare ideas and give input into scenes objectives andthe challenges characters ace I you need to clariyideas themes or issues then do that
L983145983155983156983141983150983145983150983143 983145983155 983143983151983151983140I there is going to be talk there needs to be listen-
ing Listen to your players and the things they tell youeither in conversation or when they do things withtheir character Do stuff that relates to the Descriptors
written on the playerrsquos character sheets because that iswhat they think is cool
W983144983141983150 9831521048684983137983161983145983150983143When running games donrsquot plan too much ahead
o time Te dice rolls are going to direct a lot o theaction and you and the players will fill in the gaps byapplying Conditions and Details Here are some tipsto keep things moving and help you enjoy the game as
much as the players doK983141983141983152 983156983144983145983150983143983155 983155983145983149983152983148983141 Do not complicate your job
by introducing lots o sub-plots or convoluted twistsTings will get all messed about by themselves and the
story will run off on tangents that you never dreamedo
Y983151983157 983137983154983141 983150983151983156 983156983144983141 983141983150983141983149983161 this may seem obviousbut is worth stating Your role is to help guide the storyin interesting directions not to kill everyone You cangive players hints and ideas i you think this will lead toa better story Sometimes you will portray the adver-saries and are expected to do so vigorously but airlyOther times you will get to be an ally companion orpeer and once again you should be true to the spirit othe game
S983137983161 ldquoY983141983155rdquo i players make suggestions or ask ques-tions it is probably because they are interested in whatis going on Tey probably have a cool idea to introduceto the story Encourage this and confidently say ldquoyesrdquoto requests Tis doesnrsquot mean you should let playersget anything they want ndash but you should let players in-troduce elements into the story when the time is right
M983137983147983141 983154983151983148983148983155 983149983141983137983150983145983150983143983142983157983148 Every time you callor a die roll it should mean something interesting isgoing to happen NO MAER HE RESUL Donrsquot
have players make rolls i the result is not important tothe story or i ailure will stop the momentum o thestory
NARRATOR
983091 Q983157983141983155983156983145983151983150983155 983156983151 983142983154983137983149983141 983161983151983157983154 983143983137983149983141
When you begin a game talk withthe players about their expectations ryto answer the ollowing three questions
W983144983137983156 983159983145983148983148 983139983144983137983154983137983139983156983141983154983155 983140983151983103
Do players want to kick in doorskill monsters and take home piles otreasure Do they want to eel like epicheroes Or the underdogs strugglingagainst ridiculous odds
H983151983159 983140983151 983152983148983137983161983141983154983155 983159983137983150983156 983156983151 983142983141983141983148983103
Do the players want to eel like theyare changing the world Like their char-acter is gaining in wealth prestige or
power Or do they want to eel like theirbacks are against the wall and their livesconstantly at risk
W983144983137983156 983145983155 983156983144983141 N983137983154983154983137983156983151983154rsquo983155 983154983151983148983141983103
What kinds o challenges encoun-ters and situations are you going to pre-
sent the characters in order to achievethe above Do you need to ensure everychallenge is accompanied by a generousreward Are you going to make every
fight hard but air Will you be relent-less in the pursuit o the antagonistrsquos
goals
Answer these questions and every-one at the table will be clear on theirrole in the coming adventure
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 172317
R983141983139983151983158983141983154983161During games characters can suffer injuries be-
come physically or mentally stressed and be afflictedby a range o other Conditions Conditions are alwaysrecovered at a time andor rate appropriate to the sto-ry Tis is usually with the passing o time but doesnot have to be A good rule o thumb is that one or
more Conditions can be removedrecovered betweenscenes though this will depend on the timing o suchencounters
R983141983159983137983154983140983155Reward players or good roleplaying and achieving
goals by giving them FU Points You may also rewardthem or a variety o other reasons as your group de-cides (see the sidebar on page 12) FU Points can beused to improve a characters chance o success and arethereore a great immediate tangible reward You donrsquot
have to be the only one at the table offering rewardsthough All players should speak up when someonehas done something cool unny or awesome and re-ward a FU Point
H983151983159 983149983157983139983144 983144983151983159 983151983142983156983141983150 Be generous with yourrewards as the positive reinorcement o earning FUPoints will inspire them on to greater acts o heroismspectacle or depravity as the case may be Also takeinto account whether this will be a ldquoone offrdquo game ora part o an ongoing story or campaign - players arelikely to burn through FU Points aster in a singe ses-
sion game and will need their resources replenishedaster
C983144983137983154983137983139983156983141983154983155 983078 O9831389831559831569831379831391048684983141983155All the characters monsters traps villains terrain
eatures creatures and obstacles that are encounteredduring a story are defined in much the same way ascharacters You are not confined by any rules or re-strictions when creating characters or obstacles theonly thing you must do is make them entertaining andinteresting
T983144983141 B983151983159983148
One technique or rewarding FUPoints is to place a bowl o beads chitsor tokens in the centre o the table Eachbead is a FU Point Te Narrator cantell players to ldquotake one rom the bowlrdquoand other players can reach in when it isappropriate to reward a player by pass-ing a bead rom the bowl Tis requirestrust between players and Narrator butmakes the running o the game verysmooth as no-one has to stop and askldquoDoes that deserve a FU Pointrdquo
A983140983158983137983150983139983141983149983141983150983156
FU is not a game about ldquolevellinguprdquo While characters might have avariety o experiences and learn romthem the real advancement comes romthe changing story andor world
I appropriate players can changeone Descriptor between game sessionsTis alteration should relate in someway to the experiences and story theircharacter just participated in Gear canbe changed between sessions at the Nar-ratorrsquos discretion
Goals might also change rom gamesession to game session Give playerstime to consider their goals at the starto each session and let them adjust orchange them as necessary
T983154983137983139983147983145983150983143 983151983138983155983156983137983139983148983141983155
Use sticky-notes or index cards torecord details about your charactersmonsters and obstacles Write downDescriptors Gear and other ino Asthey suffer Conditions record those onthe card
Use index cards to record importantterrain eatures too Write down anyDescriptor(s) pertaining to the eature
so players can take them into accountas they plan their actions
W983144983137983156 983140983151 I 983155983144983137983154983141 983159983145983156983144 983152983148983137983161983141983154983155
Some groups play open making nosecret o the Descriptors and details ocreatures and monsters Other groups(andor Narrators) keep this inorma-tion hidden rom players Both options
provide or different styles o play
Playing an open table means eve-ryone is clear about what is going onwhat opportunities exist or cool scenesand actions Players can see what GearConditions and Descriptors are ldquoin
playrdquo and incorporate them into scenes
Keeping the details o villains trapsand other obstacles rom the playerswill push them to test their enemies ex-
plore the environment and try differentthings Tey can manoeuvre themselvesand situations in directions they thinkwill be advantageous It is always satis-
ying to be rewarded with bonus dice oraccurately guessing an enemyrsquos Descrip-tors
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 182318
ennessee Smith amed explorer has finally got a solid lead on the whereabouts o the ancientIdol o ot an object o reported supernatural power Unortunately Smithrsquos arch enemy Giles
Fishburne is also on the trail o the Idol and hasthrown his lot in with the Nazis
Tis short adventure will get you into the actionquickly It illustrates one way you might prepare yourown adventures adversaries and obstacles Use thepre-generated characters presented at the end o theadventure Race to the emple o ot consists o a serieso set-piece encounters that you can use rearrange andignore at your leisure Remember that beat the oddsrolls will lead to all kinds o interesting twists and
turns and once the characters set out on the adventureanything is possible
B983141983142983151983154983141 983161983151983157 983138983141983143983145983150Beore starting play have a quick discussion about
the tone and style o the game Te scenario is clas-sic pulp - over the top action outrageous villains andlarger than lie heroes Make sure everyone is on thesame page here - talk about what makes this genre cooland perhaps point out examples o the genre (Indiana Jones Te Mummy Te Rocketeer ) and what parts o
these you enjoyedRead the flavour text above (the stuff in italics) and
get everyone at the table to throw around some ideaso cool stuff they would like to see happen during theadventure Note it all down - when things slow or iyou get stuck or what to do next chuck one o theseideas into the mix
S983139983141983150983141983155Te scenes presented here have a description o
where the action takes place and suggest Descriptorsyou or the players might incorporate into the actionTe italics set up the action o the scene and the objec-tive Paraphrase the details or your players
C98314498313710486841048684983141983150983143983141983155Te challenges and adversaries in this adventure
are recorded in boxes with relevant Descriptors Con-ditions and Notes Tese are to guide you and do nothave to be used Your own cool ideas should alwaystrump anything written here
E983155983139983137983152983141 983156983144983141 B9831571048684983137983147 M983137983154983147983141983156S983139983141983150983141 Central Asia - a bustling market in the city
o Bulak - Midday all stone and mud-brick buildingswith narrow arched windows surround the central
market stalls and caes bars and emporiums run offin all directions along winding narrow streets
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Crowded streets Exotic goods
Te characters have just acquired a map to theemple o ot Unortunately Nazi goons have ar-rived and want the map too Tere are a lot o goons and while the characters could fight themit might be easier to flee Do the characters escape
NAZI GOONS
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Lots o goons Beey AryansNot too bright
G983141983137983154 Noisy Sub-machine guns
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 ConusedrappedSlowedOut o Action
N983151983156983141983155 Tere are a number o goon squads equal tothe number o characters
W983144983137983156 983139983137983150 983143983151 983159983154983151983150983143983103 Te characters are cap-tured Te map is lost
9831549831379831509831551048684983137983156983145983150983143 983156983144983141 M983137983152S983139983141983150983141 A dark coffee lounge cae or back roomsomewhere in the city o Bulak Te smell o strongcoffee and exotic ood permeates the room
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Private
ennessee Smith and his companions have themap but must now translate it puzzling out thestrange symbols and markings Do they translatethe map
TRANSLATING THE MAP
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Ancient glyphs Brittle paperC983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 ornRuinedSmudged
Burnt to a crisp
W983144983137983156 983139983137983150 983143983151 983159983154983151983150983143983103 Te map is damaged Techaracters misread the map Tey cannot read the mapand must get help rom an expert in ancient languages
RACE TO THE TEMPLE OF TOT
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
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983144983141 G983151983157 Z983151983157 G983151983154983143983141S983139983141983150983141 Te majestic Gou Zou Gorge hal a mile
deep and crossed by a single iron girder railway bridgeWide open plains lie on either side o the gorge and theKow Mountains lie in the distance
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Open plains Impassible Gorge
Te characters ollow the map to Gou ZouGorge by car or horse back Giles Fishburne is ap- proaching ast aboard the German dirigible DerVogel Do the characters cross the bridge saelyDo they keep their lead on the Germans
NAZI BIRD TRUPPEN
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Tey Fly Agile
G983141983137983154 Delicate Flying Harness DeadlyStick Grenade
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 ConusedGrounded
SlowedOut o ActionN983151983156983141983155 Tere are a number o Bird ruppen equalto the number o characters
GOU ZOU BRIDGE
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Wide but narrow
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 RicketyBlown all to hell
N983151983156983141983155 You know you must introduce an approach-ing train right
W983144983137983156 983139983137983150 983143983151 983159983154983151983150983143983103 Te bridge is destroyed
Te map is lost the characters are captured
983144983141 98314110486859831521048684983141S983139983141983150983141 An ancient temple ashioned into the side
o a mountain Grand statues o sinister looking godsand daemons line the walls Dust covers everythingTe tunnel leads deeper into the mountain
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Dark Silent
Te characters must penetrate the heart o thetemple but the map warned o nearious traps
and terrible guardians Do they get past the trapsand guardians
NEFARIOUS TRAPS
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Hidden Deadly
G983141983137983154 Poison Darts Rusting Spears
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 DisarmedSet-offRevealed
N983151983156983141983155 Challenge characters with one or two trapsell them the passage is trapped but donrsquot tell themhow or where the traps are until they are sprung
STONE STATUE GUARDIAN
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Big Heavy Slow Relentless
G983141983137983154 Heavy Stone Weapons
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 DamagedOff balanceSlowedOut o Action
N983151983156983141983155 Tere is one Statue Guardian or every two
characters Te large heavy weapons can strikemultiple characters at once
W983144983137983156 983139983137983150 983143983151 983159983154983151983150983143983103 Characters cannot getpast traps characters are injured by traps
983144983141 I9831409831511048684 C9831449831371048685983138983141983154S983139983141983150983141 A large stone chamber ingeniously lit by
mirrors reflecting sunlight Te Idol o ot - a gold-en statue o a seven-headed monkey - sits on a stoneplinth in the centre o the room
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Large bronze mirrors
Te characters enter the chamber o the idolonly to find that Giles Fishburne and his Nazi goons are here too Do they deeat Giles and es-cape with the Idol
GILES FISHBURNE
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Smart Arrogant Sword fighter
G983141983137983154 Polished Sabre
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 ConusedInjuredSlowedOut o Action
N983151983156983141983155 Giles is a greedy arrogant villain but heisnrsquot stupid I things start looking dire he will attemptto escape make a deal andor double-cross anyone inhis way He has no loyalty to the Nazis
C983144983137983154983137983139983156983141983154983155Four pre-made characters can be ound on the next
page Tey are each examples o classic pulp charac-ter archetypes Players may tweak or adjust them atthe Narratorrsquos discretion beore play starts perhapschanging a Descriptor or two or switching out an item
o Gear Beore starting the game each player shoulddefine one or two relationships describing how thecharacters know each other A quick and easy way todo this is or everyone to describe how they know thecharacter to their lef
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 202320
TENNESSEE SMITH DAREDEVIL EXPLORER
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Nimble Level Headed Use BullWhip Araid o Heights
G983141983137983154 Bull Whip Worn Leather Jacket
D983154983145983158983141983155 Find the Idol o ot
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 AngryScaredired
rapped
Blinded
HungryDazedInjuredDying
ennessee Smith is a mild-mannered proes-sor o history but in his spare time he travelsinto the wilderness in search o lost arteacts andtreasure Ruggedly handsome he always seemsto keep his cool no matter how much danger heis inmdashand he tends to get into a lot o it
R983141983148983137983156983145983151983150983155983144983145983152983155
N983151983156983141983155
HARVEY REED RETIRED BOXER
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Strong Tinks-on-his-Feet BoxerUgly as Sin
G983141983137983154 Roll o quarters Poor fitting suitD983154983145983158983141983155 Look out or ennessee Smith
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 AngryScarediredrappedBlindedHungryDazedInjuredDying
Harvey Reed is a recently retired championboxer Finding the sedentary lie a little too bor-ing he has joined his old riend ennessee insearch o adventure
R983141983148983137983156983145983151983150983155983144983145983152983155
N983151983156983141983155
JIMMY SWEET PLUCKY KID
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Quick Smart-aleckUnderestimated Young
G983141983137983154 Noisy Firecrackers Dirty BaseballCap
D983154983145983158983141983155 See the 7 wonders o the world
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155
Angry
Scared
iredrappedBlindedHungryDazedInjuredDying
Jimmy Sweet is a happy-go-lucky kid who hasnever had anyone to rely on but himsel He iswiry tough and quick with a cheeky attitudethat requently gets him into trouble Jimmystowed away on a tramp steamer with the inten-tion o seeing the world and making his ortune
R983141983148983137983156983145983151983150983155983144983145983152983155
N983151983156983141983155
OCTOBER JONES GIRL REPORTER
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Beautiul Witty Good MemoryCurious
G983141983137983154 rusty Camera Tick Notebook D983154983145983158983141983155 Get the scoop on the real ennes-
see Smith
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 AngryScarediredrappedBlindedHungryDazedInjuredDying
October Jones is a reporter and adventurerafforded a great deal o reedom by her atherrsquosimmense wealth Beautiul intelligent and spoiltshe is a woman used to getting what she wants
R983141983148983137983156983145983151983150983155983144983145983152983155
N983151983156983141983155
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 212321
Tis list is by no means exhaustive but itrsquos a goodplace to start Each entry lists the kinds o things aDescriptor might be an advantage or hindrance orwhich makes it a handy reerence or both players and
Narrators
B983151983140983161 D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155A983143983145983148983141 helpul when dancing leaping doing gym-
nastics crawling through tight spaces and balancingA983149983138983145983140983141983160983156983154983151983157983155 great when shooting two guns at
the same time or doing slight-o-hand magic tricksB983148983151983150983140983141 good or getting people to underestimate
you not good i you spend too much time in the sunF983137983147983141 O983154983137983150983143983141 T983137983150 great or passing as an aging
celebrity and or drawing attention to yoursel
F983157983154983154983161 useul or resisting cold weather and livingin the woods
H983137983150983140983155983151983149983141 useul or flirting selling stuff gettingroles on V modelling and being popular
H983157983143983141 good or looking menacing reaching highplaces acting like a body builder or getting stuck insmall spaces
O983158983141983154983159983141983145983143983144983156 a problem when exercising andborrowing clothes
P983151983151983154 C983151983150983155983156983145983156983157983156983145983151983150 a hindrance when long dis-
tance running resisting damage perorming eats oendurance and healingQ983157983145983139983147 handy or ducking to and rom places
slight-o-hand dodging and other actions that requirespeed o action
R983137983162983151983154-983155983144983137983154983152 C983148983137983159983155 great or slicing up en-emies cutting vegetables and maybe climbing trees
S983144983151983154983156 a pain or reaching the top shel but use-ul or crawling under low objects and getting lost ina crowd
S983148983151983159 a problem when running dodging and re-
acting to thingsS983156983154983151983150983143 useul or lifing carrying smashing
and throwing things Wrestling and avoiding beingcrushed might also be aided
T983137983148983148 good or reaching the top shel climbingand seeing over other peoplersquos heads
T983144983145983150 handy or squeezing into places and clotheshiding behind poles and perorming on the catwalk
U983143983148983161 a problem when trying to seduce someoneor get a role on V
V983145983143983151983157983154 great or resisting poison long distancerunning and other eats o endurance
Weak a pain when lifing carrying smashing andthrowing stuff
W983141983138983138983141983140 F983141983141983156 great or swimming but terriblewhen buying shoes
M983145983150983140 D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155A983138983155983141983150983156-M983145983150983140983141983140 good or being distracted but a
problem when remembering where you lef the keysor that you just pulled the pin rom a hand grenade
B983151983151983147-S983149983137983154983156 great when doing exams knowingmath ormulas remembering dates in history andgenerally getting into Law at Harvard
C983151983149983152983157983156983141983154-W983145983162 good or programming fixing
your laptop and getting into PC vs Apple flame-warsD983145983149-W983145983156983156983141983140 a problem when listening to jokes
recognizing a trick or generally keeping up appear-ances in social settings
E983149983152983137983156983144983141983156983145983139 good or reading peoples emotionsdoing psychological evaluations and knowing how tocomort distressed people
F983151983139983157983155983141983140 good or staying on task not getting dis-tracted and looking serious
L983137983156983141983154983137983148 T983144983145983150983147983141983154 handy or problem solving
and approaching issues in new or unusual waysM983137983156983144983141983149983137983156983145983139983145983137983150 great or doing sums solvingequations and doing your tax
O983138983155983141983154983158983137983150983156 great or spotting hidden clues no-ticing details doing find-a-words and reading bodylanguage
O983154983137983156983151983154 good or public speaking debating andgetting people to see your point o view
S983148983151983159 a pain when trying to understand plans orlearn new things
T983137983139983156983145983139983145983137983150 great or planning battles remember-
ing military history and quoting sun suU983150983141983140983157983139983137983156983141983140 a pain when reading doing math
remembering important dates in history and doingany school-type tests
W983145983155983141 handy or sprouting proverbs giving adviceputting unrelated clues together interpreting peoplersquosreactions and saying lsquoI told you sorsquo
W983145983156983156983161 good or making unny comments beingcharming and or entertaining and always knowingthe right thing to say
APPENDIX - DESCRIPTORS
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 222322
E983140983143983141 D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155A983139983154983151983138983137983156983145983139983155 great or joining the circus leaping
through narrow gaps and doing impressive flipsA983154983139983137983150983141 K983150983151983159983148983141983140983143983141 good or identiying mys-
tic arteacts recognizing the presence o evil magicand reading ancient scrolls
C983151983157983154983137983143983141 handy when seeing something scary
telling your wie you orgot your anniversary and at-tempting other dangerous acts
D983154983145983158983145983150983143 great or car racing car chases and pass-ing your driving exam
F983141983150983139983145983150983143 good or sword fighting and other civi-lized orms o melee
G983151983151983140 M983141983149983151983154983161 handy or remembering namesand aces vital clues and mathematical ormulas
H983157983150983156983145983150983143 good when tracking and stalking look-ing good in camouflage and knowing what an angryrhinoceros sounds like
K983141983141983150 S983145983143983144983156 great or seeing a long way or evendoing stuff by moonlight
L983145983150983143983157983145983155983156983145983139983155 good or speaking one (or more)oreign languages and generally communicating withothers
M983137983143983145983139 great or knowing the mystic arts castingspells or acting like a stage magician
M983141983140983145983139983145983150983141 good or perorming operations diag-nosing illness and administering first aid
N983137983155983156983161 B983145983156983141 great or really hurting someone in
combat chewing your own arm off or winning a pieeating contestR983145983139983144 handy or buying luxury sports cars getting
invited to exclusive parties and bribing city officialsW983154983141983155983156983148983145983150983143 good or fighting unarmed combat
and pinning opponents to the ground
F1048684983137983159 D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155B983148983145983150983140 a pain when doing anything that requires
sight such as shooting navigating an unamiliar spaceor painting
B983154983137983158983141 good or charging into mortal danger act-ing oolhardy and getting into deep trouble
C983148983157983149983155983161 a problem when carrying a valuable vase
visiting an antique store or trying to cross a booby-trapped room
G983154983141983141983140983161 a pain when resisting the urge to steal lieor in some other way keep or obtain wealth
I983150-H983157983149983137983150 A983152983152983141983137983154983137983150983139983141 a hindrance when try-ing not to get noticed avoiding attention or finding apair o pants that fit just right
M983145983155983155983145983150983143 L983141983143 a problem when running climbingor perorming any other activity that involves move-ment without prosthetics or a wheel chair
O983148983140 a pain when trying to look cool climb stairsuse a computer or be positive about your health
P983151983151983154 a hindrance when wanting to buy ood orclothes or trying to get into an exclusive party
P983151983151983154 S983145983143983144983156 a pain when trying to recognizesomeone or thing driving at night or noticing visualclues
P983154983145983149983145983156983145983158983141 a problem when using mobile phonescars and door bells as well as interacting at more civi-lized social occasions
S983149983141983148983148983161 a hindrance when trying to impress peo-
ple or hiding rom wild animals or trackersW983137983150983156983141983140 a pain when trying to keep out o trou-ble or needing something rom your apartment
Y983151983157983150983143 a problem when trying to get into clubs betaken seriously by adults avoid school or see over thedash in a car
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 2323
NAME CONCEPT
BODY
MIND
EDGE
FLAW
DESCRIPTION
ROLL RESULT
6 Yes and
4 Yes
2 Yes but
5 No but
3 No
1 No and
A983150983143983154983161 983154983137983152983152983141983140 D983137983162983141983140
S983139983137983154983141983140 B1048684983145983150983140983141983140 I983150983146983157983154983141983140
983145983154983141983140 H983157983150983143983154983161 D983161983145983150983143
DRIVESWHAT DO YOU WANT
WHAT IS STOPPING YOU
WHAT WILL YOU DO
RELATIONSHIPS
C O N D I T I O N S
F U
P O I N T S
T H E O D D S
NOTES
G E A R
FU
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 102310
In FU you and the other players work together totell exciting stories about your characters It is notabout winning or even competing with anyone but itis about everyone having un while you create this col-
laborative story
S983139983141983150983141983155 983078 983157983154983150983155Play is broken into scenes and turns A scene is a
period o story involving a specific situation locationor group o characters Scenes are the primary buildingblocks o the story and can represent anything rom aew seconds to many hours o time Each scene shouldhave a specific objective and the scene ends when thatobjective has been addressed A scene should advancethe plot o the story reveal inormation about a char-
acter or add background colour to the events beingdescribed Ofen a scene will do all o these things atthe same time
During a scene players and Narrator describe whatthe characters are doing Players ldquoact outrdquo their char-acters speaking or them and declaring what actionsthey take while the Narrator does the same or all theother characters creatures and monsters in the scene
Scenes might be resolved through dice rolls but theydonrsquot have to be It is entirely possible that a scenersquosobjective is met through roleplaying and character in-teraction
When it is important to know the specific actionso each character and the order in which they occura scene is broken into turns A turn is a period longenough or each character to take a single actionwhether that be to make an attack deliver a rousingspeech throw an object to a companion look up someinormation on their iPhone or perorm some othertask
Players declare what action their characters aretaking while the Narrator decides what the othercharacters and creatures are going to do Everyonethen works together to decide what order everythingoccurs When all the characters involved have had achance to act the turn ends A new turn will begin inecessary
It is worth pointing out at this point that only play-ers roll dice Tis leaves the Narratorrsquos hands and mindree to scheme and plot and prepare or the next excit-ing encounter
ACTION
W983144983151 ldquo983155983141983156983155rdquo 983156983144983141 983155983139983141983150983141 Players might suggest scenes they
would like to see or be involved in butmost o the time the Narrator decideswhat scenes occur and in what orderthey happen Discussion might occurabout the order events occur in whatis happening where it is happening andwho is involved beore the Narratormakes a final call on all these matters
Some groups like to give everyone a
turn at setting a scene and that is to-tally cool too
H983151983159 983140983151 983161983151983157 ldquo983155983141983156 983137 983155983139983141983150983141rdquo
Setting a scene is a matter o defin-ing where and when the action takes
place who is there and what has justhappened or what is about to happenLocation Characters Event or WhereWhen Who amp What
When describing the scene draw on
all the senses point out interesting orimportant details o the location andall the characters involved Consider theobjective o the scene as you create it
W983144983137983156 983145983155 983137983150 983151983138983146983141983139983156983145983158983141
An objective can be anything thata player or character wants Characterobjectives might include finding a pieceo inormation deeating an enemytalking to someone travelling a small or
great distance preparing or battle con-
ning a mark or stealing an object Play-er objectives could include seeing theircharacter in a cool fight solving themystery revealing a secret about theircharacter or interacting with a specificcharacter or player Ofen player andcharacter goals overlap
D983151 983155983139983141983150983141983155 983144983137983158983141 983156983151 983138983141 983145983150 983151983154983140983141983154
You can use all the techniques o sto-ries novels and movies which means
flashbacks and flash orwards parallel
story lines and even montages can be played out in scenes While most o thetime your scenes will occur in a chrono-logical order you do not have to be re-stricted by this
D983151 I 983144983137983158983141 983156983151 983157983155983141 983156983157983154983150983155
urns are an optional measuremento time useul or when a variety o stuffis being attempted by several charac-ters Use them to organise the action asneeded Some scenes will naturally all
into turns while others will be resolvedwithout ever considering them
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 112311
B983141983137983156983145983150983143 983156983144983141 O983140983140983155When a character attempts an action where the
outcome is not immediately andor completely obvi-ous you make a beat the odds roll
o resolve an action roll a d6 Your objective is tolsquobeat the oddsrsquo by rolling an even number Te higherthe even number the better the result I you roll an
odd number the action either ailed or wasnrsquot quite asgood as needed or expected Te lower the odd num-ber the worse the result Tere is a handy chart belowthat helps illustrate this idea
Te beat the odds roll is the heart o FU While mosto the time even numbers are good and odd numbersare bad the precise situation will dictate the actual re-sults It may be that the roll o a 1 does not indicate anoutrageous ailure so much as a success in the mostminimal or ragile o ways
We are going to ollow the trials and tribula-tions o two characters rom two different settingsin this chapter
Sir Camden is riding afer the evil Lord KaneHe sees Lord Kane leap a tall hedgerow disappear-ing into the orest beyond Sir Camden now triesto leap the hedge so you roll a d6 scoring 2 SirCamdenrsquos horse clears the hedge but Sir Camdenis jostled about in the saddle and is momentarilyconused
Captain Vance ducks as another hail o bullets peppers the wall he is hiding behind Grabbing adamaged radio he flicks some switches and triesto call HQ or back-up You roll a d6 and score a 1Vance ails to find the right requency and a straybullet hits the radio destroying it
R983151983148983148 D983151 983161983151983157 983143983141983156 983159983144983137983156 983161983151983157 983159983137983150983156983103
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 donrsquot get what you want but itrsquos not a total loss
3 No You donrsquot get what you were afer
1 No and You donrsquot get what you want and things get worse
C983148983151983155983141983140 Q983157983141983155983156983145983151983150983155
FU uses a closed question ormat tohelp resolve actions A closed questioncan only be answered with a ldquoyesrdquo orldquonordquo statement When you reach a situ-ation that needs to be resolved by dice
propose a closed question ldquoDo I leapthe chasmrdquo ldquoDo I punch that jerk inthe noserdquo ldquoDoes the tavern wench all
or my easy charm and winning smilerdquoTe roll o the die will answer the ques-tion and guide your response
A lot o the time you wonrsquot need toask the question explicitly - it will be ob-vious rom the action you attempt ldquoyoutake a run up and leap rom the edge othe chasm Rollrdquo
A983148983156983141983154983150983137983156983145983158983141 Q983157983141983155983156983145983151983150983155
You can pose different questionsi you want though you will have tochange the result chart An obviousquestion is ldquoHow well do I succeedrdquoTis might garner the ollowing results
Roll How well do you succeed
6 Legendary success
4 Complete success
2 Only just succeed
5 Fail by the smallest margin
3 Complete ailure
1 Epic ailure and then some
Feel ree to come up with your ownquestions and answers as suits theneeds o your group game and story
A983148983156983141983154983150983137983156983145983158983141 D983145983139983141 R983151983148983148983155
Some players are not ans o theevenodd results Many preer a 1-3Bad 4-6 Good result In that case theresult chart would look like this
Roll Do you get what you want
6 Yes and
5 Yes
4 Yes but
3 No but
2 No
1 No and
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 122312
S983157983139983139983141983155983155 983078 F9831379831451048684983157983154983141When you make a beat the odds roll your character
will either succeed at what they were attempting orthey wont Tis is usually enough to push your storyurther along but other things can happen too
When you attempt an action you are asking ldquoDoesmy character get what they wantrdquo Tere are six pos-
sible answers to this questionYes and
Yes
Yes but
No but
No
No and
Yes and No are pretty straight orward - they tell youwhether the action succeeded or not Te and and but are qualifiers that modiy how good the success or howbad the ailure was When you get a qualifier you makean extra statement about how the action succeeded orailed Tis extra statement can add a Condition to acharacter or a Detail to a scene
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 Tese are physical mental or socialeffects that impact on the way a character behaves orattempts actions Conditions include things like an- gry conused tired and unconscious Tere are severallisted on the FU character sheet and there is space oryou to write your own
D983141983156983137983145983148983155 Tese are eatures o an environment orscene that might change as a result o an action Detailsmight include curtains catching fire windows break-ing animals running off or machinery stalling De-tails are always closely tied to the scene and the action
E983160983137983149983152983148983141983155 983151983142 S983157983139983139983141983155983155 983078 F983137983145983148983157983154983141
Going back to an earlier exampleletrsquos see what might have happenedwhen we apply each possible answer tothe question
ldquoDoes Sir Camden leap the hedgerdquo
Yes and he catches up with LordKane Tis is a Detail that changes thescene
Yes he leaps the hedge Tere is noandbut qualifier so no Condition orDetail is added
Yes but Sir Camden is disorientedand momentarily confused Tis is aCondition applied to the character
No but he spots a gap in the hedge urther along Tis Detail gives the char-acter another way to continue the chase
No the horse shies away rom the jump Tere is no andbut qualifier sono Condition or Detail is added
No and his horse rears up throwinghim to the ground causing an injury Tis is a Condition
W983144983151 983139983144983151983151983155983141983155 C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 983078D983141983156983137983145983148983155
Anyone can suggest a Condition orDetail that they eel is appropriate tothe action taken and result achievedUsually the player that rolled the diceand the Narrator will work together tocome up with a suitably dramatic effectBut really anyone at the table shouldthrow in whatever cool idea they have
Te Narrator always has final sayover what Condition or Detail is ap-
plied to a result
W983144983141983150 983155983144983151983157983148983140 I 983157983155983141 C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155
Like all qualifiers it depends onsituation In the examples above Con-ditions are applied to the acting playerwhen things donrsquot quite go right orthem ( Yes but No and ) Te Condi-tions make lie a bit more difficult or
the character because o the minimalsuccess or outright ailure
You can also apply Conditions tothe target o an action when things are
going right or your character I youare debating with a bureaucrat and geta Yes and result you might apply theconfused Condition to the target I youattempt to outrun an enemy and get the
No but result they might catch up with
you but have the tired Condition Ap- plying Conditions in this way will likely give player characters an advantagelater in the scene
W983144983141983150 983155983144983151983157983148983140 I 983157983155983141 D983141983156983137983145983148983155
Apply Details when the action is like-ly to change the scene or environment insome way Tis might be a change in the
power dynamic o the scene (ldquo Yes he
leaps the hedge and he catches up withLord Kanerdquo) or a change in the physicalenvironment (ldquo No but he spots a gap inthe hedgerdquo)
Details are ofen applied when theacting character gains some advantage( Yes and No but ) Tey can be usedto great effect however to make situa-tions more entertaining and or dan-
gerous
ldquoDo you swing across the room on
the chandelier Yes but candles allloose and set fire to the tavernrdquo
Details can provide instant or on- going effects depending on the circum-stances A gap in the hedge can be usedimmediately to continue the chase aburning tavern will continue to be ahazard until someone puts the fire out
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 132313
M983151983140983145983142983145983141983154983155Sometimes circumstances equipment and skill will
make actions easier or harder Modifiers change thenumber o dice you get to roll when taking action
M983137983147983145983150983143 T983144983145983150983143983155 E983137983155983145983141983154 Roll an additional dieor each Descriptor piece o Gear Condition or De-tail that provides some advantage to the action being
taken Te result is the single best (not necessarilyhighest) die roll as the player chooses
In the woods Sir Camden tries to track LordKane You point out that the knight is a goodhunter so you get an extra d6 Rolling 2d6 youscore a 5 and a 4 Keeping the 4 it is decided thatafer a brie search Sir Camden finds Lord Kanersquostracks and ollows them to a sinister citadel
M983137983147983145983150983143 T983144983145983150983143983155 H983137983154983140983141983154 Roll an extra die oreach Descriptor bit o Gear Condition or Detail that
makes the action harder Te result is the single worstdie roll
Captain Vance decides to run to a near-by jeepTe Narrator points out there is no cover betweenVancersquos hiding spot and the vehicle ldquoDoes Vance get to the jeep uninjuredrdquo You roll 2d6 scoringa 3 and a 5 You must accept the 3 and CaptainVance is injured as he reaches the jeep
C983137983150983139983141983148983148983145983150983143 O983157983156 One beneficial die cancels out
one hindering die so you will never be rolling lsquonega-tiversquo and lsquopositiversquo dice at the same time
Later in his quest Sir Camden must scale asheer (-) cliff Te knight is strong (+) and hasa rope (+) Overall this means a single bonus tothe action (the sheer cliff and the knightrsquos strengthcancel each other out just leaving the rope) Youroll 2d6 scoring a 3 and 6
E983160983137983149983152983148983141 983151983142 M983151983140983145983142983145983141983154983155
Captain Vance hurtles along in the jeep when a guard tries to drag himout through the window ldquoWill Vanceshake the guard offrdquo It is hard (+) todrag Vance out the window but he iswounded (-) and surprised (-) and the
attacker is very strong (-) In total youmust roll 2 penalty dice You roll 3d6scoring a 2 4 and 3 and must take theworst result the 3 Te guard wrestlesVance out o the jeep
O983156983144983141983154 983156983161983152983141983155 983151983142 983154983151983148983148983155
FU has no such thing as lsquoopposedrollsrsquo or lsquocontested actionsrsquo lsquodamagerollsrsquo and lsquorolling to hitrsquo Te beat theodds roll is the only kind o roll usedin FU whether you are trying to drive
a car through a crowded mall armwrestle a giant or shrug off the damagecaused by a stray bullet
H983151983159 983140983151 ldquo983151983152983152983151983155983141983140rdquo 983137983139983156983145983151983150983155 983159983151983154983147
For a start only players ever rolldice You begin by actoring in all thebonuses (+) and penalties (-) that applyto your character Ten you take stocko all the actors that would apply tothe opponent and apply those into your
roll too Is the opponent weak You geta bonus die Is the opponent a worldchampion arm wrestler You actor ina penalty die And so on until every-thing is actored in When you knowhow many bonus andor penalty dice
you have roll I the result is an even
number you win the contest i the finalresult is an odd number your opponenthas the advantage
D983145983137983148983145983150983143 983145983150 983151983150 Y983151983157983154 983137983139983156983145983151983150
Sword fights political debates spaceraces international wars argumentsand gun battles are all resolved usingthe beat the odds roll Te key is to dialin or out o the action through the kindo questions you attempt to resolve Youcan fight a dramatic sword fight and ex-
change a series o blows by asking ldquoDoI hit the Count De Montierdquo But youcould also resolve the entire fight witha single roll by asking ldquoDo I deeat theCount De Montie in a duelrdquo Or takeit to the next level and ask ldquoDo my men-at-arms storm the Count De Montiersquoscastlerdquo Adjust the dial as necessary
O983152983156983145983151983150 M983137983156983139983144983145983150983143 D983145983139983141
Rolling doubles triples or quadru- ples can make a success much better ora ailure ar worse I your result die hasa match the effects will be much moredramatic You may add one ldquoandrdquostatement or each matching die I the
action is ailed this statement shouldmake the situation worse I the actionis a success the additional statement(s)should make the situation even better
For example Sir Camden aces LordKanersquos henchmen ldquoWill Sir Camden de-
eat the henchmenrdquo He is injured andoutnumbered so you will roll 2 penaltydice You roll and score 3 3 and 2 Youmust take the worst result - the double3 Normally this would be a ldquo Nordquo re-
sult but the matching 3 turns it into aldquo No andrdquo I you had rolled triple 3the result would have been ldquo No andandrdquo
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 142314
FU P983151983145983150983156983155FU Points are a resource that you spend to improve
a characterrsquos chance o success at an action Tey canbe used in two ways
B983151983150983157983155 D983145983141 Spend a FU Point beore a beat theodds roll to add a single bonus die Tis works like anyother bonus die You can add as many bonus dice as
you have FU Points but they must all be declared atthe same time
R983141-983154983151983148983148 Spend a FU Point afer a beat the oddsroll to re-roll a single die Te second result must stand- you cannot re-roll a re-roll You can re-roll as manydice as you have FU Points but you must declare themall at the same time beore the first die is re-rolled
You can spend multiple FU Points on any givenaction and or either or both effects It is completelywithin the rules to spend a FU Point to add a bonus
die beore a roll then another FU Point to re-roll a dieaferwards
Back at HQ Captain Vance tries to convinceGeneral Wallace to deploy the Rocket roops un-der his command Vance doesnrsquot have much going or him in this situation in terms o Descriptorsso you decide to spend 2 FU Points on the roll You
roll the basic die plus the two bonus dice gettinga 1 1 and 3 Not happy with this you spends yourlast FU Point on a re-roll You pick up one o the1rsquos and throw the die again
E983137983154983150983145983150983143 FU P983151983145983150983156983155 FU Points are earned duringplay or doing cool stuff and roleplaying your charac-ter Whenever you do something that stops play andmakes everyone go ldquoWowrdquo or laugh out loud at yourantics or anything else that everyone thinks should berewarded you earn a FU Point
S983156983137983154983156983145983150983143 FU P983151983145983150983156983155
Te number o FU Points you begina game with should be discussed beore
play begins Te more FU Points play-ers begin with the more easily they willachieve successes I playing games ohigh adventure or over-the-top actionit would be reasonable to begin with 2FU Points Super-powered heroes mightbegin with as many as 3 FU Points For
grittier games each player might onlybegin with 1 FU Point or even none
C983137983150 I 983143983145983158983141 983155983144983137983154983141 FU P983151983145983150983156983155
Tat is up to you and your groupTe deault is ldquonordquo but
D983151 N983137983154983154983137983156983151983154983155 983143983141983156 FU 983152983151983145983150983156983155
Usually no but they might allow a powerul villain or monster to have onetwo or three
O983156983144983141983154 983159983137983161983155 983156983151 983141983137983154983150 FU
You might like to change the way youearn FU Points You might earn them
or dealing the killing blow to monstersachieving your characterrsquos goal or roll-ing multiple 1rsquos or 6rsquos
Tis is a really good way to changethe tone or style o the game Want to
play a dungeon crawl Reward FU orkilling monsters A gritty dystopian
game Reward FU when the characters
lose out to Te Man Decide i these arethe only ways to earn FU or i they arein addition to the normal roleplayingrewards Tis decision will also have adramatic effect on the tone o play Seewhat you can do with it
O983156983144983141983154 983159983137983161983155 983156983151 983157983155983141 FU
Play around with FU Points Experi-ment or adjust the ways you use them
to suit your gaming group or the typeo story you are playing Here are somesuggestions
FU 983137983155 H983141983137983148983156983144
Rather than having a varying andchangeable number o FU points everycharacter begins with 3 Tey can bespent as normal but can also be lostwhen the character suffers physical ormental stress (injuries atigue earetc) FU in this instance can be rereshed
(brought back up to 3) by roleplayingout a (non-dice rolling) scene with an-other character that reveals somethingabout your relationship
R983141-R983151983148983148 E983158983141983154983161983156983144983145983150983143
Spend a FU point to re-roll all yourdice Tis is an all-or-nothing thing so
you canrsquot keep a couple o good resultsand roll the rest Use this variant in-stead o the normal re-roll rule
F983148983145983152 983137 P983145983152
Spend a FU Point to adjust a singledie up or down by one pip Spend mul-tiple FU points to adjust a die multiple
pips Tis option is more reliable thana re-roll as you will always be able toturn a ldquonordquo into a ldquoyesrdquo I you used thisvariant the normal re-roll rule shouldnot be used
U983155983141 983137 P983154983151983152Spend a FU point to turn a prop into
an item o Gear or the duration o thescene
S983156983157983150983156983155 983137983150983140 P983151983159983141983154983155
Give characters special abilitiesskills or powers that can only be used byspending a FU Point Tese should bemore powerul than Descriptors - makethem break the rules or give a superhu-man knack like the ability to fly or read
minds teleport or whatever
T983137983147983145983150983143 983137 H983145983156
Instead o rolling declare you areldquotaking a hitrdquo All the dice you shouldhave rolled are treated as i they rolled1rsquos (yes i you are holding 5 dice theycount as five 1rsquos) In return or your su-
ering you earn a FU Point
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 152315
ACTION
SUMMARY
SET THE SCENEWhere does the scene take place Who is there What do they want Doyou need to break down into turns
ACTRoleplay your character and describe what is going on Push toward theobjective
ASK A QUESTIONWhen you need to resolve a conflict or complete an action ask a closedquestion (eg ldquoDo I succeedrdquo)
FACTOR IN MODIFIERS+1 bonus die or every Descriptor item o Gear Detail Condition or other
eature that makes the action easier+1 penalty die or every Descriptor item o Gear Detail Condition or othereature that makes the action harder
ROLLRoll all your dice Te result is the single best die (i rolling bonus dice) orsingle worst die (i rolling penalty dice)
DESCRIBE RESULTUse the die result to describe how the conflict or action turned out Apply
Conditions or Details as necessary
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 162316
Following is some simple straightorward adviceor Narrators It is all airly generic because all the spe-cific stuff is going to relate to the genre tone and styleo game that you and your players choose to play
9831371048684983147983145983150983143 983145983155 983143983151983151983140Start your game with a conversation alk about
what players want out o the game what you want andwhere those ideas overlap Tose overlaps are likelywhere everyone is going to have the most un At the very least you should work together to establish thegenre and tone o your shared story alk about thisstuff too so that everyone is clear o the specifics (thereis a world o difference between Gothic horror andsplatter films or example)
alk during the game too Encourage players toshare ideas and give input into scenes objectives andthe challenges characters ace I you need to clariyideas themes or issues then do that
L983145983155983156983141983150983145983150983143 983145983155 983143983151983151983140I there is going to be talk there needs to be listen-
ing Listen to your players and the things they tell youeither in conversation or when they do things withtheir character Do stuff that relates to the Descriptors
written on the playerrsquos character sheets because that iswhat they think is cool
W983144983141983150 9831521048684983137983161983145983150983143When running games donrsquot plan too much ahead
o time Te dice rolls are going to direct a lot o theaction and you and the players will fill in the gaps byapplying Conditions and Details Here are some tipsto keep things moving and help you enjoy the game as
much as the players doK983141983141983152 983156983144983145983150983143983155 983155983145983149983152983148983141 Do not complicate your job
by introducing lots o sub-plots or convoluted twistsTings will get all messed about by themselves and the
story will run off on tangents that you never dreamedo
Y983151983157 983137983154983141 983150983151983156 983156983144983141 983141983150983141983149983161 this may seem obviousbut is worth stating Your role is to help guide the storyin interesting directions not to kill everyone You cangive players hints and ideas i you think this will lead toa better story Sometimes you will portray the adver-saries and are expected to do so vigorously but airlyOther times you will get to be an ally companion orpeer and once again you should be true to the spirit othe game
S983137983161 ldquoY983141983155rdquo i players make suggestions or ask ques-tions it is probably because they are interested in whatis going on Tey probably have a cool idea to introduceto the story Encourage this and confidently say ldquoyesrdquoto requests Tis doesnrsquot mean you should let playersget anything they want ndash but you should let players in-troduce elements into the story when the time is right
M983137983147983141 983154983151983148983148983155 983149983141983137983150983145983150983143983142983157983148 Every time you callor a die roll it should mean something interesting isgoing to happen NO MAER HE RESUL Donrsquot
have players make rolls i the result is not important tothe story or i ailure will stop the momentum o thestory
NARRATOR
983091 Q983157983141983155983156983145983151983150983155 983156983151 983142983154983137983149983141 983161983151983157983154 983143983137983149983141
When you begin a game talk withthe players about their expectations ryto answer the ollowing three questions
W983144983137983156 983159983145983148983148 983139983144983137983154983137983139983156983141983154983155 983140983151983103
Do players want to kick in doorskill monsters and take home piles otreasure Do they want to eel like epicheroes Or the underdogs strugglingagainst ridiculous odds
H983151983159 983140983151 983152983148983137983161983141983154983155 983159983137983150983156 983156983151 983142983141983141983148983103
Do the players want to eel like theyare changing the world Like their char-acter is gaining in wealth prestige or
power Or do they want to eel like theirbacks are against the wall and their livesconstantly at risk
W983144983137983156 983145983155 983156983144983141 N983137983154983154983137983156983151983154rsquo983155 983154983151983148983141983103
What kinds o challenges encoun-ters and situations are you going to pre-
sent the characters in order to achievethe above Do you need to ensure everychallenge is accompanied by a generousreward Are you going to make every
fight hard but air Will you be relent-less in the pursuit o the antagonistrsquos
goals
Answer these questions and every-one at the table will be clear on theirrole in the coming adventure
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 172317
R983141983139983151983158983141983154983161During games characters can suffer injuries be-
come physically or mentally stressed and be afflictedby a range o other Conditions Conditions are alwaysrecovered at a time andor rate appropriate to the sto-ry Tis is usually with the passing o time but doesnot have to be A good rule o thumb is that one or
more Conditions can be removedrecovered betweenscenes though this will depend on the timing o suchencounters
R983141983159983137983154983140983155Reward players or good roleplaying and achieving
goals by giving them FU Points You may also rewardthem or a variety o other reasons as your group de-cides (see the sidebar on page 12) FU Points can beused to improve a characters chance o success and arethereore a great immediate tangible reward You donrsquot
have to be the only one at the table offering rewardsthough All players should speak up when someonehas done something cool unny or awesome and re-ward a FU Point
H983151983159 983149983157983139983144 983144983151983159 983151983142983156983141983150 Be generous with yourrewards as the positive reinorcement o earning FUPoints will inspire them on to greater acts o heroismspectacle or depravity as the case may be Also takeinto account whether this will be a ldquoone offrdquo game ora part o an ongoing story or campaign - players arelikely to burn through FU Points aster in a singe ses-
sion game and will need their resources replenishedaster
C983144983137983154983137983139983156983141983154983155 983078 O9831389831559831569831379831391048684983141983155All the characters monsters traps villains terrain
eatures creatures and obstacles that are encounteredduring a story are defined in much the same way ascharacters You are not confined by any rules or re-strictions when creating characters or obstacles theonly thing you must do is make them entertaining andinteresting
T983144983141 B983151983159983148
One technique or rewarding FUPoints is to place a bowl o beads chitsor tokens in the centre o the table Eachbead is a FU Point Te Narrator cantell players to ldquotake one rom the bowlrdquoand other players can reach in when it isappropriate to reward a player by pass-ing a bead rom the bowl Tis requirestrust between players and Narrator butmakes the running o the game verysmooth as no-one has to stop and askldquoDoes that deserve a FU Pointrdquo
A983140983158983137983150983139983141983149983141983150983156
FU is not a game about ldquolevellinguprdquo While characters might have avariety o experiences and learn romthem the real advancement comes romthe changing story andor world
I appropriate players can changeone Descriptor between game sessionsTis alteration should relate in someway to the experiences and story theircharacter just participated in Gear canbe changed between sessions at the Nar-ratorrsquos discretion
Goals might also change rom gamesession to game session Give playerstime to consider their goals at the starto each session and let them adjust orchange them as necessary
T983154983137983139983147983145983150983143 983151983138983155983156983137983139983148983141983155
Use sticky-notes or index cards torecord details about your charactersmonsters and obstacles Write downDescriptors Gear and other ino Asthey suffer Conditions record those onthe card
Use index cards to record importantterrain eatures too Write down anyDescriptor(s) pertaining to the eature
so players can take them into accountas they plan their actions
W983144983137983156 983140983151 I 983155983144983137983154983141 983159983145983156983144 983152983148983137983161983141983154983155
Some groups play open making nosecret o the Descriptors and details ocreatures and monsters Other groups(andor Narrators) keep this inorma-tion hidden rom players Both options
provide or different styles o play
Playing an open table means eve-ryone is clear about what is going onwhat opportunities exist or cool scenesand actions Players can see what GearConditions and Descriptors are ldquoin
playrdquo and incorporate them into scenes
Keeping the details o villains trapsand other obstacles rom the playerswill push them to test their enemies ex-
plore the environment and try differentthings Tey can manoeuvre themselvesand situations in directions they thinkwill be advantageous It is always satis-
ying to be rewarded with bonus dice oraccurately guessing an enemyrsquos Descrip-tors
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 182318
ennessee Smith amed explorer has finally got a solid lead on the whereabouts o the ancientIdol o ot an object o reported supernatural power Unortunately Smithrsquos arch enemy Giles
Fishburne is also on the trail o the Idol and hasthrown his lot in with the Nazis
Tis short adventure will get you into the actionquickly It illustrates one way you might prepare yourown adventures adversaries and obstacles Use thepre-generated characters presented at the end o theadventure Race to the emple o ot consists o a serieso set-piece encounters that you can use rearrange andignore at your leisure Remember that beat the oddsrolls will lead to all kinds o interesting twists and
turns and once the characters set out on the adventureanything is possible
B983141983142983151983154983141 983161983151983157 983138983141983143983145983150Beore starting play have a quick discussion about
the tone and style o the game Te scenario is clas-sic pulp - over the top action outrageous villains andlarger than lie heroes Make sure everyone is on thesame page here - talk about what makes this genre cooland perhaps point out examples o the genre (Indiana Jones Te Mummy Te Rocketeer ) and what parts o
these you enjoyedRead the flavour text above (the stuff in italics) and
get everyone at the table to throw around some ideaso cool stuff they would like to see happen during theadventure Note it all down - when things slow or iyou get stuck or what to do next chuck one o theseideas into the mix
S983139983141983150983141983155Te scenes presented here have a description o
where the action takes place and suggest Descriptorsyou or the players might incorporate into the actionTe italics set up the action o the scene and the objec-tive Paraphrase the details or your players
C98314498313710486841048684983141983150983143983141983155Te challenges and adversaries in this adventure
are recorded in boxes with relevant Descriptors Con-ditions and Notes Tese are to guide you and do nothave to be used Your own cool ideas should alwaystrump anything written here
E983155983139983137983152983141 983156983144983141 B9831571048684983137983147 M983137983154983147983141983156S983139983141983150983141 Central Asia - a bustling market in the city
o Bulak - Midday all stone and mud-brick buildingswith narrow arched windows surround the central
market stalls and caes bars and emporiums run offin all directions along winding narrow streets
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Crowded streets Exotic goods
Te characters have just acquired a map to theemple o ot Unortunately Nazi goons have ar-rived and want the map too Tere are a lot o goons and while the characters could fight themit might be easier to flee Do the characters escape
NAZI GOONS
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Lots o goons Beey AryansNot too bright
G983141983137983154 Noisy Sub-machine guns
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 ConusedrappedSlowedOut o Action
N983151983156983141983155 Tere are a number o goon squads equal tothe number o characters
W983144983137983156 983139983137983150 983143983151 983159983154983151983150983143983103 Te characters are cap-tured Te map is lost
9831549831379831509831551048684983137983156983145983150983143 983156983144983141 M983137983152S983139983141983150983141 A dark coffee lounge cae or back roomsomewhere in the city o Bulak Te smell o strongcoffee and exotic ood permeates the room
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Private
ennessee Smith and his companions have themap but must now translate it puzzling out thestrange symbols and markings Do they translatethe map
TRANSLATING THE MAP
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Ancient glyphs Brittle paperC983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 ornRuinedSmudged
Burnt to a crisp
W983144983137983156 983139983137983150 983143983151 983159983154983151983150983143983103 Te map is damaged Techaracters misread the map Tey cannot read the mapand must get help rom an expert in ancient languages
RACE TO THE TEMPLE OF TOT
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 192319
983144983141 G983151983157 Z983151983157 G983151983154983143983141S983139983141983150983141 Te majestic Gou Zou Gorge hal a mile
deep and crossed by a single iron girder railway bridgeWide open plains lie on either side o the gorge and theKow Mountains lie in the distance
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Open plains Impassible Gorge
Te characters ollow the map to Gou ZouGorge by car or horse back Giles Fishburne is ap- proaching ast aboard the German dirigible DerVogel Do the characters cross the bridge saelyDo they keep their lead on the Germans
NAZI BIRD TRUPPEN
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Tey Fly Agile
G983141983137983154 Delicate Flying Harness DeadlyStick Grenade
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 ConusedGrounded
SlowedOut o ActionN983151983156983141983155 Tere are a number o Bird ruppen equalto the number o characters
GOU ZOU BRIDGE
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Wide but narrow
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 RicketyBlown all to hell
N983151983156983141983155 You know you must introduce an approach-ing train right
W983144983137983156 983139983137983150 983143983151 983159983154983151983150983143983103 Te bridge is destroyed
Te map is lost the characters are captured
983144983141 98314110486859831521048684983141S983139983141983150983141 An ancient temple ashioned into the side
o a mountain Grand statues o sinister looking godsand daemons line the walls Dust covers everythingTe tunnel leads deeper into the mountain
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Dark Silent
Te characters must penetrate the heart o thetemple but the map warned o nearious traps
and terrible guardians Do they get past the trapsand guardians
NEFARIOUS TRAPS
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Hidden Deadly
G983141983137983154 Poison Darts Rusting Spears
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 DisarmedSet-offRevealed
N983151983156983141983155 Challenge characters with one or two trapsell them the passage is trapped but donrsquot tell themhow or where the traps are until they are sprung
STONE STATUE GUARDIAN
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Big Heavy Slow Relentless
G983141983137983154 Heavy Stone Weapons
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 DamagedOff balanceSlowedOut o Action
N983151983156983141983155 Tere is one Statue Guardian or every two
characters Te large heavy weapons can strikemultiple characters at once
W983144983137983156 983139983137983150 983143983151 983159983154983151983150983143983103 Characters cannot getpast traps characters are injured by traps
983144983141 I9831409831511048684 C9831449831371048685983138983141983154S983139983141983150983141 A large stone chamber ingeniously lit by
mirrors reflecting sunlight Te Idol o ot - a gold-en statue o a seven-headed monkey - sits on a stoneplinth in the centre o the room
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Large bronze mirrors
Te characters enter the chamber o the idolonly to find that Giles Fishburne and his Nazi goons are here too Do they deeat Giles and es-cape with the Idol
GILES FISHBURNE
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Smart Arrogant Sword fighter
G983141983137983154 Polished Sabre
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 ConusedInjuredSlowedOut o Action
N983151983156983141983155 Giles is a greedy arrogant villain but heisnrsquot stupid I things start looking dire he will attemptto escape make a deal andor double-cross anyone inhis way He has no loyalty to the Nazis
C983144983137983154983137983139983156983141983154983155Four pre-made characters can be ound on the next
page Tey are each examples o classic pulp charac-ter archetypes Players may tweak or adjust them atthe Narratorrsquos discretion beore play starts perhapschanging a Descriptor or two or switching out an item
o Gear Beore starting the game each player shoulddefine one or two relationships describing how thecharacters know each other A quick and easy way todo this is or everyone to describe how they know thecharacter to their lef
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 202320
TENNESSEE SMITH DAREDEVIL EXPLORER
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Nimble Level Headed Use BullWhip Araid o Heights
G983141983137983154 Bull Whip Worn Leather Jacket
D983154983145983158983141983155 Find the Idol o ot
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 AngryScaredired
rapped
Blinded
HungryDazedInjuredDying
ennessee Smith is a mild-mannered proes-sor o history but in his spare time he travelsinto the wilderness in search o lost arteacts andtreasure Ruggedly handsome he always seemsto keep his cool no matter how much danger heis inmdashand he tends to get into a lot o it
R983141983148983137983156983145983151983150983155983144983145983152983155
N983151983156983141983155
HARVEY REED RETIRED BOXER
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Strong Tinks-on-his-Feet BoxerUgly as Sin
G983141983137983154 Roll o quarters Poor fitting suitD983154983145983158983141983155 Look out or ennessee Smith
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 AngryScarediredrappedBlindedHungryDazedInjuredDying
Harvey Reed is a recently retired championboxer Finding the sedentary lie a little too bor-ing he has joined his old riend ennessee insearch o adventure
R983141983148983137983156983145983151983150983155983144983145983152983155
N983151983156983141983155
JIMMY SWEET PLUCKY KID
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Quick Smart-aleckUnderestimated Young
G983141983137983154 Noisy Firecrackers Dirty BaseballCap
D983154983145983158983141983155 See the 7 wonders o the world
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155
Angry
Scared
iredrappedBlindedHungryDazedInjuredDying
Jimmy Sweet is a happy-go-lucky kid who hasnever had anyone to rely on but himsel He iswiry tough and quick with a cheeky attitudethat requently gets him into trouble Jimmystowed away on a tramp steamer with the inten-tion o seeing the world and making his ortune
R983141983148983137983156983145983151983150983155983144983145983152983155
N983151983156983141983155
OCTOBER JONES GIRL REPORTER
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Beautiul Witty Good MemoryCurious
G983141983137983154 rusty Camera Tick Notebook D983154983145983158983141983155 Get the scoop on the real ennes-
see Smith
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 AngryScarediredrappedBlindedHungryDazedInjuredDying
October Jones is a reporter and adventurerafforded a great deal o reedom by her atherrsquosimmense wealth Beautiul intelligent and spoiltshe is a woman used to getting what she wants
R983141983148983137983156983145983151983150983155983144983145983152983155
N983151983156983141983155
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 212321
Tis list is by no means exhaustive but itrsquos a goodplace to start Each entry lists the kinds o things aDescriptor might be an advantage or hindrance orwhich makes it a handy reerence or both players and
Narrators
B983151983140983161 D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155A983143983145983148983141 helpul when dancing leaping doing gym-
nastics crawling through tight spaces and balancingA983149983138983145983140983141983160983156983154983151983157983155 great when shooting two guns at
the same time or doing slight-o-hand magic tricksB983148983151983150983140983141 good or getting people to underestimate
you not good i you spend too much time in the sunF983137983147983141 O983154983137983150983143983141 T983137983150 great or passing as an aging
celebrity and or drawing attention to yoursel
F983157983154983154983161 useul or resisting cold weather and livingin the woods
H983137983150983140983155983151983149983141 useul or flirting selling stuff gettingroles on V modelling and being popular
H983157983143983141 good or looking menacing reaching highplaces acting like a body builder or getting stuck insmall spaces
O983158983141983154983159983141983145983143983144983156 a problem when exercising andborrowing clothes
P983151983151983154 C983151983150983155983156983145983156983157983156983145983151983150 a hindrance when long dis-
tance running resisting damage perorming eats oendurance and healingQ983157983145983139983147 handy or ducking to and rom places
slight-o-hand dodging and other actions that requirespeed o action
R983137983162983151983154-983155983144983137983154983152 C983148983137983159983155 great or slicing up en-emies cutting vegetables and maybe climbing trees
S983144983151983154983156 a pain or reaching the top shel but use-ul or crawling under low objects and getting lost ina crowd
S983148983151983159 a problem when running dodging and re-
acting to thingsS983156983154983151983150983143 useul or lifing carrying smashing
and throwing things Wrestling and avoiding beingcrushed might also be aided
T983137983148983148 good or reaching the top shel climbingand seeing over other peoplersquos heads
T983144983145983150 handy or squeezing into places and clotheshiding behind poles and perorming on the catwalk
U983143983148983161 a problem when trying to seduce someoneor get a role on V
V983145983143983151983157983154 great or resisting poison long distancerunning and other eats o endurance
Weak a pain when lifing carrying smashing andthrowing stuff
W983141983138983138983141983140 F983141983141983156 great or swimming but terriblewhen buying shoes
M983145983150983140 D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155A983138983155983141983150983156-M983145983150983140983141983140 good or being distracted but a
problem when remembering where you lef the keysor that you just pulled the pin rom a hand grenade
B983151983151983147-S983149983137983154983156 great when doing exams knowingmath ormulas remembering dates in history andgenerally getting into Law at Harvard
C983151983149983152983157983156983141983154-W983145983162 good or programming fixing
your laptop and getting into PC vs Apple flame-warsD983145983149-W983145983156983156983141983140 a problem when listening to jokes
recognizing a trick or generally keeping up appear-ances in social settings
E983149983152983137983156983144983141983156983145983139 good or reading peoples emotionsdoing psychological evaluations and knowing how tocomort distressed people
F983151983139983157983155983141983140 good or staying on task not getting dis-tracted and looking serious
L983137983156983141983154983137983148 T983144983145983150983147983141983154 handy or problem solving
and approaching issues in new or unusual waysM983137983156983144983141983149983137983156983145983139983145983137983150 great or doing sums solvingequations and doing your tax
O983138983155983141983154983158983137983150983156 great or spotting hidden clues no-ticing details doing find-a-words and reading bodylanguage
O983154983137983156983151983154 good or public speaking debating andgetting people to see your point o view
S983148983151983159 a pain when trying to understand plans orlearn new things
T983137983139983156983145983139983145983137983150 great or planning battles remember-
ing military history and quoting sun suU983150983141983140983157983139983137983156983141983140 a pain when reading doing math
remembering important dates in history and doingany school-type tests
W983145983155983141 handy or sprouting proverbs giving adviceputting unrelated clues together interpreting peoplersquosreactions and saying lsquoI told you sorsquo
W983145983156983156983161 good or making unny comments beingcharming and or entertaining and always knowingthe right thing to say
APPENDIX - DESCRIPTORS
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 222322
E983140983143983141 D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155A983139983154983151983138983137983156983145983139983155 great or joining the circus leaping
through narrow gaps and doing impressive flipsA983154983139983137983150983141 K983150983151983159983148983141983140983143983141 good or identiying mys-
tic arteacts recognizing the presence o evil magicand reading ancient scrolls
C983151983157983154983137983143983141 handy when seeing something scary
telling your wie you orgot your anniversary and at-tempting other dangerous acts
D983154983145983158983145983150983143 great or car racing car chases and pass-ing your driving exam
F983141983150983139983145983150983143 good or sword fighting and other civi-lized orms o melee
G983151983151983140 M983141983149983151983154983161 handy or remembering namesand aces vital clues and mathematical ormulas
H983157983150983156983145983150983143 good when tracking and stalking look-ing good in camouflage and knowing what an angryrhinoceros sounds like
K983141983141983150 S983145983143983144983156 great or seeing a long way or evendoing stuff by moonlight
L983145983150983143983157983145983155983156983145983139983155 good or speaking one (or more)oreign languages and generally communicating withothers
M983137983143983145983139 great or knowing the mystic arts castingspells or acting like a stage magician
M983141983140983145983139983145983150983141 good or perorming operations diag-nosing illness and administering first aid
N983137983155983156983161 B983145983156983141 great or really hurting someone in
combat chewing your own arm off or winning a pieeating contestR983145983139983144 handy or buying luxury sports cars getting
invited to exclusive parties and bribing city officialsW983154983141983155983156983148983145983150983143 good or fighting unarmed combat
and pinning opponents to the ground
F1048684983137983159 D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155B983148983145983150983140 a pain when doing anything that requires
sight such as shooting navigating an unamiliar spaceor painting
B983154983137983158983141 good or charging into mortal danger act-ing oolhardy and getting into deep trouble
C983148983157983149983155983161 a problem when carrying a valuable vase
visiting an antique store or trying to cross a booby-trapped room
G983154983141983141983140983161 a pain when resisting the urge to steal lieor in some other way keep or obtain wealth
I983150-H983157983149983137983150 A983152983152983141983137983154983137983150983139983141 a hindrance when try-ing not to get noticed avoiding attention or finding apair o pants that fit just right
M983145983155983155983145983150983143 L983141983143 a problem when running climbingor perorming any other activity that involves move-ment without prosthetics or a wheel chair
O983148983140 a pain when trying to look cool climb stairsuse a computer or be positive about your health
P983151983151983154 a hindrance when wanting to buy ood orclothes or trying to get into an exclusive party
P983151983151983154 S983145983143983144983156 a pain when trying to recognizesomeone or thing driving at night or noticing visualclues
P983154983145983149983145983156983145983158983141 a problem when using mobile phonescars and door bells as well as interacting at more civi-lized social occasions
S983149983141983148983148983161 a hindrance when trying to impress peo-
ple or hiding rom wild animals or trackersW983137983150983156983141983140 a pain when trying to keep out o trou-ble or needing something rom your apartment
Y983151983157983150983143 a problem when trying to get into clubs betaken seriously by adults avoid school or see over thedash in a car
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 2323
NAME CONCEPT
BODY
MIND
EDGE
FLAW
DESCRIPTION
ROLL RESULT
6 Yes and
4 Yes
2 Yes but
5 No but
3 No
1 No and
A983150983143983154983161 983154983137983152983152983141983140 D983137983162983141983140
S983139983137983154983141983140 B1048684983145983150983140983141983140 I983150983146983157983154983141983140
983145983154983141983140 H983157983150983143983154983161 D983161983145983150983143
DRIVESWHAT DO YOU WANT
WHAT IS STOPPING YOU
WHAT WILL YOU DO
RELATIONSHIPS
C O N D I T I O N S
F U
P O I N T S
T H E O D D S
NOTES
G E A R
FU
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 112311
B983141983137983156983145983150983143 983156983144983141 O983140983140983155When a character attempts an action where the
outcome is not immediately andor completely obvi-ous you make a beat the odds roll
o resolve an action roll a d6 Your objective is tolsquobeat the oddsrsquo by rolling an even number Te higherthe even number the better the result I you roll an
odd number the action either ailed or wasnrsquot quite asgood as needed or expected Te lower the odd num-ber the worse the result Tere is a handy chart belowthat helps illustrate this idea
Te beat the odds roll is the heart o FU While mosto the time even numbers are good and odd numbersare bad the precise situation will dictate the actual re-sults It may be that the roll o a 1 does not indicate anoutrageous ailure so much as a success in the mostminimal or ragile o ways
We are going to ollow the trials and tribula-tions o two characters rom two different settingsin this chapter
Sir Camden is riding afer the evil Lord KaneHe sees Lord Kane leap a tall hedgerow disappear-ing into the orest beyond Sir Camden now triesto leap the hedge so you roll a d6 scoring 2 SirCamdenrsquos horse clears the hedge but Sir Camdenis jostled about in the saddle and is momentarilyconused
Captain Vance ducks as another hail o bullets peppers the wall he is hiding behind Grabbing adamaged radio he flicks some switches and triesto call HQ or back-up You roll a d6 and score a 1Vance ails to find the right requency and a straybullet hits the radio destroying it
R983151983148983148 D983151 983161983151983157 983143983141983156 983159983144983137983156 983161983151983157 983159983137983150983156983103
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 donrsquot get what you want but itrsquos not a total loss
3 No You donrsquot get what you were afer
1 No and You donrsquot get what you want and things get worse
C983148983151983155983141983140 Q983157983141983155983156983145983151983150983155
FU uses a closed question ormat tohelp resolve actions A closed questioncan only be answered with a ldquoyesrdquo orldquonordquo statement When you reach a situ-ation that needs to be resolved by dice
propose a closed question ldquoDo I leapthe chasmrdquo ldquoDo I punch that jerk inthe noserdquo ldquoDoes the tavern wench all
or my easy charm and winning smilerdquoTe roll o the die will answer the ques-tion and guide your response
A lot o the time you wonrsquot need toask the question explicitly - it will be ob-vious rom the action you attempt ldquoyoutake a run up and leap rom the edge othe chasm Rollrdquo
A983148983156983141983154983150983137983156983145983158983141 Q983157983141983155983156983145983151983150983155
You can pose different questionsi you want though you will have tochange the result chart An obviousquestion is ldquoHow well do I succeedrdquoTis might garner the ollowing results
Roll How well do you succeed
6 Legendary success
4 Complete success
2 Only just succeed
5 Fail by the smallest margin
3 Complete ailure
1 Epic ailure and then some
Feel ree to come up with your ownquestions and answers as suits theneeds o your group game and story
A983148983156983141983154983150983137983156983145983158983141 D983145983139983141 R983151983148983148983155
Some players are not ans o theevenodd results Many preer a 1-3Bad 4-6 Good result In that case theresult chart would look like this
Roll Do you get what you want
6 Yes and
5 Yes
4 Yes but
3 No but
2 No
1 No and
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 122312
S983157983139983139983141983155983155 983078 F9831379831451048684983157983154983141When you make a beat the odds roll your character
will either succeed at what they were attempting orthey wont Tis is usually enough to push your storyurther along but other things can happen too
When you attempt an action you are asking ldquoDoesmy character get what they wantrdquo Tere are six pos-
sible answers to this questionYes and
Yes
Yes but
No but
No
No and
Yes and No are pretty straight orward - they tell youwhether the action succeeded or not Te and and but are qualifiers that modiy how good the success or howbad the ailure was When you get a qualifier you makean extra statement about how the action succeeded orailed Tis extra statement can add a Condition to acharacter or a Detail to a scene
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 Tese are physical mental or socialeffects that impact on the way a character behaves orattempts actions Conditions include things like an- gry conused tired and unconscious Tere are severallisted on the FU character sheet and there is space oryou to write your own
D983141983156983137983145983148983155 Tese are eatures o an environment orscene that might change as a result o an action Detailsmight include curtains catching fire windows break-ing animals running off or machinery stalling De-tails are always closely tied to the scene and the action
E983160983137983149983152983148983141983155 983151983142 S983157983139983139983141983155983155 983078 F983137983145983148983157983154983141
Going back to an earlier exampleletrsquos see what might have happenedwhen we apply each possible answer tothe question
ldquoDoes Sir Camden leap the hedgerdquo
Yes and he catches up with LordKane Tis is a Detail that changes thescene
Yes he leaps the hedge Tere is noandbut qualifier so no Condition orDetail is added
Yes but Sir Camden is disorientedand momentarily confused Tis is aCondition applied to the character
No but he spots a gap in the hedge urther along Tis Detail gives the char-acter another way to continue the chase
No the horse shies away rom the jump Tere is no andbut qualifier sono Condition or Detail is added
No and his horse rears up throwinghim to the ground causing an injury Tis is a Condition
W983144983151 983139983144983151983151983155983141983155 C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 983078D983141983156983137983145983148983155
Anyone can suggest a Condition orDetail that they eel is appropriate tothe action taken and result achievedUsually the player that rolled the diceand the Narrator will work together tocome up with a suitably dramatic effectBut really anyone at the table shouldthrow in whatever cool idea they have
Te Narrator always has final sayover what Condition or Detail is ap-
plied to a result
W983144983141983150 983155983144983151983157983148983140 I 983157983155983141 C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155
Like all qualifiers it depends onsituation In the examples above Con-ditions are applied to the acting playerwhen things donrsquot quite go right orthem ( Yes but No and ) Te Condi-tions make lie a bit more difficult or
the character because o the minimalsuccess or outright ailure
You can also apply Conditions tothe target o an action when things are
going right or your character I youare debating with a bureaucrat and geta Yes and result you might apply theconfused Condition to the target I youattempt to outrun an enemy and get the
No but result they might catch up with
you but have the tired Condition Ap- plying Conditions in this way will likely give player characters an advantagelater in the scene
W983144983141983150 983155983144983151983157983148983140 I 983157983155983141 D983141983156983137983145983148983155
Apply Details when the action is like-ly to change the scene or environment insome way Tis might be a change in the
power dynamic o the scene (ldquo Yes he
leaps the hedge and he catches up withLord Kanerdquo) or a change in the physicalenvironment (ldquo No but he spots a gap inthe hedgerdquo)
Details are ofen applied when theacting character gains some advantage( Yes and No but ) Tey can be usedto great effect however to make situa-tions more entertaining and or dan-
gerous
ldquoDo you swing across the room on
the chandelier Yes but candles allloose and set fire to the tavernrdquo
Details can provide instant or on- going effects depending on the circum-stances A gap in the hedge can be usedimmediately to continue the chase aburning tavern will continue to be ahazard until someone puts the fire out
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 132313
M983151983140983145983142983145983141983154983155Sometimes circumstances equipment and skill will
make actions easier or harder Modifiers change thenumber o dice you get to roll when taking action
M983137983147983145983150983143 T983144983145983150983143983155 E983137983155983145983141983154 Roll an additional dieor each Descriptor piece o Gear Condition or De-tail that provides some advantage to the action being
taken Te result is the single best (not necessarilyhighest) die roll as the player chooses
In the woods Sir Camden tries to track LordKane You point out that the knight is a goodhunter so you get an extra d6 Rolling 2d6 youscore a 5 and a 4 Keeping the 4 it is decided thatafer a brie search Sir Camden finds Lord Kanersquostracks and ollows them to a sinister citadel
M983137983147983145983150983143 T983144983145983150983143983155 H983137983154983140983141983154 Roll an extra die oreach Descriptor bit o Gear Condition or Detail that
makes the action harder Te result is the single worstdie roll
Captain Vance decides to run to a near-by jeepTe Narrator points out there is no cover betweenVancersquos hiding spot and the vehicle ldquoDoes Vance get to the jeep uninjuredrdquo You roll 2d6 scoringa 3 and a 5 You must accept the 3 and CaptainVance is injured as he reaches the jeep
C983137983150983139983141983148983148983145983150983143 O983157983156 One beneficial die cancels out
one hindering die so you will never be rolling lsquonega-tiversquo and lsquopositiversquo dice at the same time
Later in his quest Sir Camden must scale asheer (-) cliff Te knight is strong (+) and hasa rope (+) Overall this means a single bonus tothe action (the sheer cliff and the knightrsquos strengthcancel each other out just leaving the rope) Youroll 2d6 scoring a 3 and 6
E983160983137983149983152983148983141 983151983142 M983151983140983145983142983145983141983154983155
Captain Vance hurtles along in the jeep when a guard tries to drag himout through the window ldquoWill Vanceshake the guard offrdquo It is hard (+) todrag Vance out the window but he iswounded (-) and surprised (-) and the
attacker is very strong (-) In total youmust roll 2 penalty dice You roll 3d6scoring a 2 4 and 3 and must take theworst result the 3 Te guard wrestlesVance out o the jeep
O983156983144983141983154 983156983161983152983141983155 983151983142 983154983151983148983148983155
FU has no such thing as lsquoopposedrollsrsquo or lsquocontested actionsrsquo lsquodamagerollsrsquo and lsquorolling to hitrsquo Te beat theodds roll is the only kind o roll usedin FU whether you are trying to drive
a car through a crowded mall armwrestle a giant or shrug off the damagecaused by a stray bullet
H983151983159 983140983151 ldquo983151983152983152983151983155983141983140rdquo 983137983139983156983145983151983150983155 983159983151983154983147
For a start only players ever rolldice You begin by actoring in all thebonuses (+) and penalties (-) that applyto your character Ten you take stocko all the actors that would apply tothe opponent and apply those into your
roll too Is the opponent weak You geta bonus die Is the opponent a worldchampion arm wrestler You actor ina penalty die And so on until every-thing is actored in When you knowhow many bonus andor penalty dice
you have roll I the result is an even
number you win the contest i the finalresult is an odd number your opponenthas the advantage
D983145983137983148983145983150983143 983145983150 983151983150 Y983151983157983154 983137983139983156983145983151983150
Sword fights political debates spaceraces international wars argumentsand gun battles are all resolved usingthe beat the odds roll Te key is to dialin or out o the action through the kindo questions you attempt to resolve Youcan fight a dramatic sword fight and ex-
change a series o blows by asking ldquoDoI hit the Count De Montierdquo But youcould also resolve the entire fight witha single roll by asking ldquoDo I deeat theCount De Montie in a duelrdquo Or takeit to the next level and ask ldquoDo my men-at-arms storm the Count De Montiersquoscastlerdquo Adjust the dial as necessary
O983152983156983145983151983150 M983137983156983139983144983145983150983143 D983145983139983141
Rolling doubles triples or quadru- ples can make a success much better ora ailure ar worse I your result die hasa match the effects will be much moredramatic You may add one ldquoandrdquostatement or each matching die I the
action is ailed this statement shouldmake the situation worse I the actionis a success the additional statement(s)should make the situation even better
For example Sir Camden aces LordKanersquos henchmen ldquoWill Sir Camden de-
eat the henchmenrdquo He is injured andoutnumbered so you will roll 2 penaltydice You roll and score 3 3 and 2 Youmust take the worst result - the double3 Normally this would be a ldquo Nordquo re-
sult but the matching 3 turns it into aldquo No andrdquo I you had rolled triple 3the result would have been ldquo No andandrdquo
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 142314
FU P983151983145983150983156983155FU Points are a resource that you spend to improve
a characterrsquos chance o success at an action Tey canbe used in two ways
B983151983150983157983155 D983145983141 Spend a FU Point beore a beat theodds roll to add a single bonus die Tis works like anyother bonus die You can add as many bonus dice as
you have FU Points but they must all be declared atthe same time
R983141-983154983151983148983148 Spend a FU Point afer a beat the oddsroll to re-roll a single die Te second result must stand- you cannot re-roll a re-roll You can re-roll as manydice as you have FU Points but you must declare themall at the same time beore the first die is re-rolled
You can spend multiple FU Points on any givenaction and or either or both effects It is completelywithin the rules to spend a FU Point to add a bonus
die beore a roll then another FU Point to re-roll a dieaferwards
Back at HQ Captain Vance tries to convinceGeneral Wallace to deploy the Rocket roops un-der his command Vance doesnrsquot have much going or him in this situation in terms o Descriptorsso you decide to spend 2 FU Points on the roll You
roll the basic die plus the two bonus dice gettinga 1 1 and 3 Not happy with this you spends yourlast FU Point on a re-roll You pick up one o the1rsquos and throw the die again
E983137983154983150983145983150983143 FU P983151983145983150983156983155 FU Points are earned duringplay or doing cool stuff and roleplaying your charac-ter Whenever you do something that stops play andmakes everyone go ldquoWowrdquo or laugh out loud at yourantics or anything else that everyone thinks should berewarded you earn a FU Point
S983156983137983154983156983145983150983143 FU P983151983145983150983156983155
Te number o FU Points you begina game with should be discussed beore
play begins Te more FU Points play-ers begin with the more easily they willachieve successes I playing games ohigh adventure or over-the-top actionit would be reasonable to begin with 2FU Points Super-powered heroes mightbegin with as many as 3 FU Points For
grittier games each player might onlybegin with 1 FU Point or even none
C983137983150 I 983143983145983158983141 983155983144983137983154983141 FU P983151983145983150983156983155
Tat is up to you and your groupTe deault is ldquonordquo but
D983151 N983137983154983154983137983156983151983154983155 983143983141983156 FU 983152983151983145983150983156983155
Usually no but they might allow a powerul villain or monster to have onetwo or three
O983156983144983141983154 983159983137983161983155 983156983151 983141983137983154983150 FU
You might like to change the way youearn FU Points You might earn them
or dealing the killing blow to monstersachieving your characterrsquos goal or roll-ing multiple 1rsquos or 6rsquos
Tis is a really good way to changethe tone or style o the game Want to
play a dungeon crawl Reward FU orkilling monsters A gritty dystopian
game Reward FU when the characters
lose out to Te Man Decide i these arethe only ways to earn FU or i they arein addition to the normal roleplayingrewards Tis decision will also have adramatic effect on the tone o play Seewhat you can do with it
O983156983144983141983154 983159983137983161983155 983156983151 983157983155983141 FU
Play around with FU Points Experi-ment or adjust the ways you use them
to suit your gaming group or the typeo story you are playing Here are somesuggestions
FU 983137983155 H983141983137983148983156983144
Rather than having a varying andchangeable number o FU points everycharacter begins with 3 Tey can bespent as normal but can also be lostwhen the character suffers physical ormental stress (injuries atigue earetc) FU in this instance can be rereshed
(brought back up to 3) by roleplayingout a (non-dice rolling) scene with an-other character that reveals somethingabout your relationship
R983141-R983151983148983148 E983158983141983154983161983156983144983145983150983143
Spend a FU point to re-roll all yourdice Tis is an all-or-nothing thing so
you canrsquot keep a couple o good resultsand roll the rest Use this variant in-stead o the normal re-roll rule
F983148983145983152 983137 P983145983152
Spend a FU Point to adjust a singledie up or down by one pip Spend mul-tiple FU points to adjust a die multiple
pips Tis option is more reliable thana re-roll as you will always be able toturn a ldquonordquo into a ldquoyesrdquo I you used thisvariant the normal re-roll rule shouldnot be used
U983155983141 983137 P983154983151983152Spend a FU point to turn a prop into
an item o Gear or the duration o thescene
S983156983157983150983156983155 983137983150983140 P983151983159983141983154983155
Give characters special abilitiesskills or powers that can only be used byspending a FU Point Tese should bemore powerul than Descriptors - makethem break the rules or give a superhu-man knack like the ability to fly or read
minds teleport or whatever
T983137983147983145983150983143 983137 H983145983156
Instead o rolling declare you areldquotaking a hitrdquo All the dice you shouldhave rolled are treated as i they rolled1rsquos (yes i you are holding 5 dice theycount as five 1rsquos) In return or your su-
ering you earn a FU Point
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 152315
ACTION
SUMMARY
SET THE SCENEWhere does the scene take place Who is there What do they want Doyou need to break down into turns
ACTRoleplay your character and describe what is going on Push toward theobjective
ASK A QUESTIONWhen you need to resolve a conflict or complete an action ask a closedquestion (eg ldquoDo I succeedrdquo)
FACTOR IN MODIFIERS+1 bonus die or every Descriptor item o Gear Detail Condition or other
eature that makes the action easier+1 penalty die or every Descriptor item o Gear Detail Condition or othereature that makes the action harder
ROLLRoll all your dice Te result is the single best die (i rolling bonus dice) orsingle worst die (i rolling penalty dice)
DESCRIBE RESULTUse the die result to describe how the conflict or action turned out Apply
Conditions or Details as necessary
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 162316
Following is some simple straightorward adviceor Narrators It is all airly generic because all the spe-cific stuff is going to relate to the genre tone and styleo game that you and your players choose to play
9831371048684983147983145983150983143 983145983155 983143983151983151983140Start your game with a conversation alk about
what players want out o the game what you want andwhere those ideas overlap Tose overlaps are likelywhere everyone is going to have the most un At the very least you should work together to establish thegenre and tone o your shared story alk about thisstuff too so that everyone is clear o the specifics (thereis a world o difference between Gothic horror andsplatter films or example)
alk during the game too Encourage players toshare ideas and give input into scenes objectives andthe challenges characters ace I you need to clariyideas themes or issues then do that
L983145983155983156983141983150983145983150983143 983145983155 983143983151983151983140I there is going to be talk there needs to be listen-
ing Listen to your players and the things they tell youeither in conversation or when they do things withtheir character Do stuff that relates to the Descriptors
written on the playerrsquos character sheets because that iswhat they think is cool
W983144983141983150 9831521048684983137983161983145983150983143When running games donrsquot plan too much ahead
o time Te dice rolls are going to direct a lot o theaction and you and the players will fill in the gaps byapplying Conditions and Details Here are some tipsto keep things moving and help you enjoy the game as
much as the players doK983141983141983152 983156983144983145983150983143983155 983155983145983149983152983148983141 Do not complicate your job
by introducing lots o sub-plots or convoluted twistsTings will get all messed about by themselves and the
story will run off on tangents that you never dreamedo
Y983151983157 983137983154983141 983150983151983156 983156983144983141 983141983150983141983149983161 this may seem obviousbut is worth stating Your role is to help guide the storyin interesting directions not to kill everyone You cangive players hints and ideas i you think this will lead toa better story Sometimes you will portray the adver-saries and are expected to do so vigorously but airlyOther times you will get to be an ally companion orpeer and once again you should be true to the spirit othe game
S983137983161 ldquoY983141983155rdquo i players make suggestions or ask ques-tions it is probably because they are interested in whatis going on Tey probably have a cool idea to introduceto the story Encourage this and confidently say ldquoyesrdquoto requests Tis doesnrsquot mean you should let playersget anything they want ndash but you should let players in-troduce elements into the story when the time is right
M983137983147983141 983154983151983148983148983155 983149983141983137983150983145983150983143983142983157983148 Every time you callor a die roll it should mean something interesting isgoing to happen NO MAER HE RESUL Donrsquot
have players make rolls i the result is not important tothe story or i ailure will stop the momentum o thestory
NARRATOR
983091 Q983157983141983155983156983145983151983150983155 983156983151 983142983154983137983149983141 983161983151983157983154 983143983137983149983141
When you begin a game talk withthe players about their expectations ryto answer the ollowing three questions
W983144983137983156 983159983145983148983148 983139983144983137983154983137983139983156983141983154983155 983140983151983103
Do players want to kick in doorskill monsters and take home piles otreasure Do they want to eel like epicheroes Or the underdogs strugglingagainst ridiculous odds
H983151983159 983140983151 983152983148983137983161983141983154983155 983159983137983150983156 983156983151 983142983141983141983148983103
Do the players want to eel like theyare changing the world Like their char-acter is gaining in wealth prestige or
power Or do they want to eel like theirbacks are against the wall and their livesconstantly at risk
W983144983137983156 983145983155 983156983144983141 N983137983154983154983137983156983151983154rsquo983155 983154983151983148983141983103
What kinds o challenges encoun-ters and situations are you going to pre-
sent the characters in order to achievethe above Do you need to ensure everychallenge is accompanied by a generousreward Are you going to make every
fight hard but air Will you be relent-less in the pursuit o the antagonistrsquos
goals
Answer these questions and every-one at the table will be clear on theirrole in the coming adventure
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 172317
R983141983139983151983158983141983154983161During games characters can suffer injuries be-
come physically or mentally stressed and be afflictedby a range o other Conditions Conditions are alwaysrecovered at a time andor rate appropriate to the sto-ry Tis is usually with the passing o time but doesnot have to be A good rule o thumb is that one or
more Conditions can be removedrecovered betweenscenes though this will depend on the timing o suchencounters
R983141983159983137983154983140983155Reward players or good roleplaying and achieving
goals by giving them FU Points You may also rewardthem or a variety o other reasons as your group de-cides (see the sidebar on page 12) FU Points can beused to improve a characters chance o success and arethereore a great immediate tangible reward You donrsquot
have to be the only one at the table offering rewardsthough All players should speak up when someonehas done something cool unny or awesome and re-ward a FU Point
H983151983159 983149983157983139983144 983144983151983159 983151983142983156983141983150 Be generous with yourrewards as the positive reinorcement o earning FUPoints will inspire them on to greater acts o heroismspectacle or depravity as the case may be Also takeinto account whether this will be a ldquoone offrdquo game ora part o an ongoing story or campaign - players arelikely to burn through FU Points aster in a singe ses-
sion game and will need their resources replenishedaster
C983144983137983154983137983139983156983141983154983155 983078 O9831389831559831569831379831391048684983141983155All the characters monsters traps villains terrain
eatures creatures and obstacles that are encounteredduring a story are defined in much the same way ascharacters You are not confined by any rules or re-strictions when creating characters or obstacles theonly thing you must do is make them entertaining andinteresting
T983144983141 B983151983159983148
One technique or rewarding FUPoints is to place a bowl o beads chitsor tokens in the centre o the table Eachbead is a FU Point Te Narrator cantell players to ldquotake one rom the bowlrdquoand other players can reach in when it isappropriate to reward a player by pass-ing a bead rom the bowl Tis requirestrust between players and Narrator butmakes the running o the game verysmooth as no-one has to stop and askldquoDoes that deserve a FU Pointrdquo
A983140983158983137983150983139983141983149983141983150983156
FU is not a game about ldquolevellinguprdquo While characters might have avariety o experiences and learn romthem the real advancement comes romthe changing story andor world
I appropriate players can changeone Descriptor between game sessionsTis alteration should relate in someway to the experiences and story theircharacter just participated in Gear canbe changed between sessions at the Nar-ratorrsquos discretion
Goals might also change rom gamesession to game session Give playerstime to consider their goals at the starto each session and let them adjust orchange them as necessary
T983154983137983139983147983145983150983143 983151983138983155983156983137983139983148983141983155
Use sticky-notes or index cards torecord details about your charactersmonsters and obstacles Write downDescriptors Gear and other ino Asthey suffer Conditions record those onthe card
Use index cards to record importantterrain eatures too Write down anyDescriptor(s) pertaining to the eature
so players can take them into accountas they plan their actions
W983144983137983156 983140983151 I 983155983144983137983154983141 983159983145983156983144 983152983148983137983161983141983154983155
Some groups play open making nosecret o the Descriptors and details ocreatures and monsters Other groups(andor Narrators) keep this inorma-tion hidden rom players Both options
provide or different styles o play
Playing an open table means eve-ryone is clear about what is going onwhat opportunities exist or cool scenesand actions Players can see what GearConditions and Descriptors are ldquoin
playrdquo and incorporate them into scenes
Keeping the details o villains trapsand other obstacles rom the playerswill push them to test their enemies ex-
plore the environment and try differentthings Tey can manoeuvre themselvesand situations in directions they thinkwill be advantageous It is always satis-
ying to be rewarded with bonus dice oraccurately guessing an enemyrsquos Descrip-tors
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 182318
ennessee Smith amed explorer has finally got a solid lead on the whereabouts o the ancientIdol o ot an object o reported supernatural power Unortunately Smithrsquos arch enemy Giles
Fishburne is also on the trail o the Idol and hasthrown his lot in with the Nazis
Tis short adventure will get you into the actionquickly It illustrates one way you might prepare yourown adventures adversaries and obstacles Use thepre-generated characters presented at the end o theadventure Race to the emple o ot consists o a serieso set-piece encounters that you can use rearrange andignore at your leisure Remember that beat the oddsrolls will lead to all kinds o interesting twists and
turns and once the characters set out on the adventureanything is possible
B983141983142983151983154983141 983161983151983157 983138983141983143983145983150Beore starting play have a quick discussion about
the tone and style o the game Te scenario is clas-sic pulp - over the top action outrageous villains andlarger than lie heroes Make sure everyone is on thesame page here - talk about what makes this genre cooland perhaps point out examples o the genre (Indiana Jones Te Mummy Te Rocketeer ) and what parts o
these you enjoyedRead the flavour text above (the stuff in italics) and
get everyone at the table to throw around some ideaso cool stuff they would like to see happen during theadventure Note it all down - when things slow or iyou get stuck or what to do next chuck one o theseideas into the mix
S983139983141983150983141983155Te scenes presented here have a description o
where the action takes place and suggest Descriptorsyou or the players might incorporate into the actionTe italics set up the action o the scene and the objec-tive Paraphrase the details or your players
C98314498313710486841048684983141983150983143983141983155Te challenges and adversaries in this adventure
are recorded in boxes with relevant Descriptors Con-ditions and Notes Tese are to guide you and do nothave to be used Your own cool ideas should alwaystrump anything written here
E983155983139983137983152983141 983156983144983141 B9831571048684983137983147 M983137983154983147983141983156S983139983141983150983141 Central Asia - a bustling market in the city
o Bulak - Midday all stone and mud-brick buildingswith narrow arched windows surround the central
market stalls and caes bars and emporiums run offin all directions along winding narrow streets
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Crowded streets Exotic goods
Te characters have just acquired a map to theemple o ot Unortunately Nazi goons have ar-rived and want the map too Tere are a lot o goons and while the characters could fight themit might be easier to flee Do the characters escape
NAZI GOONS
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Lots o goons Beey AryansNot too bright
G983141983137983154 Noisy Sub-machine guns
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 ConusedrappedSlowedOut o Action
N983151983156983141983155 Tere are a number o goon squads equal tothe number o characters
W983144983137983156 983139983137983150 983143983151 983159983154983151983150983143983103 Te characters are cap-tured Te map is lost
9831549831379831509831551048684983137983156983145983150983143 983156983144983141 M983137983152S983139983141983150983141 A dark coffee lounge cae or back roomsomewhere in the city o Bulak Te smell o strongcoffee and exotic ood permeates the room
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Private
ennessee Smith and his companions have themap but must now translate it puzzling out thestrange symbols and markings Do they translatethe map
TRANSLATING THE MAP
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Ancient glyphs Brittle paperC983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 ornRuinedSmudged
Burnt to a crisp
W983144983137983156 983139983137983150 983143983151 983159983154983151983150983143983103 Te map is damaged Techaracters misread the map Tey cannot read the mapand must get help rom an expert in ancient languages
RACE TO THE TEMPLE OF TOT
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 192319
983144983141 G983151983157 Z983151983157 G983151983154983143983141S983139983141983150983141 Te majestic Gou Zou Gorge hal a mile
deep and crossed by a single iron girder railway bridgeWide open plains lie on either side o the gorge and theKow Mountains lie in the distance
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Open plains Impassible Gorge
Te characters ollow the map to Gou ZouGorge by car or horse back Giles Fishburne is ap- proaching ast aboard the German dirigible DerVogel Do the characters cross the bridge saelyDo they keep their lead on the Germans
NAZI BIRD TRUPPEN
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Tey Fly Agile
G983141983137983154 Delicate Flying Harness DeadlyStick Grenade
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 ConusedGrounded
SlowedOut o ActionN983151983156983141983155 Tere are a number o Bird ruppen equalto the number o characters
GOU ZOU BRIDGE
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Wide but narrow
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 RicketyBlown all to hell
N983151983156983141983155 You know you must introduce an approach-ing train right
W983144983137983156 983139983137983150 983143983151 983159983154983151983150983143983103 Te bridge is destroyed
Te map is lost the characters are captured
983144983141 98314110486859831521048684983141S983139983141983150983141 An ancient temple ashioned into the side
o a mountain Grand statues o sinister looking godsand daemons line the walls Dust covers everythingTe tunnel leads deeper into the mountain
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Dark Silent
Te characters must penetrate the heart o thetemple but the map warned o nearious traps
and terrible guardians Do they get past the trapsand guardians
NEFARIOUS TRAPS
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Hidden Deadly
G983141983137983154 Poison Darts Rusting Spears
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 DisarmedSet-offRevealed
N983151983156983141983155 Challenge characters with one or two trapsell them the passage is trapped but donrsquot tell themhow or where the traps are until they are sprung
STONE STATUE GUARDIAN
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Big Heavy Slow Relentless
G983141983137983154 Heavy Stone Weapons
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 DamagedOff balanceSlowedOut o Action
N983151983156983141983155 Tere is one Statue Guardian or every two
characters Te large heavy weapons can strikemultiple characters at once
W983144983137983156 983139983137983150 983143983151 983159983154983151983150983143983103 Characters cannot getpast traps characters are injured by traps
983144983141 I9831409831511048684 C9831449831371048685983138983141983154S983139983141983150983141 A large stone chamber ingeniously lit by
mirrors reflecting sunlight Te Idol o ot - a gold-en statue o a seven-headed monkey - sits on a stoneplinth in the centre o the room
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Large bronze mirrors
Te characters enter the chamber o the idolonly to find that Giles Fishburne and his Nazi goons are here too Do they deeat Giles and es-cape with the Idol
GILES FISHBURNE
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Smart Arrogant Sword fighter
G983141983137983154 Polished Sabre
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 ConusedInjuredSlowedOut o Action
N983151983156983141983155 Giles is a greedy arrogant villain but heisnrsquot stupid I things start looking dire he will attemptto escape make a deal andor double-cross anyone inhis way He has no loyalty to the Nazis
C983144983137983154983137983139983156983141983154983155Four pre-made characters can be ound on the next
page Tey are each examples o classic pulp charac-ter archetypes Players may tweak or adjust them atthe Narratorrsquos discretion beore play starts perhapschanging a Descriptor or two or switching out an item
o Gear Beore starting the game each player shoulddefine one or two relationships describing how thecharacters know each other A quick and easy way todo this is or everyone to describe how they know thecharacter to their lef
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 202320
TENNESSEE SMITH DAREDEVIL EXPLORER
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Nimble Level Headed Use BullWhip Araid o Heights
G983141983137983154 Bull Whip Worn Leather Jacket
D983154983145983158983141983155 Find the Idol o ot
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 AngryScaredired
rapped
Blinded
HungryDazedInjuredDying
ennessee Smith is a mild-mannered proes-sor o history but in his spare time he travelsinto the wilderness in search o lost arteacts andtreasure Ruggedly handsome he always seemsto keep his cool no matter how much danger heis inmdashand he tends to get into a lot o it
R983141983148983137983156983145983151983150983155983144983145983152983155
N983151983156983141983155
HARVEY REED RETIRED BOXER
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Strong Tinks-on-his-Feet BoxerUgly as Sin
G983141983137983154 Roll o quarters Poor fitting suitD983154983145983158983141983155 Look out or ennessee Smith
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 AngryScarediredrappedBlindedHungryDazedInjuredDying
Harvey Reed is a recently retired championboxer Finding the sedentary lie a little too bor-ing he has joined his old riend ennessee insearch o adventure
R983141983148983137983156983145983151983150983155983144983145983152983155
N983151983156983141983155
JIMMY SWEET PLUCKY KID
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Quick Smart-aleckUnderestimated Young
G983141983137983154 Noisy Firecrackers Dirty BaseballCap
D983154983145983158983141983155 See the 7 wonders o the world
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155
Angry
Scared
iredrappedBlindedHungryDazedInjuredDying
Jimmy Sweet is a happy-go-lucky kid who hasnever had anyone to rely on but himsel He iswiry tough and quick with a cheeky attitudethat requently gets him into trouble Jimmystowed away on a tramp steamer with the inten-tion o seeing the world and making his ortune
R983141983148983137983156983145983151983150983155983144983145983152983155
N983151983156983141983155
OCTOBER JONES GIRL REPORTER
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Beautiul Witty Good MemoryCurious
G983141983137983154 rusty Camera Tick Notebook D983154983145983158983141983155 Get the scoop on the real ennes-
see Smith
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 AngryScarediredrappedBlindedHungryDazedInjuredDying
October Jones is a reporter and adventurerafforded a great deal o reedom by her atherrsquosimmense wealth Beautiul intelligent and spoiltshe is a woman used to getting what she wants
R983141983148983137983156983145983151983150983155983144983145983152983155
N983151983156983141983155
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 212321
Tis list is by no means exhaustive but itrsquos a goodplace to start Each entry lists the kinds o things aDescriptor might be an advantage or hindrance orwhich makes it a handy reerence or both players and
Narrators
B983151983140983161 D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155A983143983145983148983141 helpul when dancing leaping doing gym-
nastics crawling through tight spaces and balancingA983149983138983145983140983141983160983156983154983151983157983155 great when shooting two guns at
the same time or doing slight-o-hand magic tricksB983148983151983150983140983141 good or getting people to underestimate
you not good i you spend too much time in the sunF983137983147983141 O983154983137983150983143983141 T983137983150 great or passing as an aging
celebrity and or drawing attention to yoursel
F983157983154983154983161 useul or resisting cold weather and livingin the woods
H983137983150983140983155983151983149983141 useul or flirting selling stuff gettingroles on V modelling and being popular
H983157983143983141 good or looking menacing reaching highplaces acting like a body builder or getting stuck insmall spaces
O983158983141983154983159983141983145983143983144983156 a problem when exercising andborrowing clothes
P983151983151983154 C983151983150983155983156983145983156983157983156983145983151983150 a hindrance when long dis-
tance running resisting damage perorming eats oendurance and healingQ983157983145983139983147 handy or ducking to and rom places
slight-o-hand dodging and other actions that requirespeed o action
R983137983162983151983154-983155983144983137983154983152 C983148983137983159983155 great or slicing up en-emies cutting vegetables and maybe climbing trees
S983144983151983154983156 a pain or reaching the top shel but use-ul or crawling under low objects and getting lost ina crowd
S983148983151983159 a problem when running dodging and re-
acting to thingsS983156983154983151983150983143 useul or lifing carrying smashing
and throwing things Wrestling and avoiding beingcrushed might also be aided
T983137983148983148 good or reaching the top shel climbingand seeing over other peoplersquos heads
T983144983145983150 handy or squeezing into places and clotheshiding behind poles and perorming on the catwalk
U983143983148983161 a problem when trying to seduce someoneor get a role on V
V983145983143983151983157983154 great or resisting poison long distancerunning and other eats o endurance
Weak a pain when lifing carrying smashing andthrowing stuff
W983141983138983138983141983140 F983141983141983156 great or swimming but terriblewhen buying shoes
M983145983150983140 D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155A983138983155983141983150983156-M983145983150983140983141983140 good or being distracted but a
problem when remembering where you lef the keysor that you just pulled the pin rom a hand grenade
B983151983151983147-S983149983137983154983156 great when doing exams knowingmath ormulas remembering dates in history andgenerally getting into Law at Harvard
C983151983149983152983157983156983141983154-W983145983162 good or programming fixing
your laptop and getting into PC vs Apple flame-warsD983145983149-W983145983156983156983141983140 a problem when listening to jokes
recognizing a trick or generally keeping up appear-ances in social settings
E983149983152983137983156983144983141983156983145983139 good or reading peoples emotionsdoing psychological evaluations and knowing how tocomort distressed people
F983151983139983157983155983141983140 good or staying on task not getting dis-tracted and looking serious
L983137983156983141983154983137983148 T983144983145983150983147983141983154 handy or problem solving
and approaching issues in new or unusual waysM983137983156983144983141983149983137983156983145983139983145983137983150 great or doing sums solvingequations and doing your tax
O983138983155983141983154983158983137983150983156 great or spotting hidden clues no-ticing details doing find-a-words and reading bodylanguage
O983154983137983156983151983154 good or public speaking debating andgetting people to see your point o view
S983148983151983159 a pain when trying to understand plans orlearn new things
T983137983139983156983145983139983145983137983150 great or planning battles remember-
ing military history and quoting sun suU983150983141983140983157983139983137983156983141983140 a pain when reading doing math
remembering important dates in history and doingany school-type tests
W983145983155983141 handy or sprouting proverbs giving adviceputting unrelated clues together interpreting peoplersquosreactions and saying lsquoI told you sorsquo
W983145983156983156983161 good or making unny comments beingcharming and or entertaining and always knowingthe right thing to say
APPENDIX - DESCRIPTORS
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 222322
E983140983143983141 D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155A983139983154983151983138983137983156983145983139983155 great or joining the circus leaping
through narrow gaps and doing impressive flipsA983154983139983137983150983141 K983150983151983159983148983141983140983143983141 good or identiying mys-
tic arteacts recognizing the presence o evil magicand reading ancient scrolls
C983151983157983154983137983143983141 handy when seeing something scary
telling your wie you orgot your anniversary and at-tempting other dangerous acts
D983154983145983158983145983150983143 great or car racing car chases and pass-ing your driving exam
F983141983150983139983145983150983143 good or sword fighting and other civi-lized orms o melee
G983151983151983140 M983141983149983151983154983161 handy or remembering namesand aces vital clues and mathematical ormulas
H983157983150983156983145983150983143 good when tracking and stalking look-ing good in camouflage and knowing what an angryrhinoceros sounds like
K983141983141983150 S983145983143983144983156 great or seeing a long way or evendoing stuff by moonlight
L983145983150983143983157983145983155983156983145983139983155 good or speaking one (or more)oreign languages and generally communicating withothers
M983137983143983145983139 great or knowing the mystic arts castingspells or acting like a stage magician
M983141983140983145983139983145983150983141 good or perorming operations diag-nosing illness and administering first aid
N983137983155983156983161 B983145983156983141 great or really hurting someone in
combat chewing your own arm off or winning a pieeating contestR983145983139983144 handy or buying luxury sports cars getting
invited to exclusive parties and bribing city officialsW983154983141983155983156983148983145983150983143 good or fighting unarmed combat
and pinning opponents to the ground
F1048684983137983159 D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155B983148983145983150983140 a pain when doing anything that requires
sight such as shooting navigating an unamiliar spaceor painting
B983154983137983158983141 good or charging into mortal danger act-ing oolhardy and getting into deep trouble
C983148983157983149983155983161 a problem when carrying a valuable vase
visiting an antique store or trying to cross a booby-trapped room
G983154983141983141983140983161 a pain when resisting the urge to steal lieor in some other way keep or obtain wealth
I983150-H983157983149983137983150 A983152983152983141983137983154983137983150983139983141 a hindrance when try-ing not to get noticed avoiding attention or finding apair o pants that fit just right
M983145983155983155983145983150983143 L983141983143 a problem when running climbingor perorming any other activity that involves move-ment without prosthetics or a wheel chair
O983148983140 a pain when trying to look cool climb stairsuse a computer or be positive about your health
P983151983151983154 a hindrance when wanting to buy ood orclothes or trying to get into an exclusive party
P983151983151983154 S983145983143983144983156 a pain when trying to recognizesomeone or thing driving at night or noticing visualclues
P983154983145983149983145983156983145983158983141 a problem when using mobile phonescars and door bells as well as interacting at more civi-lized social occasions
S983149983141983148983148983161 a hindrance when trying to impress peo-
ple or hiding rom wild animals or trackersW983137983150983156983141983140 a pain when trying to keep out o trou-ble or needing something rom your apartment
Y983151983157983150983143 a problem when trying to get into clubs betaken seriously by adults avoid school or see over thedash in a car
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 2323
NAME CONCEPT
BODY
MIND
EDGE
FLAW
DESCRIPTION
ROLL RESULT
6 Yes and
4 Yes
2 Yes but
5 No but
3 No
1 No and
A983150983143983154983161 983154983137983152983152983141983140 D983137983162983141983140
S983139983137983154983141983140 B1048684983145983150983140983141983140 I983150983146983157983154983141983140
983145983154983141983140 H983157983150983143983154983161 D983161983145983150983143
DRIVESWHAT DO YOU WANT
WHAT IS STOPPING YOU
WHAT WILL YOU DO
RELATIONSHIPS
C O N D I T I O N S
F U
P O I N T S
T H E O D D S
NOTES
G E A R
FU
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 122312
S983157983139983139983141983155983155 983078 F9831379831451048684983157983154983141When you make a beat the odds roll your character
will either succeed at what they were attempting orthey wont Tis is usually enough to push your storyurther along but other things can happen too
When you attempt an action you are asking ldquoDoesmy character get what they wantrdquo Tere are six pos-
sible answers to this questionYes and
Yes
Yes but
No but
No
No and
Yes and No are pretty straight orward - they tell youwhether the action succeeded or not Te and and but are qualifiers that modiy how good the success or howbad the ailure was When you get a qualifier you makean extra statement about how the action succeeded orailed Tis extra statement can add a Condition to acharacter or a Detail to a scene
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 Tese are physical mental or socialeffects that impact on the way a character behaves orattempts actions Conditions include things like an- gry conused tired and unconscious Tere are severallisted on the FU character sheet and there is space oryou to write your own
D983141983156983137983145983148983155 Tese are eatures o an environment orscene that might change as a result o an action Detailsmight include curtains catching fire windows break-ing animals running off or machinery stalling De-tails are always closely tied to the scene and the action
E983160983137983149983152983148983141983155 983151983142 S983157983139983139983141983155983155 983078 F983137983145983148983157983154983141
Going back to an earlier exampleletrsquos see what might have happenedwhen we apply each possible answer tothe question
ldquoDoes Sir Camden leap the hedgerdquo
Yes and he catches up with LordKane Tis is a Detail that changes thescene
Yes he leaps the hedge Tere is noandbut qualifier so no Condition orDetail is added
Yes but Sir Camden is disorientedand momentarily confused Tis is aCondition applied to the character
No but he spots a gap in the hedge urther along Tis Detail gives the char-acter another way to continue the chase
No the horse shies away rom the jump Tere is no andbut qualifier sono Condition or Detail is added
No and his horse rears up throwinghim to the ground causing an injury Tis is a Condition
W983144983151 983139983144983151983151983155983141983155 C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 983078D983141983156983137983145983148983155
Anyone can suggest a Condition orDetail that they eel is appropriate tothe action taken and result achievedUsually the player that rolled the diceand the Narrator will work together tocome up with a suitably dramatic effectBut really anyone at the table shouldthrow in whatever cool idea they have
Te Narrator always has final sayover what Condition or Detail is ap-
plied to a result
W983144983141983150 983155983144983151983157983148983140 I 983157983155983141 C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155
Like all qualifiers it depends onsituation In the examples above Con-ditions are applied to the acting playerwhen things donrsquot quite go right orthem ( Yes but No and ) Te Condi-tions make lie a bit more difficult or
the character because o the minimalsuccess or outright ailure
You can also apply Conditions tothe target o an action when things are
going right or your character I youare debating with a bureaucrat and geta Yes and result you might apply theconfused Condition to the target I youattempt to outrun an enemy and get the
No but result they might catch up with
you but have the tired Condition Ap- plying Conditions in this way will likely give player characters an advantagelater in the scene
W983144983141983150 983155983144983151983157983148983140 I 983157983155983141 D983141983156983137983145983148983155
Apply Details when the action is like-ly to change the scene or environment insome way Tis might be a change in the
power dynamic o the scene (ldquo Yes he
leaps the hedge and he catches up withLord Kanerdquo) or a change in the physicalenvironment (ldquo No but he spots a gap inthe hedgerdquo)
Details are ofen applied when theacting character gains some advantage( Yes and No but ) Tey can be usedto great effect however to make situa-tions more entertaining and or dan-
gerous
ldquoDo you swing across the room on
the chandelier Yes but candles allloose and set fire to the tavernrdquo
Details can provide instant or on- going effects depending on the circum-stances A gap in the hedge can be usedimmediately to continue the chase aburning tavern will continue to be ahazard until someone puts the fire out
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 132313
M983151983140983145983142983145983141983154983155Sometimes circumstances equipment and skill will
make actions easier or harder Modifiers change thenumber o dice you get to roll when taking action
M983137983147983145983150983143 T983144983145983150983143983155 E983137983155983145983141983154 Roll an additional dieor each Descriptor piece o Gear Condition or De-tail that provides some advantage to the action being
taken Te result is the single best (not necessarilyhighest) die roll as the player chooses
In the woods Sir Camden tries to track LordKane You point out that the knight is a goodhunter so you get an extra d6 Rolling 2d6 youscore a 5 and a 4 Keeping the 4 it is decided thatafer a brie search Sir Camden finds Lord Kanersquostracks and ollows them to a sinister citadel
M983137983147983145983150983143 T983144983145983150983143983155 H983137983154983140983141983154 Roll an extra die oreach Descriptor bit o Gear Condition or Detail that
makes the action harder Te result is the single worstdie roll
Captain Vance decides to run to a near-by jeepTe Narrator points out there is no cover betweenVancersquos hiding spot and the vehicle ldquoDoes Vance get to the jeep uninjuredrdquo You roll 2d6 scoringa 3 and a 5 You must accept the 3 and CaptainVance is injured as he reaches the jeep
C983137983150983139983141983148983148983145983150983143 O983157983156 One beneficial die cancels out
one hindering die so you will never be rolling lsquonega-tiversquo and lsquopositiversquo dice at the same time
Later in his quest Sir Camden must scale asheer (-) cliff Te knight is strong (+) and hasa rope (+) Overall this means a single bonus tothe action (the sheer cliff and the knightrsquos strengthcancel each other out just leaving the rope) Youroll 2d6 scoring a 3 and 6
E983160983137983149983152983148983141 983151983142 M983151983140983145983142983145983141983154983155
Captain Vance hurtles along in the jeep when a guard tries to drag himout through the window ldquoWill Vanceshake the guard offrdquo It is hard (+) todrag Vance out the window but he iswounded (-) and surprised (-) and the
attacker is very strong (-) In total youmust roll 2 penalty dice You roll 3d6scoring a 2 4 and 3 and must take theworst result the 3 Te guard wrestlesVance out o the jeep
O983156983144983141983154 983156983161983152983141983155 983151983142 983154983151983148983148983155
FU has no such thing as lsquoopposedrollsrsquo or lsquocontested actionsrsquo lsquodamagerollsrsquo and lsquorolling to hitrsquo Te beat theodds roll is the only kind o roll usedin FU whether you are trying to drive
a car through a crowded mall armwrestle a giant or shrug off the damagecaused by a stray bullet
H983151983159 983140983151 ldquo983151983152983152983151983155983141983140rdquo 983137983139983156983145983151983150983155 983159983151983154983147
For a start only players ever rolldice You begin by actoring in all thebonuses (+) and penalties (-) that applyto your character Ten you take stocko all the actors that would apply tothe opponent and apply those into your
roll too Is the opponent weak You geta bonus die Is the opponent a worldchampion arm wrestler You actor ina penalty die And so on until every-thing is actored in When you knowhow many bonus andor penalty dice
you have roll I the result is an even
number you win the contest i the finalresult is an odd number your opponenthas the advantage
D983145983137983148983145983150983143 983145983150 983151983150 Y983151983157983154 983137983139983156983145983151983150
Sword fights political debates spaceraces international wars argumentsand gun battles are all resolved usingthe beat the odds roll Te key is to dialin or out o the action through the kindo questions you attempt to resolve Youcan fight a dramatic sword fight and ex-
change a series o blows by asking ldquoDoI hit the Count De Montierdquo But youcould also resolve the entire fight witha single roll by asking ldquoDo I deeat theCount De Montie in a duelrdquo Or takeit to the next level and ask ldquoDo my men-at-arms storm the Count De Montiersquoscastlerdquo Adjust the dial as necessary
O983152983156983145983151983150 M983137983156983139983144983145983150983143 D983145983139983141
Rolling doubles triples or quadru- ples can make a success much better ora ailure ar worse I your result die hasa match the effects will be much moredramatic You may add one ldquoandrdquostatement or each matching die I the
action is ailed this statement shouldmake the situation worse I the actionis a success the additional statement(s)should make the situation even better
For example Sir Camden aces LordKanersquos henchmen ldquoWill Sir Camden de-
eat the henchmenrdquo He is injured andoutnumbered so you will roll 2 penaltydice You roll and score 3 3 and 2 Youmust take the worst result - the double3 Normally this would be a ldquo Nordquo re-
sult but the matching 3 turns it into aldquo No andrdquo I you had rolled triple 3the result would have been ldquo No andandrdquo
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 142314
FU P983151983145983150983156983155FU Points are a resource that you spend to improve
a characterrsquos chance o success at an action Tey canbe used in two ways
B983151983150983157983155 D983145983141 Spend a FU Point beore a beat theodds roll to add a single bonus die Tis works like anyother bonus die You can add as many bonus dice as
you have FU Points but they must all be declared atthe same time
R983141-983154983151983148983148 Spend a FU Point afer a beat the oddsroll to re-roll a single die Te second result must stand- you cannot re-roll a re-roll You can re-roll as manydice as you have FU Points but you must declare themall at the same time beore the first die is re-rolled
You can spend multiple FU Points on any givenaction and or either or both effects It is completelywithin the rules to spend a FU Point to add a bonus
die beore a roll then another FU Point to re-roll a dieaferwards
Back at HQ Captain Vance tries to convinceGeneral Wallace to deploy the Rocket roops un-der his command Vance doesnrsquot have much going or him in this situation in terms o Descriptorsso you decide to spend 2 FU Points on the roll You
roll the basic die plus the two bonus dice gettinga 1 1 and 3 Not happy with this you spends yourlast FU Point on a re-roll You pick up one o the1rsquos and throw the die again
E983137983154983150983145983150983143 FU P983151983145983150983156983155 FU Points are earned duringplay or doing cool stuff and roleplaying your charac-ter Whenever you do something that stops play andmakes everyone go ldquoWowrdquo or laugh out loud at yourantics or anything else that everyone thinks should berewarded you earn a FU Point
S983156983137983154983156983145983150983143 FU P983151983145983150983156983155
Te number o FU Points you begina game with should be discussed beore
play begins Te more FU Points play-ers begin with the more easily they willachieve successes I playing games ohigh adventure or over-the-top actionit would be reasonable to begin with 2FU Points Super-powered heroes mightbegin with as many as 3 FU Points For
grittier games each player might onlybegin with 1 FU Point or even none
C983137983150 I 983143983145983158983141 983155983144983137983154983141 FU P983151983145983150983156983155
Tat is up to you and your groupTe deault is ldquonordquo but
D983151 N983137983154983154983137983156983151983154983155 983143983141983156 FU 983152983151983145983150983156983155
Usually no but they might allow a powerul villain or monster to have onetwo or three
O983156983144983141983154 983159983137983161983155 983156983151 983141983137983154983150 FU
You might like to change the way youearn FU Points You might earn them
or dealing the killing blow to monstersachieving your characterrsquos goal or roll-ing multiple 1rsquos or 6rsquos
Tis is a really good way to changethe tone or style o the game Want to
play a dungeon crawl Reward FU orkilling monsters A gritty dystopian
game Reward FU when the characters
lose out to Te Man Decide i these arethe only ways to earn FU or i they arein addition to the normal roleplayingrewards Tis decision will also have adramatic effect on the tone o play Seewhat you can do with it
O983156983144983141983154 983159983137983161983155 983156983151 983157983155983141 FU
Play around with FU Points Experi-ment or adjust the ways you use them
to suit your gaming group or the typeo story you are playing Here are somesuggestions
FU 983137983155 H983141983137983148983156983144
Rather than having a varying andchangeable number o FU points everycharacter begins with 3 Tey can bespent as normal but can also be lostwhen the character suffers physical ormental stress (injuries atigue earetc) FU in this instance can be rereshed
(brought back up to 3) by roleplayingout a (non-dice rolling) scene with an-other character that reveals somethingabout your relationship
R983141-R983151983148983148 E983158983141983154983161983156983144983145983150983143
Spend a FU point to re-roll all yourdice Tis is an all-or-nothing thing so
you canrsquot keep a couple o good resultsand roll the rest Use this variant in-stead o the normal re-roll rule
F983148983145983152 983137 P983145983152
Spend a FU Point to adjust a singledie up or down by one pip Spend mul-tiple FU points to adjust a die multiple
pips Tis option is more reliable thana re-roll as you will always be able toturn a ldquonordquo into a ldquoyesrdquo I you used thisvariant the normal re-roll rule shouldnot be used
U983155983141 983137 P983154983151983152Spend a FU point to turn a prop into
an item o Gear or the duration o thescene
S983156983157983150983156983155 983137983150983140 P983151983159983141983154983155
Give characters special abilitiesskills or powers that can only be used byspending a FU Point Tese should bemore powerul than Descriptors - makethem break the rules or give a superhu-man knack like the ability to fly or read
minds teleport or whatever
T983137983147983145983150983143 983137 H983145983156
Instead o rolling declare you areldquotaking a hitrdquo All the dice you shouldhave rolled are treated as i they rolled1rsquos (yes i you are holding 5 dice theycount as five 1rsquos) In return or your su-
ering you earn a FU Point
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 152315
ACTION
SUMMARY
SET THE SCENEWhere does the scene take place Who is there What do they want Doyou need to break down into turns
ACTRoleplay your character and describe what is going on Push toward theobjective
ASK A QUESTIONWhen you need to resolve a conflict or complete an action ask a closedquestion (eg ldquoDo I succeedrdquo)
FACTOR IN MODIFIERS+1 bonus die or every Descriptor item o Gear Detail Condition or other
eature that makes the action easier+1 penalty die or every Descriptor item o Gear Detail Condition or othereature that makes the action harder
ROLLRoll all your dice Te result is the single best die (i rolling bonus dice) orsingle worst die (i rolling penalty dice)
DESCRIBE RESULTUse the die result to describe how the conflict or action turned out Apply
Conditions or Details as necessary
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 162316
Following is some simple straightorward adviceor Narrators It is all airly generic because all the spe-cific stuff is going to relate to the genre tone and styleo game that you and your players choose to play
9831371048684983147983145983150983143 983145983155 983143983151983151983140Start your game with a conversation alk about
what players want out o the game what you want andwhere those ideas overlap Tose overlaps are likelywhere everyone is going to have the most un At the very least you should work together to establish thegenre and tone o your shared story alk about thisstuff too so that everyone is clear o the specifics (thereis a world o difference between Gothic horror andsplatter films or example)
alk during the game too Encourage players toshare ideas and give input into scenes objectives andthe challenges characters ace I you need to clariyideas themes or issues then do that
L983145983155983156983141983150983145983150983143 983145983155 983143983151983151983140I there is going to be talk there needs to be listen-
ing Listen to your players and the things they tell youeither in conversation or when they do things withtheir character Do stuff that relates to the Descriptors
written on the playerrsquos character sheets because that iswhat they think is cool
W983144983141983150 9831521048684983137983161983145983150983143When running games donrsquot plan too much ahead
o time Te dice rolls are going to direct a lot o theaction and you and the players will fill in the gaps byapplying Conditions and Details Here are some tipsto keep things moving and help you enjoy the game as
much as the players doK983141983141983152 983156983144983145983150983143983155 983155983145983149983152983148983141 Do not complicate your job
by introducing lots o sub-plots or convoluted twistsTings will get all messed about by themselves and the
story will run off on tangents that you never dreamedo
Y983151983157 983137983154983141 983150983151983156 983156983144983141 983141983150983141983149983161 this may seem obviousbut is worth stating Your role is to help guide the storyin interesting directions not to kill everyone You cangive players hints and ideas i you think this will lead toa better story Sometimes you will portray the adver-saries and are expected to do so vigorously but airlyOther times you will get to be an ally companion orpeer and once again you should be true to the spirit othe game
S983137983161 ldquoY983141983155rdquo i players make suggestions or ask ques-tions it is probably because they are interested in whatis going on Tey probably have a cool idea to introduceto the story Encourage this and confidently say ldquoyesrdquoto requests Tis doesnrsquot mean you should let playersget anything they want ndash but you should let players in-troduce elements into the story when the time is right
M983137983147983141 983154983151983148983148983155 983149983141983137983150983145983150983143983142983157983148 Every time you callor a die roll it should mean something interesting isgoing to happen NO MAER HE RESUL Donrsquot
have players make rolls i the result is not important tothe story or i ailure will stop the momentum o thestory
NARRATOR
983091 Q983157983141983155983156983145983151983150983155 983156983151 983142983154983137983149983141 983161983151983157983154 983143983137983149983141
When you begin a game talk withthe players about their expectations ryto answer the ollowing three questions
W983144983137983156 983159983145983148983148 983139983144983137983154983137983139983156983141983154983155 983140983151983103
Do players want to kick in doorskill monsters and take home piles otreasure Do they want to eel like epicheroes Or the underdogs strugglingagainst ridiculous odds
H983151983159 983140983151 983152983148983137983161983141983154983155 983159983137983150983156 983156983151 983142983141983141983148983103
Do the players want to eel like theyare changing the world Like their char-acter is gaining in wealth prestige or
power Or do they want to eel like theirbacks are against the wall and their livesconstantly at risk
W983144983137983156 983145983155 983156983144983141 N983137983154983154983137983156983151983154rsquo983155 983154983151983148983141983103
What kinds o challenges encoun-ters and situations are you going to pre-
sent the characters in order to achievethe above Do you need to ensure everychallenge is accompanied by a generousreward Are you going to make every
fight hard but air Will you be relent-less in the pursuit o the antagonistrsquos
goals
Answer these questions and every-one at the table will be clear on theirrole in the coming adventure
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 172317
R983141983139983151983158983141983154983161During games characters can suffer injuries be-
come physically or mentally stressed and be afflictedby a range o other Conditions Conditions are alwaysrecovered at a time andor rate appropriate to the sto-ry Tis is usually with the passing o time but doesnot have to be A good rule o thumb is that one or
more Conditions can be removedrecovered betweenscenes though this will depend on the timing o suchencounters
R983141983159983137983154983140983155Reward players or good roleplaying and achieving
goals by giving them FU Points You may also rewardthem or a variety o other reasons as your group de-cides (see the sidebar on page 12) FU Points can beused to improve a characters chance o success and arethereore a great immediate tangible reward You donrsquot
have to be the only one at the table offering rewardsthough All players should speak up when someonehas done something cool unny or awesome and re-ward a FU Point
H983151983159 983149983157983139983144 983144983151983159 983151983142983156983141983150 Be generous with yourrewards as the positive reinorcement o earning FUPoints will inspire them on to greater acts o heroismspectacle or depravity as the case may be Also takeinto account whether this will be a ldquoone offrdquo game ora part o an ongoing story or campaign - players arelikely to burn through FU Points aster in a singe ses-
sion game and will need their resources replenishedaster
C983144983137983154983137983139983156983141983154983155 983078 O9831389831559831569831379831391048684983141983155All the characters monsters traps villains terrain
eatures creatures and obstacles that are encounteredduring a story are defined in much the same way ascharacters You are not confined by any rules or re-strictions when creating characters or obstacles theonly thing you must do is make them entertaining andinteresting
T983144983141 B983151983159983148
One technique or rewarding FUPoints is to place a bowl o beads chitsor tokens in the centre o the table Eachbead is a FU Point Te Narrator cantell players to ldquotake one rom the bowlrdquoand other players can reach in when it isappropriate to reward a player by pass-ing a bead rom the bowl Tis requirestrust between players and Narrator butmakes the running o the game verysmooth as no-one has to stop and askldquoDoes that deserve a FU Pointrdquo
A983140983158983137983150983139983141983149983141983150983156
FU is not a game about ldquolevellinguprdquo While characters might have avariety o experiences and learn romthem the real advancement comes romthe changing story andor world
I appropriate players can changeone Descriptor between game sessionsTis alteration should relate in someway to the experiences and story theircharacter just participated in Gear canbe changed between sessions at the Nar-ratorrsquos discretion
Goals might also change rom gamesession to game session Give playerstime to consider their goals at the starto each session and let them adjust orchange them as necessary
T983154983137983139983147983145983150983143 983151983138983155983156983137983139983148983141983155
Use sticky-notes or index cards torecord details about your charactersmonsters and obstacles Write downDescriptors Gear and other ino Asthey suffer Conditions record those onthe card
Use index cards to record importantterrain eatures too Write down anyDescriptor(s) pertaining to the eature
so players can take them into accountas they plan their actions
W983144983137983156 983140983151 I 983155983144983137983154983141 983159983145983156983144 983152983148983137983161983141983154983155
Some groups play open making nosecret o the Descriptors and details ocreatures and monsters Other groups(andor Narrators) keep this inorma-tion hidden rom players Both options
provide or different styles o play
Playing an open table means eve-ryone is clear about what is going onwhat opportunities exist or cool scenesand actions Players can see what GearConditions and Descriptors are ldquoin
playrdquo and incorporate them into scenes
Keeping the details o villains trapsand other obstacles rom the playerswill push them to test their enemies ex-
plore the environment and try differentthings Tey can manoeuvre themselvesand situations in directions they thinkwill be advantageous It is always satis-
ying to be rewarded with bonus dice oraccurately guessing an enemyrsquos Descrip-tors
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 182318
ennessee Smith amed explorer has finally got a solid lead on the whereabouts o the ancientIdol o ot an object o reported supernatural power Unortunately Smithrsquos arch enemy Giles
Fishburne is also on the trail o the Idol and hasthrown his lot in with the Nazis
Tis short adventure will get you into the actionquickly It illustrates one way you might prepare yourown adventures adversaries and obstacles Use thepre-generated characters presented at the end o theadventure Race to the emple o ot consists o a serieso set-piece encounters that you can use rearrange andignore at your leisure Remember that beat the oddsrolls will lead to all kinds o interesting twists and
turns and once the characters set out on the adventureanything is possible
B983141983142983151983154983141 983161983151983157 983138983141983143983145983150Beore starting play have a quick discussion about
the tone and style o the game Te scenario is clas-sic pulp - over the top action outrageous villains andlarger than lie heroes Make sure everyone is on thesame page here - talk about what makes this genre cooland perhaps point out examples o the genre (Indiana Jones Te Mummy Te Rocketeer ) and what parts o
these you enjoyedRead the flavour text above (the stuff in italics) and
get everyone at the table to throw around some ideaso cool stuff they would like to see happen during theadventure Note it all down - when things slow or iyou get stuck or what to do next chuck one o theseideas into the mix
S983139983141983150983141983155Te scenes presented here have a description o
where the action takes place and suggest Descriptorsyou or the players might incorporate into the actionTe italics set up the action o the scene and the objec-tive Paraphrase the details or your players
C98314498313710486841048684983141983150983143983141983155Te challenges and adversaries in this adventure
are recorded in boxes with relevant Descriptors Con-ditions and Notes Tese are to guide you and do nothave to be used Your own cool ideas should alwaystrump anything written here
E983155983139983137983152983141 983156983144983141 B9831571048684983137983147 M983137983154983147983141983156S983139983141983150983141 Central Asia - a bustling market in the city
o Bulak - Midday all stone and mud-brick buildingswith narrow arched windows surround the central
market stalls and caes bars and emporiums run offin all directions along winding narrow streets
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Crowded streets Exotic goods
Te characters have just acquired a map to theemple o ot Unortunately Nazi goons have ar-rived and want the map too Tere are a lot o goons and while the characters could fight themit might be easier to flee Do the characters escape
NAZI GOONS
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Lots o goons Beey AryansNot too bright
G983141983137983154 Noisy Sub-machine guns
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 ConusedrappedSlowedOut o Action
N983151983156983141983155 Tere are a number o goon squads equal tothe number o characters
W983144983137983156 983139983137983150 983143983151 983159983154983151983150983143983103 Te characters are cap-tured Te map is lost
9831549831379831509831551048684983137983156983145983150983143 983156983144983141 M983137983152S983139983141983150983141 A dark coffee lounge cae or back roomsomewhere in the city o Bulak Te smell o strongcoffee and exotic ood permeates the room
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Private
ennessee Smith and his companions have themap but must now translate it puzzling out thestrange symbols and markings Do they translatethe map
TRANSLATING THE MAP
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Ancient glyphs Brittle paperC983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 ornRuinedSmudged
Burnt to a crisp
W983144983137983156 983139983137983150 983143983151 983159983154983151983150983143983103 Te map is damaged Techaracters misread the map Tey cannot read the mapand must get help rom an expert in ancient languages
RACE TO THE TEMPLE OF TOT
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 192319
983144983141 G983151983157 Z983151983157 G983151983154983143983141S983139983141983150983141 Te majestic Gou Zou Gorge hal a mile
deep and crossed by a single iron girder railway bridgeWide open plains lie on either side o the gorge and theKow Mountains lie in the distance
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Open plains Impassible Gorge
Te characters ollow the map to Gou ZouGorge by car or horse back Giles Fishburne is ap- proaching ast aboard the German dirigible DerVogel Do the characters cross the bridge saelyDo they keep their lead on the Germans
NAZI BIRD TRUPPEN
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Tey Fly Agile
G983141983137983154 Delicate Flying Harness DeadlyStick Grenade
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 ConusedGrounded
SlowedOut o ActionN983151983156983141983155 Tere are a number o Bird ruppen equalto the number o characters
GOU ZOU BRIDGE
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Wide but narrow
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 RicketyBlown all to hell
N983151983156983141983155 You know you must introduce an approach-ing train right
W983144983137983156 983139983137983150 983143983151 983159983154983151983150983143983103 Te bridge is destroyed
Te map is lost the characters are captured
983144983141 98314110486859831521048684983141S983139983141983150983141 An ancient temple ashioned into the side
o a mountain Grand statues o sinister looking godsand daemons line the walls Dust covers everythingTe tunnel leads deeper into the mountain
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Dark Silent
Te characters must penetrate the heart o thetemple but the map warned o nearious traps
and terrible guardians Do they get past the trapsand guardians
NEFARIOUS TRAPS
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Hidden Deadly
G983141983137983154 Poison Darts Rusting Spears
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 DisarmedSet-offRevealed
N983151983156983141983155 Challenge characters with one or two trapsell them the passage is trapped but donrsquot tell themhow or where the traps are until they are sprung
STONE STATUE GUARDIAN
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Big Heavy Slow Relentless
G983141983137983154 Heavy Stone Weapons
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 DamagedOff balanceSlowedOut o Action
N983151983156983141983155 Tere is one Statue Guardian or every two
characters Te large heavy weapons can strikemultiple characters at once
W983144983137983156 983139983137983150 983143983151 983159983154983151983150983143983103 Characters cannot getpast traps characters are injured by traps
983144983141 I9831409831511048684 C9831449831371048685983138983141983154S983139983141983150983141 A large stone chamber ingeniously lit by
mirrors reflecting sunlight Te Idol o ot - a gold-en statue o a seven-headed monkey - sits on a stoneplinth in the centre o the room
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Large bronze mirrors
Te characters enter the chamber o the idolonly to find that Giles Fishburne and his Nazi goons are here too Do they deeat Giles and es-cape with the Idol
GILES FISHBURNE
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Smart Arrogant Sword fighter
G983141983137983154 Polished Sabre
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 ConusedInjuredSlowedOut o Action
N983151983156983141983155 Giles is a greedy arrogant villain but heisnrsquot stupid I things start looking dire he will attemptto escape make a deal andor double-cross anyone inhis way He has no loyalty to the Nazis
C983144983137983154983137983139983156983141983154983155Four pre-made characters can be ound on the next
page Tey are each examples o classic pulp charac-ter archetypes Players may tweak or adjust them atthe Narratorrsquos discretion beore play starts perhapschanging a Descriptor or two or switching out an item
o Gear Beore starting the game each player shoulddefine one or two relationships describing how thecharacters know each other A quick and easy way todo this is or everyone to describe how they know thecharacter to their lef
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 202320
TENNESSEE SMITH DAREDEVIL EXPLORER
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Nimble Level Headed Use BullWhip Araid o Heights
G983141983137983154 Bull Whip Worn Leather Jacket
D983154983145983158983141983155 Find the Idol o ot
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 AngryScaredired
rapped
Blinded
HungryDazedInjuredDying
ennessee Smith is a mild-mannered proes-sor o history but in his spare time he travelsinto the wilderness in search o lost arteacts andtreasure Ruggedly handsome he always seemsto keep his cool no matter how much danger heis inmdashand he tends to get into a lot o it
R983141983148983137983156983145983151983150983155983144983145983152983155
N983151983156983141983155
HARVEY REED RETIRED BOXER
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Strong Tinks-on-his-Feet BoxerUgly as Sin
G983141983137983154 Roll o quarters Poor fitting suitD983154983145983158983141983155 Look out or ennessee Smith
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 AngryScarediredrappedBlindedHungryDazedInjuredDying
Harvey Reed is a recently retired championboxer Finding the sedentary lie a little too bor-ing he has joined his old riend ennessee insearch o adventure
R983141983148983137983156983145983151983150983155983144983145983152983155
N983151983156983141983155
JIMMY SWEET PLUCKY KID
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Quick Smart-aleckUnderestimated Young
G983141983137983154 Noisy Firecrackers Dirty BaseballCap
D983154983145983158983141983155 See the 7 wonders o the world
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155
Angry
Scared
iredrappedBlindedHungryDazedInjuredDying
Jimmy Sweet is a happy-go-lucky kid who hasnever had anyone to rely on but himsel He iswiry tough and quick with a cheeky attitudethat requently gets him into trouble Jimmystowed away on a tramp steamer with the inten-tion o seeing the world and making his ortune
R983141983148983137983156983145983151983150983155983144983145983152983155
N983151983156983141983155
OCTOBER JONES GIRL REPORTER
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Beautiul Witty Good MemoryCurious
G983141983137983154 rusty Camera Tick Notebook D983154983145983158983141983155 Get the scoop on the real ennes-
see Smith
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 AngryScarediredrappedBlindedHungryDazedInjuredDying
October Jones is a reporter and adventurerafforded a great deal o reedom by her atherrsquosimmense wealth Beautiul intelligent and spoiltshe is a woman used to getting what she wants
R983141983148983137983156983145983151983150983155983144983145983152983155
N983151983156983141983155
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 212321
Tis list is by no means exhaustive but itrsquos a goodplace to start Each entry lists the kinds o things aDescriptor might be an advantage or hindrance orwhich makes it a handy reerence or both players and
Narrators
B983151983140983161 D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155A983143983145983148983141 helpul when dancing leaping doing gym-
nastics crawling through tight spaces and balancingA983149983138983145983140983141983160983156983154983151983157983155 great when shooting two guns at
the same time or doing slight-o-hand magic tricksB983148983151983150983140983141 good or getting people to underestimate
you not good i you spend too much time in the sunF983137983147983141 O983154983137983150983143983141 T983137983150 great or passing as an aging
celebrity and or drawing attention to yoursel
F983157983154983154983161 useul or resisting cold weather and livingin the woods
H983137983150983140983155983151983149983141 useul or flirting selling stuff gettingroles on V modelling and being popular
H983157983143983141 good or looking menacing reaching highplaces acting like a body builder or getting stuck insmall spaces
O983158983141983154983159983141983145983143983144983156 a problem when exercising andborrowing clothes
P983151983151983154 C983151983150983155983156983145983156983157983156983145983151983150 a hindrance when long dis-
tance running resisting damage perorming eats oendurance and healingQ983157983145983139983147 handy or ducking to and rom places
slight-o-hand dodging and other actions that requirespeed o action
R983137983162983151983154-983155983144983137983154983152 C983148983137983159983155 great or slicing up en-emies cutting vegetables and maybe climbing trees
S983144983151983154983156 a pain or reaching the top shel but use-ul or crawling under low objects and getting lost ina crowd
S983148983151983159 a problem when running dodging and re-
acting to thingsS983156983154983151983150983143 useul or lifing carrying smashing
and throwing things Wrestling and avoiding beingcrushed might also be aided
T983137983148983148 good or reaching the top shel climbingand seeing over other peoplersquos heads
T983144983145983150 handy or squeezing into places and clotheshiding behind poles and perorming on the catwalk
U983143983148983161 a problem when trying to seduce someoneor get a role on V
V983145983143983151983157983154 great or resisting poison long distancerunning and other eats o endurance
Weak a pain when lifing carrying smashing andthrowing stuff
W983141983138983138983141983140 F983141983141983156 great or swimming but terriblewhen buying shoes
M983145983150983140 D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155A983138983155983141983150983156-M983145983150983140983141983140 good or being distracted but a
problem when remembering where you lef the keysor that you just pulled the pin rom a hand grenade
B983151983151983147-S983149983137983154983156 great when doing exams knowingmath ormulas remembering dates in history andgenerally getting into Law at Harvard
C983151983149983152983157983156983141983154-W983145983162 good or programming fixing
your laptop and getting into PC vs Apple flame-warsD983145983149-W983145983156983156983141983140 a problem when listening to jokes
recognizing a trick or generally keeping up appear-ances in social settings
E983149983152983137983156983144983141983156983145983139 good or reading peoples emotionsdoing psychological evaluations and knowing how tocomort distressed people
F983151983139983157983155983141983140 good or staying on task not getting dis-tracted and looking serious
L983137983156983141983154983137983148 T983144983145983150983147983141983154 handy or problem solving
and approaching issues in new or unusual waysM983137983156983144983141983149983137983156983145983139983145983137983150 great or doing sums solvingequations and doing your tax
O983138983155983141983154983158983137983150983156 great or spotting hidden clues no-ticing details doing find-a-words and reading bodylanguage
O983154983137983156983151983154 good or public speaking debating andgetting people to see your point o view
S983148983151983159 a pain when trying to understand plans orlearn new things
T983137983139983156983145983139983145983137983150 great or planning battles remember-
ing military history and quoting sun suU983150983141983140983157983139983137983156983141983140 a pain when reading doing math
remembering important dates in history and doingany school-type tests
W983145983155983141 handy or sprouting proverbs giving adviceputting unrelated clues together interpreting peoplersquosreactions and saying lsquoI told you sorsquo
W983145983156983156983161 good or making unny comments beingcharming and or entertaining and always knowingthe right thing to say
APPENDIX - DESCRIPTORS
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 222322
E983140983143983141 D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155A983139983154983151983138983137983156983145983139983155 great or joining the circus leaping
through narrow gaps and doing impressive flipsA983154983139983137983150983141 K983150983151983159983148983141983140983143983141 good or identiying mys-
tic arteacts recognizing the presence o evil magicand reading ancient scrolls
C983151983157983154983137983143983141 handy when seeing something scary
telling your wie you orgot your anniversary and at-tempting other dangerous acts
D983154983145983158983145983150983143 great or car racing car chases and pass-ing your driving exam
F983141983150983139983145983150983143 good or sword fighting and other civi-lized orms o melee
G983151983151983140 M983141983149983151983154983161 handy or remembering namesand aces vital clues and mathematical ormulas
H983157983150983156983145983150983143 good when tracking and stalking look-ing good in camouflage and knowing what an angryrhinoceros sounds like
K983141983141983150 S983145983143983144983156 great or seeing a long way or evendoing stuff by moonlight
L983145983150983143983157983145983155983156983145983139983155 good or speaking one (or more)oreign languages and generally communicating withothers
M983137983143983145983139 great or knowing the mystic arts castingspells or acting like a stage magician
M983141983140983145983139983145983150983141 good or perorming operations diag-nosing illness and administering first aid
N983137983155983156983161 B983145983156983141 great or really hurting someone in
combat chewing your own arm off or winning a pieeating contestR983145983139983144 handy or buying luxury sports cars getting
invited to exclusive parties and bribing city officialsW983154983141983155983156983148983145983150983143 good or fighting unarmed combat
and pinning opponents to the ground
F1048684983137983159 D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155B983148983145983150983140 a pain when doing anything that requires
sight such as shooting navigating an unamiliar spaceor painting
B983154983137983158983141 good or charging into mortal danger act-ing oolhardy and getting into deep trouble
C983148983157983149983155983161 a problem when carrying a valuable vase
visiting an antique store or trying to cross a booby-trapped room
G983154983141983141983140983161 a pain when resisting the urge to steal lieor in some other way keep or obtain wealth
I983150-H983157983149983137983150 A983152983152983141983137983154983137983150983139983141 a hindrance when try-ing not to get noticed avoiding attention or finding apair o pants that fit just right
M983145983155983155983145983150983143 L983141983143 a problem when running climbingor perorming any other activity that involves move-ment without prosthetics or a wheel chair
O983148983140 a pain when trying to look cool climb stairsuse a computer or be positive about your health
P983151983151983154 a hindrance when wanting to buy ood orclothes or trying to get into an exclusive party
P983151983151983154 S983145983143983144983156 a pain when trying to recognizesomeone or thing driving at night or noticing visualclues
P983154983145983149983145983156983145983158983141 a problem when using mobile phonescars and door bells as well as interacting at more civi-lized social occasions
S983149983141983148983148983161 a hindrance when trying to impress peo-
ple or hiding rom wild animals or trackersW983137983150983156983141983140 a pain when trying to keep out o trou-ble or needing something rom your apartment
Y983151983157983150983143 a problem when trying to get into clubs betaken seriously by adults avoid school or see over thedash in a car
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
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NAME CONCEPT
BODY
MIND
EDGE
FLAW
DESCRIPTION
ROLL RESULT
6 Yes and
4 Yes
2 Yes but
5 No but
3 No
1 No and
A983150983143983154983161 983154983137983152983152983141983140 D983137983162983141983140
S983139983137983154983141983140 B1048684983145983150983140983141983140 I983150983146983157983154983141983140
983145983154983141983140 H983157983150983143983154983161 D983161983145983150983143
DRIVESWHAT DO YOU WANT
WHAT IS STOPPING YOU
WHAT WILL YOU DO
RELATIONSHIPS
C O N D I T I O N S
F U
P O I N T S
T H E O D D S
NOTES
G E A R
FU
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 132313
M983151983140983145983142983145983141983154983155Sometimes circumstances equipment and skill will
make actions easier or harder Modifiers change thenumber o dice you get to roll when taking action
M983137983147983145983150983143 T983144983145983150983143983155 E983137983155983145983141983154 Roll an additional dieor each Descriptor piece o Gear Condition or De-tail that provides some advantage to the action being
taken Te result is the single best (not necessarilyhighest) die roll as the player chooses
In the woods Sir Camden tries to track LordKane You point out that the knight is a goodhunter so you get an extra d6 Rolling 2d6 youscore a 5 and a 4 Keeping the 4 it is decided thatafer a brie search Sir Camden finds Lord Kanersquostracks and ollows them to a sinister citadel
M983137983147983145983150983143 T983144983145983150983143983155 H983137983154983140983141983154 Roll an extra die oreach Descriptor bit o Gear Condition or Detail that
makes the action harder Te result is the single worstdie roll
Captain Vance decides to run to a near-by jeepTe Narrator points out there is no cover betweenVancersquos hiding spot and the vehicle ldquoDoes Vance get to the jeep uninjuredrdquo You roll 2d6 scoringa 3 and a 5 You must accept the 3 and CaptainVance is injured as he reaches the jeep
C983137983150983139983141983148983148983145983150983143 O983157983156 One beneficial die cancels out
one hindering die so you will never be rolling lsquonega-tiversquo and lsquopositiversquo dice at the same time
Later in his quest Sir Camden must scale asheer (-) cliff Te knight is strong (+) and hasa rope (+) Overall this means a single bonus tothe action (the sheer cliff and the knightrsquos strengthcancel each other out just leaving the rope) Youroll 2d6 scoring a 3 and 6
E983160983137983149983152983148983141 983151983142 M983151983140983145983142983145983141983154983155
Captain Vance hurtles along in the jeep when a guard tries to drag himout through the window ldquoWill Vanceshake the guard offrdquo It is hard (+) todrag Vance out the window but he iswounded (-) and surprised (-) and the
attacker is very strong (-) In total youmust roll 2 penalty dice You roll 3d6scoring a 2 4 and 3 and must take theworst result the 3 Te guard wrestlesVance out o the jeep
O983156983144983141983154 983156983161983152983141983155 983151983142 983154983151983148983148983155
FU has no such thing as lsquoopposedrollsrsquo or lsquocontested actionsrsquo lsquodamagerollsrsquo and lsquorolling to hitrsquo Te beat theodds roll is the only kind o roll usedin FU whether you are trying to drive
a car through a crowded mall armwrestle a giant or shrug off the damagecaused by a stray bullet
H983151983159 983140983151 ldquo983151983152983152983151983155983141983140rdquo 983137983139983156983145983151983150983155 983159983151983154983147
For a start only players ever rolldice You begin by actoring in all thebonuses (+) and penalties (-) that applyto your character Ten you take stocko all the actors that would apply tothe opponent and apply those into your
roll too Is the opponent weak You geta bonus die Is the opponent a worldchampion arm wrestler You actor ina penalty die And so on until every-thing is actored in When you knowhow many bonus andor penalty dice
you have roll I the result is an even
number you win the contest i the finalresult is an odd number your opponenthas the advantage
D983145983137983148983145983150983143 983145983150 983151983150 Y983151983157983154 983137983139983156983145983151983150
Sword fights political debates spaceraces international wars argumentsand gun battles are all resolved usingthe beat the odds roll Te key is to dialin or out o the action through the kindo questions you attempt to resolve Youcan fight a dramatic sword fight and ex-
change a series o blows by asking ldquoDoI hit the Count De Montierdquo But youcould also resolve the entire fight witha single roll by asking ldquoDo I deeat theCount De Montie in a duelrdquo Or takeit to the next level and ask ldquoDo my men-at-arms storm the Count De Montiersquoscastlerdquo Adjust the dial as necessary
O983152983156983145983151983150 M983137983156983139983144983145983150983143 D983145983139983141
Rolling doubles triples or quadru- ples can make a success much better ora ailure ar worse I your result die hasa match the effects will be much moredramatic You may add one ldquoandrdquostatement or each matching die I the
action is ailed this statement shouldmake the situation worse I the actionis a success the additional statement(s)should make the situation even better
For example Sir Camden aces LordKanersquos henchmen ldquoWill Sir Camden de-
eat the henchmenrdquo He is injured andoutnumbered so you will roll 2 penaltydice You roll and score 3 3 and 2 Youmust take the worst result - the double3 Normally this would be a ldquo Nordquo re-
sult but the matching 3 turns it into aldquo No andrdquo I you had rolled triple 3the result would have been ldquo No andandrdquo
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 142314
FU P983151983145983150983156983155FU Points are a resource that you spend to improve
a characterrsquos chance o success at an action Tey canbe used in two ways
B983151983150983157983155 D983145983141 Spend a FU Point beore a beat theodds roll to add a single bonus die Tis works like anyother bonus die You can add as many bonus dice as
you have FU Points but they must all be declared atthe same time
R983141-983154983151983148983148 Spend a FU Point afer a beat the oddsroll to re-roll a single die Te second result must stand- you cannot re-roll a re-roll You can re-roll as manydice as you have FU Points but you must declare themall at the same time beore the first die is re-rolled
You can spend multiple FU Points on any givenaction and or either or both effects It is completelywithin the rules to spend a FU Point to add a bonus
die beore a roll then another FU Point to re-roll a dieaferwards
Back at HQ Captain Vance tries to convinceGeneral Wallace to deploy the Rocket roops un-der his command Vance doesnrsquot have much going or him in this situation in terms o Descriptorsso you decide to spend 2 FU Points on the roll You
roll the basic die plus the two bonus dice gettinga 1 1 and 3 Not happy with this you spends yourlast FU Point on a re-roll You pick up one o the1rsquos and throw the die again
E983137983154983150983145983150983143 FU P983151983145983150983156983155 FU Points are earned duringplay or doing cool stuff and roleplaying your charac-ter Whenever you do something that stops play andmakes everyone go ldquoWowrdquo or laugh out loud at yourantics or anything else that everyone thinks should berewarded you earn a FU Point
S983156983137983154983156983145983150983143 FU P983151983145983150983156983155
Te number o FU Points you begina game with should be discussed beore
play begins Te more FU Points play-ers begin with the more easily they willachieve successes I playing games ohigh adventure or over-the-top actionit would be reasonable to begin with 2FU Points Super-powered heroes mightbegin with as many as 3 FU Points For
grittier games each player might onlybegin with 1 FU Point or even none
C983137983150 I 983143983145983158983141 983155983144983137983154983141 FU P983151983145983150983156983155
Tat is up to you and your groupTe deault is ldquonordquo but
D983151 N983137983154983154983137983156983151983154983155 983143983141983156 FU 983152983151983145983150983156983155
Usually no but they might allow a powerul villain or monster to have onetwo or three
O983156983144983141983154 983159983137983161983155 983156983151 983141983137983154983150 FU
You might like to change the way youearn FU Points You might earn them
or dealing the killing blow to monstersachieving your characterrsquos goal or roll-ing multiple 1rsquos or 6rsquos
Tis is a really good way to changethe tone or style o the game Want to
play a dungeon crawl Reward FU orkilling monsters A gritty dystopian
game Reward FU when the characters
lose out to Te Man Decide i these arethe only ways to earn FU or i they arein addition to the normal roleplayingrewards Tis decision will also have adramatic effect on the tone o play Seewhat you can do with it
O983156983144983141983154 983159983137983161983155 983156983151 983157983155983141 FU
Play around with FU Points Experi-ment or adjust the ways you use them
to suit your gaming group or the typeo story you are playing Here are somesuggestions
FU 983137983155 H983141983137983148983156983144
Rather than having a varying andchangeable number o FU points everycharacter begins with 3 Tey can bespent as normal but can also be lostwhen the character suffers physical ormental stress (injuries atigue earetc) FU in this instance can be rereshed
(brought back up to 3) by roleplayingout a (non-dice rolling) scene with an-other character that reveals somethingabout your relationship
R983141-R983151983148983148 E983158983141983154983161983156983144983145983150983143
Spend a FU point to re-roll all yourdice Tis is an all-or-nothing thing so
you canrsquot keep a couple o good resultsand roll the rest Use this variant in-stead o the normal re-roll rule
F983148983145983152 983137 P983145983152
Spend a FU Point to adjust a singledie up or down by one pip Spend mul-tiple FU points to adjust a die multiple
pips Tis option is more reliable thana re-roll as you will always be able toturn a ldquonordquo into a ldquoyesrdquo I you used thisvariant the normal re-roll rule shouldnot be used
U983155983141 983137 P983154983151983152Spend a FU point to turn a prop into
an item o Gear or the duration o thescene
S983156983157983150983156983155 983137983150983140 P983151983159983141983154983155
Give characters special abilitiesskills or powers that can only be used byspending a FU Point Tese should bemore powerul than Descriptors - makethem break the rules or give a superhu-man knack like the ability to fly or read
minds teleport or whatever
T983137983147983145983150983143 983137 H983145983156
Instead o rolling declare you areldquotaking a hitrdquo All the dice you shouldhave rolled are treated as i they rolled1rsquos (yes i you are holding 5 dice theycount as five 1rsquos) In return or your su-
ering you earn a FU Point
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 152315
ACTION
SUMMARY
SET THE SCENEWhere does the scene take place Who is there What do they want Doyou need to break down into turns
ACTRoleplay your character and describe what is going on Push toward theobjective
ASK A QUESTIONWhen you need to resolve a conflict or complete an action ask a closedquestion (eg ldquoDo I succeedrdquo)
FACTOR IN MODIFIERS+1 bonus die or every Descriptor item o Gear Detail Condition or other
eature that makes the action easier+1 penalty die or every Descriptor item o Gear Detail Condition or othereature that makes the action harder
ROLLRoll all your dice Te result is the single best die (i rolling bonus dice) orsingle worst die (i rolling penalty dice)
DESCRIBE RESULTUse the die result to describe how the conflict or action turned out Apply
Conditions or Details as necessary
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 162316
Following is some simple straightorward adviceor Narrators It is all airly generic because all the spe-cific stuff is going to relate to the genre tone and styleo game that you and your players choose to play
9831371048684983147983145983150983143 983145983155 983143983151983151983140Start your game with a conversation alk about
what players want out o the game what you want andwhere those ideas overlap Tose overlaps are likelywhere everyone is going to have the most un At the very least you should work together to establish thegenre and tone o your shared story alk about thisstuff too so that everyone is clear o the specifics (thereis a world o difference between Gothic horror andsplatter films or example)
alk during the game too Encourage players toshare ideas and give input into scenes objectives andthe challenges characters ace I you need to clariyideas themes or issues then do that
L983145983155983156983141983150983145983150983143 983145983155 983143983151983151983140I there is going to be talk there needs to be listen-
ing Listen to your players and the things they tell youeither in conversation or when they do things withtheir character Do stuff that relates to the Descriptors
written on the playerrsquos character sheets because that iswhat they think is cool
W983144983141983150 9831521048684983137983161983145983150983143When running games donrsquot plan too much ahead
o time Te dice rolls are going to direct a lot o theaction and you and the players will fill in the gaps byapplying Conditions and Details Here are some tipsto keep things moving and help you enjoy the game as
much as the players doK983141983141983152 983156983144983145983150983143983155 983155983145983149983152983148983141 Do not complicate your job
by introducing lots o sub-plots or convoluted twistsTings will get all messed about by themselves and the
story will run off on tangents that you never dreamedo
Y983151983157 983137983154983141 983150983151983156 983156983144983141 983141983150983141983149983161 this may seem obviousbut is worth stating Your role is to help guide the storyin interesting directions not to kill everyone You cangive players hints and ideas i you think this will lead toa better story Sometimes you will portray the adver-saries and are expected to do so vigorously but airlyOther times you will get to be an ally companion orpeer and once again you should be true to the spirit othe game
S983137983161 ldquoY983141983155rdquo i players make suggestions or ask ques-tions it is probably because they are interested in whatis going on Tey probably have a cool idea to introduceto the story Encourage this and confidently say ldquoyesrdquoto requests Tis doesnrsquot mean you should let playersget anything they want ndash but you should let players in-troduce elements into the story when the time is right
M983137983147983141 983154983151983148983148983155 983149983141983137983150983145983150983143983142983157983148 Every time you callor a die roll it should mean something interesting isgoing to happen NO MAER HE RESUL Donrsquot
have players make rolls i the result is not important tothe story or i ailure will stop the momentum o thestory
NARRATOR
983091 Q983157983141983155983156983145983151983150983155 983156983151 983142983154983137983149983141 983161983151983157983154 983143983137983149983141
When you begin a game talk withthe players about their expectations ryto answer the ollowing three questions
W983144983137983156 983159983145983148983148 983139983144983137983154983137983139983156983141983154983155 983140983151983103
Do players want to kick in doorskill monsters and take home piles otreasure Do they want to eel like epicheroes Or the underdogs strugglingagainst ridiculous odds
H983151983159 983140983151 983152983148983137983161983141983154983155 983159983137983150983156 983156983151 983142983141983141983148983103
Do the players want to eel like theyare changing the world Like their char-acter is gaining in wealth prestige or
power Or do they want to eel like theirbacks are against the wall and their livesconstantly at risk
W983144983137983156 983145983155 983156983144983141 N983137983154983154983137983156983151983154rsquo983155 983154983151983148983141983103
What kinds o challenges encoun-ters and situations are you going to pre-
sent the characters in order to achievethe above Do you need to ensure everychallenge is accompanied by a generousreward Are you going to make every
fight hard but air Will you be relent-less in the pursuit o the antagonistrsquos
goals
Answer these questions and every-one at the table will be clear on theirrole in the coming adventure
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 172317
R983141983139983151983158983141983154983161During games characters can suffer injuries be-
come physically or mentally stressed and be afflictedby a range o other Conditions Conditions are alwaysrecovered at a time andor rate appropriate to the sto-ry Tis is usually with the passing o time but doesnot have to be A good rule o thumb is that one or
more Conditions can be removedrecovered betweenscenes though this will depend on the timing o suchencounters
R983141983159983137983154983140983155Reward players or good roleplaying and achieving
goals by giving them FU Points You may also rewardthem or a variety o other reasons as your group de-cides (see the sidebar on page 12) FU Points can beused to improve a characters chance o success and arethereore a great immediate tangible reward You donrsquot
have to be the only one at the table offering rewardsthough All players should speak up when someonehas done something cool unny or awesome and re-ward a FU Point
H983151983159 983149983157983139983144 983144983151983159 983151983142983156983141983150 Be generous with yourrewards as the positive reinorcement o earning FUPoints will inspire them on to greater acts o heroismspectacle or depravity as the case may be Also takeinto account whether this will be a ldquoone offrdquo game ora part o an ongoing story or campaign - players arelikely to burn through FU Points aster in a singe ses-
sion game and will need their resources replenishedaster
C983144983137983154983137983139983156983141983154983155 983078 O9831389831559831569831379831391048684983141983155All the characters monsters traps villains terrain
eatures creatures and obstacles that are encounteredduring a story are defined in much the same way ascharacters You are not confined by any rules or re-strictions when creating characters or obstacles theonly thing you must do is make them entertaining andinteresting
T983144983141 B983151983159983148
One technique or rewarding FUPoints is to place a bowl o beads chitsor tokens in the centre o the table Eachbead is a FU Point Te Narrator cantell players to ldquotake one rom the bowlrdquoand other players can reach in when it isappropriate to reward a player by pass-ing a bead rom the bowl Tis requirestrust between players and Narrator butmakes the running o the game verysmooth as no-one has to stop and askldquoDoes that deserve a FU Pointrdquo
A983140983158983137983150983139983141983149983141983150983156
FU is not a game about ldquolevellinguprdquo While characters might have avariety o experiences and learn romthem the real advancement comes romthe changing story andor world
I appropriate players can changeone Descriptor between game sessionsTis alteration should relate in someway to the experiences and story theircharacter just participated in Gear canbe changed between sessions at the Nar-ratorrsquos discretion
Goals might also change rom gamesession to game session Give playerstime to consider their goals at the starto each session and let them adjust orchange them as necessary
T983154983137983139983147983145983150983143 983151983138983155983156983137983139983148983141983155
Use sticky-notes or index cards torecord details about your charactersmonsters and obstacles Write downDescriptors Gear and other ino Asthey suffer Conditions record those onthe card
Use index cards to record importantterrain eatures too Write down anyDescriptor(s) pertaining to the eature
so players can take them into accountas they plan their actions
W983144983137983156 983140983151 I 983155983144983137983154983141 983159983145983156983144 983152983148983137983161983141983154983155
Some groups play open making nosecret o the Descriptors and details ocreatures and monsters Other groups(andor Narrators) keep this inorma-tion hidden rom players Both options
provide or different styles o play
Playing an open table means eve-ryone is clear about what is going onwhat opportunities exist or cool scenesand actions Players can see what GearConditions and Descriptors are ldquoin
playrdquo and incorporate them into scenes
Keeping the details o villains trapsand other obstacles rom the playerswill push them to test their enemies ex-
plore the environment and try differentthings Tey can manoeuvre themselvesand situations in directions they thinkwill be advantageous It is always satis-
ying to be rewarded with bonus dice oraccurately guessing an enemyrsquos Descrip-tors
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 182318
ennessee Smith amed explorer has finally got a solid lead on the whereabouts o the ancientIdol o ot an object o reported supernatural power Unortunately Smithrsquos arch enemy Giles
Fishburne is also on the trail o the Idol and hasthrown his lot in with the Nazis
Tis short adventure will get you into the actionquickly It illustrates one way you might prepare yourown adventures adversaries and obstacles Use thepre-generated characters presented at the end o theadventure Race to the emple o ot consists o a serieso set-piece encounters that you can use rearrange andignore at your leisure Remember that beat the oddsrolls will lead to all kinds o interesting twists and
turns and once the characters set out on the adventureanything is possible
B983141983142983151983154983141 983161983151983157 983138983141983143983145983150Beore starting play have a quick discussion about
the tone and style o the game Te scenario is clas-sic pulp - over the top action outrageous villains andlarger than lie heroes Make sure everyone is on thesame page here - talk about what makes this genre cooland perhaps point out examples o the genre (Indiana Jones Te Mummy Te Rocketeer ) and what parts o
these you enjoyedRead the flavour text above (the stuff in italics) and
get everyone at the table to throw around some ideaso cool stuff they would like to see happen during theadventure Note it all down - when things slow or iyou get stuck or what to do next chuck one o theseideas into the mix
S983139983141983150983141983155Te scenes presented here have a description o
where the action takes place and suggest Descriptorsyou or the players might incorporate into the actionTe italics set up the action o the scene and the objec-tive Paraphrase the details or your players
C98314498313710486841048684983141983150983143983141983155Te challenges and adversaries in this adventure
are recorded in boxes with relevant Descriptors Con-ditions and Notes Tese are to guide you and do nothave to be used Your own cool ideas should alwaystrump anything written here
E983155983139983137983152983141 983156983144983141 B9831571048684983137983147 M983137983154983147983141983156S983139983141983150983141 Central Asia - a bustling market in the city
o Bulak - Midday all stone and mud-brick buildingswith narrow arched windows surround the central
market stalls and caes bars and emporiums run offin all directions along winding narrow streets
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Crowded streets Exotic goods
Te characters have just acquired a map to theemple o ot Unortunately Nazi goons have ar-rived and want the map too Tere are a lot o goons and while the characters could fight themit might be easier to flee Do the characters escape
NAZI GOONS
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Lots o goons Beey AryansNot too bright
G983141983137983154 Noisy Sub-machine guns
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 ConusedrappedSlowedOut o Action
N983151983156983141983155 Tere are a number o goon squads equal tothe number o characters
W983144983137983156 983139983137983150 983143983151 983159983154983151983150983143983103 Te characters are cap-tured Te map is lost
9831549831379831509831551048684983137983156983145983150983143 983156983144983141 M983137983152S983139983141983150983141 A dark coffee lounge cae or back roomsomewhere in the city o Bulak Te smell o strongcoffee and exotic ood permeates the room
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Private
ennessee Smith and his companions have themap but must now translate it puzzling out thestrange symbols and markings Do they translatethe map
TRANSLATING THE MAP
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Ancient glyphs Brittle paperC983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 ornRuinedSmudged
Burnt to a crisp
W983144983137983156 983139983137983150 983143983151 983159983154983151983150983143983103 Te map is damaged Techaracters misread the map Tey cannot read the mapand must get help rom an expert in ancient languages
RACE TO THE TEMPLE OF TOT
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 192319
983144983141 G983151983157 Z983151983157 G983151983154983143983141S983139983141983150983141 Te majestic Gou Zou Gorge hal a mile
deep and crossed by a single iron girder railway bridgeWide open plains lie on either side o the gorge and theKow Mountains lie in the distance
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Open plains Impassible Gorge
Te characters ollow the map to Gou ZouGorge by car or horse back Giles Fishburne is ap- proaching ast aboard the German dirigible DerVogel Do the characters cross the bridge saelyDo they keep their lead on the Germans
NAZI BIRD TRUPPEN
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Tey Fly Agile
G983141983137983154 Delicate Flying Harness DeadlyStick Grenade
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 ConusedGrounded
SlowedOut o ActionN983151983156983141983155 Tere are a number o Bird ruppen equalto the number o characters
GOU ZOU BRIDGE
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Wide but narrow
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 RicketyBlown all to hell
N983151983156983141983155 You know you must introduce an approach-ing train right
W983144983137983156 983139983137983150 983143983151 983159983154983151983150983143983103 Te bridge is destroyed
Te map is lost the characters are captured
983144983141 98314110486859831521048684983141S983139983141983150983141 An ancient temple ashioned into the side
o a mountain Grand statues o sinister looking godsand daemons line the walls Dust covers everythingTe tunnel leads deeper into the mountain
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Dark Silent
Te characters must penetrate the heart o thetemple but the map warned o nearious traps
and terrible guardians Do they get past the trapsand guardians
NEFARIOUS TRAPS
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Hidden Deadly
G983141983137983154 Poison Darts Rusting Spears
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 DisarmedSet-offRevealed
N983151983156983141983155 Challenge characters with one or two trapsell them the passage is trapped but donrsquot tell themhow or where the traps are until they are sprung
STONE STATUE GUARDIAN
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Big Heavy Slow Relentless
G983141983137983154 Heavy Stone Weapons
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 DamagedOff balanceSlowedOut o Action
N983151983156983141983155 Tere is one Statue Guardian or every two
characters Te large heavy weapons can strikemultiple characters at once
W983144983137983156 983139983137983150 983143983151 983159983154983151983150983143983103 Characters cannot getpast traps characters are injured by traps
983144983141 I9831409831511048684 C9831449831371048685983138983141983154S983139983141983150983141 A large stone chamber ingeniously lit by
mirrors reflecting sunlight Te Idol o ot - a gold-en statue o a seven-headed monkey - sits on a stoneplinth in the centre o the room
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Large bronze mirrors
Te characters enter the chamber o the idolonly to find that Giles Fishburne and his Nazi goons are here too Do they deeat Giles and es-cape with the Idol
GILES FISHBURNE
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Smart Arrogant Sword fighter
G983141983137983154 Polished Sabre
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 ConusedInjuredSlowedOut o Action
N983151983156983141983155 Giles is a greedy arrogant villain but heisnrsquot stupid I things start looking dire he will attemptto escape make a deal andor double-cross anyone inhis way He has no loyalty to the Nazis
C983144983137983154983137983139983156983141983154983155Four pre-made characters can be ound on the next
page Tey are each examples o classic pulp charac-ter archetypes Players may tweak or adjust them atthe Narratorrsquos discretion beore play starts perhapschanging a Descriptor or two or switching out an item
o Gear Beore starting the game each player shoulddefine one or two relationships describing how thecharacters know each other A quick and easy way todo this is or everyone to describe how they know thecharacter to their lef
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 202320
TENNESSEE SMITH DAREDEVIL EXPLORER
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Nimble Level Headed Use BullWhip Araid o Heights
G983141983137983154 Bull Whip Worn Leather Jacket
D983154983145983158983141983155 Find the Idol o ot
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 AngryScaredired
rapped
Blinded
HungryDazedInjuredDying
ennessee Smith is a mild-mannered proes-sor o history but in his spare time he travelsinto the wilderness in search o lost arteacts andtreasure Ruggedly handsome he always seemsto keep his cool no matter how much danger heis inmdashand he tends to get into a lot o it
R983141983148983137983156983145983151983150983155983144983145983152983155
N983151983156983141983155
HARVEY REED RETIRED BOXER
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Strong Tinks-on-his-Feet BoxerUgly as Sin
G983141983137983154 Roll o quarters Poor fitting suitD983154983145983158983141983155 Look out or ennessee Smith
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 AngryScarediredrappedBlindedHungryDazedInjuredDying
Harvey Reed is a recently retired championboxer Finding the sedentary lie a little too bor-ing he has joined his old riend ennessee insearch o adventure
R983141983148983137983156983145983151983150983155983144983145983152983155
N983151983156983141983155
JIMMY SWEET PLUCKY KID
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Quick Smart-aleckUnderestimated Young
G983141983137983154 Noisy Firecrackers Dirty BaseballCap
D983154983145983158983141983155 See the 7 wonders o the world
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155
Angry
Scared
iredrappedBlindedHungryDazedInjuredDying
Jimmy Sweet is a happy-go-lucky kid who hasnever had anyone to rely on but himsel He iswiry tough and quick with a cheeky attitudethat requently gets him into trouble Jimmystowed away on a tramp steamer with the inten-tion o seeing the world and making his ortune
R983141983148983137983156983145983151983150983155983144983145983152983155
N983151983156983141983155
OCTOBER JONES GIRL REPORTER
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Beautiul Witty Good MemoryCurious
G983141983137983154 rusty Camera Tick Notebook D983154983145983158983141983155 Get the scoop on the real ennes-
see Smith
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 AngryScarediredrappedBlindedHungryDazedInjuredDying
October Jones is a reporter and adventurerafforded a great deal o reedom by her atherrsquosimmense wealth Beautiul intelligent and spoiltshe is a woman used to getting what she wants
R983141983148983137983156983145983151983150983155983144983145983152983155
N983151983156983141983155
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 212321
Tis list is by no means exhaustive but itrsquos a goodplace to start Each entry lists the kinds o things aDescriptor might be an advantage or hindrance orwhich makes it a handy reerence or both players and
Narrators
B983151983140983161 D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155A983143983145983148983141 helpul when dancing leaping doing gym-
nastics crawling through tight spaces and balancingA983149983138983145983140983141983160983156983154983151983157983155 great when shooting two guns at
the same time or doing slight-o-hand magic tricksB983148983151983150983140983141 good or getting people to underestimate
you not good i you spend too much time in the sunF983137983147983141 O983154983137983150983143983141 T983137983150 great or passing as an aging
celebrity and or drawing attention to yoursel
F983157983154983154983161 useul or resisting cold weather and livingin the woods
H983137983150983140983155983151983149983141 useul or flirting selling stuff gettingroles on V modelling and being popular
H983157983143983141 good or looking menacing reaching highplaces acting like a body builder or getting stuck insmall spaces
O983158983141983154983159983141983145983143983144983156 a problem when exercising andborrowing clothes
P983151983151983154 C983151983150983155983156983145983156983157983156983145983151983150 a hindrance when long dis-
tance running resisting damage perorming eats oendurance and healingQ983157983145983139983147 handy or ducking to and rom places
slight-o-hand dodging and other actions that requirespeed o action
R983137983162983151983154-983155983144983137983154983152 C983148983137983159983155 great or slicing up en-emies cutting vegetables and maybe climbing trees
S983144983151983154983156 a pain or reaching the top shel but use-ul or crawling under low objects and getting lost ina crowd
S983148983151983159 a problem when running dodging and re-
acting to thingsS983156983154983151983150983143 useul or lifing carrying smashing
and throwing things Wrestling and avoiding beingcrushed might also be aided
T983137983148983148 good or reaching the top shel climbingand seeing over other peoplersquos heads
T983144983145983150 handy or squeezing into places and clotheshiding behind poles and perorming on the catwalk
U983143983148983161 a problem when trying to seduce someoneor get a role on V
V983145983143983151983157983154 great or resisting poison long distancerunning and other eats o endurance
Weak a pain when lifing carrying smashing andthrowing stuff
W983141983138983138983141983140 F983141983141983156 great or swimming but terriblewhen buying shoes
M983145983150983140 D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155A983138983155983141983150983156-M983145983150983140983141983140 good or being distracted but a
problem when remembering where you lef the keysor that you just pulled the pin rom a hand grenade
B983151983151983147-S983149983137983154983156 great when doing exams knowingmath ormulas remembering dates in history andgenerally getting into Law at Harvard
C983151983149983152983157983156983141983154-W983145983162 good or programming fixing
your laptop and getting into PC vs Apple flame-warsD983145983149-W983145983156983156983141983140 a problem when listening to jokes
recognizing a trick or generally keeping up appear-ances in social settings
E983149983152983137983156983144983141983156983145983139 good or reading peoples emotionsdoing psychological evaluations and knowing how tocomort distressed people
F983151983139983157983155983141983140 good or staying on task not getting dis-tracted and looking serious
L983137983156983141983154983137983148 T983144983145983150983147983141983154 handy or problem solving
and approaching issues in new or unusual waysM983137983156983144983141983149983137983156983145983139983145983137983150 great or doing sums solvingequations and doing your tax
O983138983155983141983154983158983137983150983156 great or spotting hidden clues no-ticing details doing find-a-words and reading bodylanguage
O983154983137983156983151983154 good or public speaking debating andgetting people to see your point o view
S983148983151983159 a pain when trying to understand plans orlearn new things
T983137983139983156983145983139983145983137983150 great or planning battles remember-
ing military history and quoting sun suU983150983141983140983157983139983137983156983141983140 a pain when reading doing math
remembering important dates in history and doingany school-type tests
W983145983155983141 handy or sprouting proverbs giving adviceputting unrelated clues together interpreting peoplersquosreactions and saying lsquoI told you sorsquo
W983145983156983156983161 good or making unny comments beingcharming and or entertaining and always knowingthe right thing to say
APPENDIX - DESCRIPTORS
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 222322
E983140983143983141 D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155A983139983154983151983138983137983156983145983139983155 great or joining the circus leaping
through narrow gaps and doing impressive flipsA983154983139983137983150983141 K983150983151983159983148983141983140983143983141 good or identiying mys-
tic arteacts recognizing the presence o evil magicand reading ancient scrolls
C983151983157983154983137983143983141 handy when seeing something scary
telling your wie you orgot your anniversary and at-tempting other dangerous acts
D983154983145983158983145983150983143 great or car racing car chases and pass-ing your driving exam
F983141983150983139983145983150983143 good or sword fighting and other civi-lized orms o melee
G983151983151983140 M983141983149983151983154983161 handy or remembering namesand aces vital clues and mathematical ormulas
H983157983150983156983145983150983143 good when tracking and stalking look-ing good in camouflage and knowing what an angryrhinoceros sounds like
K983141983141983150 S983145983143983144983156 great or seeing a long way or evendoing stuff by moonlight
L983145983150983143983157983145983155983156983145983139983155 good or speaking one (or more)oreign languages and generally communicating withothers
M983137983143983145983139 great or knowing the mystic arts castingspells or acting like a stage magician
M983141983140983145983139983145983150983141 good or perorming operations diag-nosing illness and administering first aid
N983137983155983156983161 B983145983156983141 great or really hurting someone in
combat chewing your own arm off or winning a pieeating contestR983145983139983144 handy or buying luxury sports cars getting
invited to exclusive parties and bribing city officialsW983154983141983155983156983148983145983150983143 good or fighting unarmed combat
and pinning opponents to the ground
F1048684983137983159 D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155B983148983145983150983140 a pain when doing anything that requires
sight such as shooting navigating an unamiliar spaceor painting
B983154983137983158983141 good or charging into mortal danger act-ing oolhardy and getting into deep trouble
C983148983157983149983155983161 a problem when carrying a valuable vase
visiting an antique store or trying to cross a booby-trapped room
G983154983141983141983140983161 a pain when resisting the urge to steal lieor in some other way keep or obtain wealth
I983150-H983157983149983137983150 A983152983152983141983137983154983137983150983139983141 a hindrance when try-ing not to get noticed avoiding attention or finding apair o pants that fit just right
M983145983155983155983145983150983143 L983141983143 a problem when running climbingor perorming any other activity that involves move-ment without prosthetics or a wheel chair
O983148983140 a pain when trying to look cool climb stairsuse a computer or be positive about your health
P983151983151983154 a hindrance when wanting to buy ood orclothes or trying to get into an exclusive party
P983151983151983154 S983145983143983144983156 a pain when trying to recognizesomeone or thing driving at night or noticing visualclues
P983154983145983149983145983156983145983158983141 a problem when using mobile phonescars and door bells as well as interacting at more civi-lized social occasions
S983149983141983148983148983161 a hindrance when trying to impress peo-
ple or hiding rom wild animals or trackersW983137983150983156983141983140 a pain when trying to keep out o trou-ble or needing something rom your apartment
Y983151983157983150983143 a problem when trying to get into clubs betaken seriously by adults avoid school or see over thedash in a car
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 2323
NAME CONCEPT
BODY
MIND
EDGE
FLAW
DESCRIPTION
ROLL RESULT
6 Yes and
4 Yes
2 Yes but
5 No but
3 No
1 No and
A983150983143983154983161 983154983137983152983152983141983140 D983137983162983141983140
S983139983137983154983141983140 B1048684983145983150983140983141983140 I983150983146983157983154983141983140
983145983154983141983140 H983157983150983143983154983161 D983161983145983150983143
DRIVESWHAT DO YOU WANT
WHAT IS STOPPING YOU
WHAT WILL YOU DO
RELATIONSHIPS
C O N D I T I O N S
F U
P O I N T S
T H E O D D S
NOTES
G E A R
FU
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 142314
FU P983151983145983150983156983155FU Points are a resource that you spend to improve
a characterrsquos chance o success at an action Tey canbe used in two ways
B983151983150983157983155 D983145983141 Spend a FU Point beore a beat theodds roll to add a single bonus die Tis works like anyother bonus die You can add as many bonus dice as
you have FU Points but they must all be declared atthe same time
R983141-983154983151983148983148 Spend a FU Point afer a beat the oddsroll to re-roll a single die Te second result must stand- you cannot re-roll a re-roll You can re-roll as manydice as you have FU Points but you must declare themall at the same time beore the first die is re-rolled
You can spend multiple FU Points on any givenaction and or either or both effects It is completelywithin the rules to spend a FU Point to add a bonus
die beore a roll then another FU Point to re-roll a dieaferwards
Back at HQ Captain Vance tries to convinceGeneral Wallace to deploy the Rocket roops un-der his command Vance doesnrsquot have much going or him in this situation in terms o Descriptorsso you decide to spend 2 FU Points on the roll You
roll the basic die plus the two bonus dice gettinga 1 1 and 3 Not happy with this you spends yourlast FU Point on a re-roll You pick up one o the1rsquos and throw the die again
E983137983154983150983145983150983143 FU P983151983145983150983156983155 FU Points are earned duringplay or doing cool stuff and roleplaying your charac-ter Whenever you do something that stops play andmakes everyone go ldquoWowrdquo or laugh out loud at yourantics or anything else that everyone thinks should berewarded you earn a FU Point
S983156983137983154983156983145983150983143 FU P983151983145983150983156983155
Te number o FU Points you begina game with should be discussed beore
play begins Te more FU Points play-ers begin with the more easily they willachieve successes I playing games ohigh adventure or over-the-top actionit would be reasonable to begin with 2FU Points Super-powered heroes mightbegin with as many as 3 FU Points For
grittier games each player might onlybegin with 1 FU Point or even none
C983137983150 I 983143983145983158983141 983155983144983137983154983141 FU P983151983145983150983156983155
Tat is up to you and your groupTe deault is ldquonordquo but
D983151 N983137983154983154983137983156983151983154983155 983143983141983156 FU 983152983151983145983150983156983155
Usually no but they might allow a powerul villain or monster to have onetwo or three
O983156983144983141983154 983159983137983161983155 983156983151 983141983137983154983150 FU
You might like to change the way youearn FU Points You might earn them
or dealing the killing blow to monstersachieving your characterrsquos goal or roll-ing multiple 1rsquos or 6rsquos
Tis is a really good way to changethe tone or style o the game Want to
play a dungeon crawl Reward FU orkilling monsters A gritty dystopian
game Reward FU when the characters
lose out to Te Man Decide i these arethe only ways to earn FU or i they arein addition to the normal roleplayingrewards Tis decision will also have adramatic effect on the tone o play Seewhat you can do with it
O983156983144983141983154 983159983137983161983155 983156983151 983157983155983141 FU
Play around with FU Points Experi-ment or adjust the ways you use them
to suit your gaming group or the typeo story you are playing Here are somesuggestions
FU 983137983155 H983141983137983148983156983144
Rather than having a varying andchangeable number o FU points everycharacter begins with 3 Tey can bespent as normal but can also be lostwhen the character suffers physical ormental stress (injuries atigue earetc) FU in this instance can be rereshed
(brought back up to 3) by roleplayingout a (non-dice rolling) scene with an-other character that reveals somethingabout your relationship
R983141-R983151983148983148 E983158983141983154983161983156983144983145983150983143
Spend a FU point to re-roll all yourdice Tis is an all-or-nothing thing so
you canrsquot keep a couple o good resultsand roll the rest Use this variant in-stead o the normal re-roll rule
F983148983145983152 983137 P983145983152
Spend a FU Point to adjust a singledie up or down by one pip Spend mul-tiple FU points to adjust a die multiple
pips Tis option is more reliable thana re-roll as you will always be able toturn a ldquonordquo into a ldquoyesrdquo I you used thisvariant the normal re-roll rule shouldnot be used
U983155983141 983137 P983154983151983152Spend a FU point to turn a prop into
an item o Gear or the duration o thescene
S983156983157983150983156983155 983137983150983140 P983151983159983141983154983155
Give characters special abilitiesskills or powers that can only be used byspending a FU Point Tese should bemore powerul than Descriptors - makethem break the rules or give a superhu-man knack like the ability to fly or read
minds teleport or whatever
T983137983147983145983150983143 983137 H983145983156
Instead o rolling declare you areldquotaking a hitrdquo All the dice you shouldhave rolled are treated as i they rolled1rsquos (yes i you are holding 5 dice theycount as five 1rsquos) In return or your su-
ering you earn a FU Point
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 152315
ACTION
SUMMARY
SET THE SCENEWhere does the scene take place Who is there What do they want Doyou need to break down into turns
ACTRoleplay your character and describe what is going on Push toward theobjective
ASK A QUESTIONWhen you need to resolve a conflict or complete an action ask a closedquestion (eg ldquoDo I succeedrdquo)
FACTOR IN MODIFIERS+1 bonus die or every Descriptor item o Gear Detail Condition or other
eature that makes the action easier+1 penalty die or every Descriptor item o Gear Detail Condition or othereature that makes the action harder
ROLLRoll all your dice Te result is the single best die (i rolling bonus dice) orsingle worst die (i rolling penalty dice)
DESCRIBE RESULTUse the die result to describe how the conflict or action turned out Apply
Conditions or Details as necessary
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 162316
Following is some simple straightorward adviceor Narrators It is all airly generic because all the spe-cific stuff is going to relate to the genre tone and styleo game that you and your players choose to play
9831371048684983147983145983150983143 983145983155 983143983151983151983140Start your game with a conversation alk about
what players want out o the game what you want andwhere those ideas overlap Tose overlaps are likelywhere everyone is going to have the most un At the very least you should work together to establish thegenre and tone o your shared story alk about thisstuff too so that everyone is clear o the specifics (thereis a world o difference between Gothic horror andsplatter films or example)
alk during the game too Encourage players toshare ideas and give input into scenes objectives andthe challenges characters ace I you need to clariyideas themes or issues then do that
L983145983155983156983141983150983145983150983143 983145983155 983143983151983151983140I there is going to be talk there needs to be listen-
ing Listen to your players and the things they tell youeither in conversation or when they do things withtheir character Do stuff that relates to the Descriptors
written on the playerrsquos character sheets because that iswhat they think is cool
W983144983141983150 9831521048684983137983161983145983150983143When running games donrsquot plan too much ahead
o time Te dice rolls are going to direct a lot o theaction and you and the players will fill in the gaps byapplying Conditions and Details Here are some tipsto keep things moving and help you enjoy the game as
much as the players doK983141983141983152 983156983144983145983150983143983155 983155983145983149983152983148983141 Do not complicate your job
by introducing lots o sub-plots or convoluted twistsTings will get all messed about by themselves and the
story will run off on tangents that you never dreamedo
Y983151983157 983137983154983141 983150983151983156 983156983144983141 983141983150983141983149983161 this may seem obviousbut is worth stating Your role is to help guide the storyin interesting directions not to kill everyone You cangive players hints and ideas i you think this will lead toa better story Sometimes you will portray the adver-saries and are expected to do so vigorously but airlyOther times you will get to be an ally companion orpeer and once again you should be true to the spirit othe game
S983137983161 ldquoY983141983155rdquo i players make suggestions or ask ques-tions it is probably because they are interested in whatis going on Tey probably have a cool idea to introduceto the story Encourage this and confidently say ldquoyesrdquoto requests Tis doesnrsquot mean you should let playersget anything they want ndash but you should let players in-troduce elements into the story when the time is right
M983137983147983141 983154983151983148983148983155 983149983141983137983150983145983150983143983142983157983148 Every time you callor a die roll it should mean something interesting isgoing to happen NO MAER HE RESUL Donrsquot
have players make rolls i the result is not important tothe story or i ailure will stop the momentum o thestory
NARRATOR
983091 Q983157983141983155983156983145983151983150983155 983156983151 983142983154983137983149983141 983161983151983157983154 983143983137983149983141
When you begin a game talk withthe players about their expectations ryto answer the ollowing three questions
W983144983137983156 983159983145983148983148 983139983144983137983154983137983139983156983141983154983155 983140983151983103
Do players want to kick in doorskill monsters and take home piles otreasure Do they want to eel like epicheroes Or the underdogs strugglingagainst ridiculous odds
H983151983159 983140983151 983152983148983137983161983141983154983155 983159983137983150983156 983156983151 983142983141983141983148983103
Do the players want to eel like theyare changing the world Like their char-acter is gaining in wealth prestige or
power Or do they want to eel like theirbacks are against the wall and their livesconstantly at risk
W983144983137983156 983145983155 983156983144983141 N983137983154983154983137983156983151983154rsquo983155 983154983151983148983141983103
What kinds o challenges encoun-ters and situations are you going to pre-
sent the characters in order to achievethe above Do you need to ensure everychallenge is accompanied by a generousreward Are you going to make every
fight hard but air Will you be relent-less in the pursuit o the antagonistrsquos
goals
Answer these questions and every-one at the table will be clear on theirrole in the coming adventure
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 172317
R983141983139983151983158983141983154983161During games characters can suffer injuries be-
come physically or mentally stressed and be afflictedby a range o other Conditions Conditions are alwaysrecovered at a time andor rate appropriate to the sto-ry Tis is usually with the passing o time but doesnot have to be A good rule o thumb is that one or
more Conditions can be removedrecovered betweenscenes though this will depend on the timing o suchencounters
R983141983159983137983154983140983155Reward players or good roleplaying and achieving
goals by giving them FU Points You may also rewardthem or a variety o other reasons as your group de-cides (see the sidebar on page 12) FU Points can beused to improve a characters chance o success and arethereore a great immediate tangible reward You donrsquot
have to be the only one at the table offering rewardsthough All players should speak up when someonehas done something cool unny or awesome and re-ward a FU Point
H983151983159 983149983157983139983144 983144983151983159 983151983142983156983141983150 Be generous with yourrewards as the positive reinorcement o earning FUPoints will inspire them on to greater acts o heroismspectacle or depravity as the case may be Also takeinto account whether this will be a ldquoone offrdquo game ora part o an ongoing story or campaign - players arelikely to burn through FU Points aster in a singe ses-
sion game and will need their resources replenishedaster
C983144983137983154983137983139983156983141983154983155 983078 O9831389831559831569831379831391048684983141983155All the characters monsters traps villains terrain
eatures creatures and obstacles that are encounteredduring a story are defined in much the same way ascharacters You are not confined by any rules or re-strictions when creating characters or obstacles theonly thing you must do is make them entertaining andinteresting
T983144983141 B983151983159983148
One technique or rewarding FUPoints is to place a bowl o beads chitsor tokens in the centre o the table Eachbead is a FU Point Te Narrator cantell players to ldquotake one rom the bowlrdquoand other players can reach in when it isappropriate to reward a player by pass-ing a bead rom the bowl Tis requirestrust between players and Narrator butmakes the running o the game verysmooth as no-one has to stop and askldquoDoes that deserve a FU Pointrdquo
A983140983158983137983150983139983141983149983141983150983156
FU is not a game about ldquolevellinguprdquo While characters might have avariety o experiences and learn romthem the real advancement comes romthe changing story andor world
I appropriate players can changeone Descriptor between game sessionsTis alteration should relate in someway to the experiences and story theircharacter just participated in Gear canbe changed between sessions at the Nar-ratorrsquos discretion
Goals might also change rom gamesession to game session Give playerstime to consider their goals at the starto each session and let them adjust orchange them as necessary
T983154983137983139983147983145983150983143 983151983138983155983156983137983139983148983141983155
Use sticky-notes or index cards torecord details about your charactersmonsters and obstacles Write downDescriptors Gear and other ino Asthey suffer Conditions record those onthe card
Use index cards to record importantterrain eatures too Write down anyDescriptor(s) pertaining to the eature
so players can take them into accountas they plan their actions
W983144983137983156 983140983151 I 983155983144983137983154983141 983159983145983156983144 983152983148983137983161983141983154983155
Some groups play open making nosecret o the Descriptors and details ocreatures and monsters Other groups(andor Narrators) keep this inorma-tion hidden rom players Both options
provide or different styles o play
Playing an open table means eve-ryone is clear about what is going onwhat opportunities exist or cool scenesand actions Players can see what GearConditions and Descriptors are ldquoin
playrdquo and incorporate them into scenes
Keeping the details o villains trapsand other obstacles rom the playerswill push them to test their enemies ex-
plore the environment and try differentthings Tey can manoeuvre themselvesand situations in directions they thinkwill be advantageous It is always satis-
ying to be rewarded with bonus dice oraccurately guessing an enemyrsquos Descrip-tors
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 182318
ennessee Smith amed explorer has finally got a solid lead on the whereabouts o the ancientIdol o ot an object o reported supernatural power Unortunately Smithrsquos arch enemy Giles
Fishburne is also on the trail o the Idol and hasthrown his lot in with the Nazis
Tis short adventure will get you into the actionquickly It illustrates one way you might prepare yourown adventures adversaries and obstacles Use thepre-generated characters presented at the end o theadventure Race to the emple o ot consists o a serieso set-piece encounters that you can use rearrange andignore at your leisure Remember that beat the oddsrolls will lead to all kinds o interesting twists and
turns and once the characters set out on the adventureanything is possible
B983141983142983151983154983141 983161983151983157 983138983141983143983145983150Beore starting play have a quick discussion about
the tone and style o the game Te scenario is clas-sic pulp - over the top action outrageous villains andlarger than lie heroes Make sure everyone is on thesame page here - talk about what makes this genre cooland perhaps point out examples o the genre (Indiana Jones Te Mummy Te Rocketeer ) and what parts o
these you enjoyedRead the flavour text above (the stuff in italics) and
get everyone at the table to throw around some ideaso cool stuff they would like to see happen during theadventure Note it all down - when things slow or iyou get stuck or what to do next chuck one o theseideas into the mix
S983139983141983150983141983155Te scenes presented here have a description o
where the action takes place and suggest Descriptorsyou or the players might incorporate into the actionTe italics set up the action o the scene and the objec-tive Paraphrase the details or your players
C98314498313710486841048684983141983150983143983141983155Te challenges and adversaries in this adventure
are recorded in boxes with relevant Descriptors Con-ditions and Notes Tese are to guide you and do nothave to be used Your own cool ideas should alwaystrump anything written here
E983155983139983137983152983141 983156983144983141 B9831571048684983137983147 M983137983154983147983141983156S983139983141983150983141 Central Asia - a bustling market in the city
o Bulak - Midday all stone and mud-brick buildingswith narrow arched windows surround the central
market stalls and caes bars and emporiums run offin all directions along winding narrow streets
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Crowded streets Exotic goods
Te characters have just acquired a map to theemple o ot Unortunately Nazi goons have ar-rived and want the map too Tere are a lot o goons and while the characters could fight themit might be easier to flee Do the characters escape
NAZI GOONS
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Lots o goons Beey AryansNot too bright
G983141983137983154 Noisy Sub-machine guns
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 ConusedrappedSlowedOut o Action
N983151983156983141983155 Tere are a number o goon squads equal tothe number o characters
W983144983137983156 983139983137983150 983143983151 983159983154983151983150983143983103 Te characters are cap-tured Te map is lost
9831549831379831509831551048684983137983156983145983150983143 983156983144983141 M983137983152S983139983141983150983141 A dark coffee lounge cae or back roomsomewhere in the city o Bulak Te smell o strongcoffee and exotic ood permeates the room
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Private
ennessee Smith and his companions have themap but must now translate it puzzling out thestrange symbols and markings Do they translatethe map
TRANSLATING THE MAP
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Ancient glyphs Brittle paperC983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 ornRuinedSmudged
Burnt to a crisp
W983144983137983156 983139983137983150 983143983151 983159983154983151983150983143983103 Te map is damaged Techaracters misread the map Tey cannot read the mapand must get help rom an expert in ancient languages
RACE TO THE TEMPLE OF TOT
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httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 192319
983144983141 G983151983157 Z983151983157 G983151983154983143983141S983139983141983150983141 Te majestic Gou Zou Gorge hal a mile
deep and crossed by a single iron girder railway bridgeWide open plains lie on either side o the gorge and theKow Mountains lie in the distance
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Open plains Impassible Gorge
Te characters ollow the map to Gou ZouGorge by car or horse back Giles Fishburne is ap- proaching ast aboard the German dirigible DerVogel Do the characters cross the bridge saelyDo they keep their lead on the Germans
NAZI BIRD TRUPPEN
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Tey Fly Agile
G983141983137983154 Delicate Flying Harness DeadlyStick Grenade
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 ConusedGrounded
SlowedOut o ActionN983151983156983141983155 Tere are a number o Bird ruppen equalto the number o characters
GOU ZOU BRIDGE
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Wide but narrow
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 RicketyBlown all to hell
N983151983156983141983155 You know you must introduce an approach-ing train right
W983144983137983156 983139983137983150 983143983151 983159983154983151983150983143983103 Te bridge is destroyed
Te map is lost the characters are captured
983144983141 98314110486859831521048684983141S983139983141983150983141 An ancient temple ashioned into the side
o a mountain Grand statues o sinister looking godsand daemons line the walls Dust covers everythingTe tunnel leads deeper into the mountain
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Dark Silent
Te characters must penetrate the heart o thetemple but the map warned o nearious traps
and terrible guardians Do they get past the trapsand guardians
NEFARIOUS TRAPS
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Hidden Deadly
G983141983137983154 Poison Darts Rusting Spears
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 DisarmedSet-offRevealed
N983151983156983141983155 Challenge characters with one or two trapsell them the passage is trapped but donrsquot tell themhow or where the traps are until they are sprung
STONE STATUE GUARDIAN
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Big Heavy Slow Relentless
G983141983137983154 Heavy Stone Weapons
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 DamagedOff balanceSlowedOut o Action
N983151983156983141983155 Tere is one Statue Guardian or every two
characters Te large heavy weapons can strikemultiple characters at once
W983144983137983156 983139983137983150 983143983151 983159983154983151983150983143983103 Characters cannot getpast traps characters are injured by traps
983144983141 I9831409831511048684 C9831449831371048685983138983141983154S983139983141983150983141 A large stone chamber ingeniously lit by
mirrors reflecting sunlight Te Idol o ot - a gold-en statue o a seven-headed monkey - sits on a stoneplinth in the centre o the room
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Large bronze mirrors
Te characters enter the chamber o the idolonly to find that Giles Fishburne and his Nazi goons are here too Do they deeat Giles and es-cape with the Idol
GILES FISHBURNE
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Smart Arrogant Sword fighter
G983141983137983154 Polished Sabre
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 ConusedInjuredSlowedOut o Action
N983151983156983141983155 Giles is a greedy arrogant villain but heisnrsquot stupid I things start looking dire he will attemptto escape make a deal andor double-cross anyone inhis way He has no loyalty to the Nazis
C983144983137983154983137983139983156983141983154983155Four pre-made characters can be ound on the next
page Tey are each examples o classic pulp charac-ter archetypes Players may tweak or adjust them atthe Narratorrsquos discretion beore play starts perhapschanging a Descriptor or two or switching out an item
o Gear Beore starting the game each player shoulddefine one or two relationships describing how thecharacters know each other A quick and easy way todo this is or everyone to describe how they know thecharacter to their lef
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TENNESSEE SMITH DAREDEVIL EXPLORER
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Nimble Level Headed Use BullWhip Araid o Heights
G983141983137983154 Bull Whip Worn Leather Jacket
D983154983145983158983141983155 Find the Idol o ot
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 AngryScaredired
rapped
Blinded
HungryDazedInjuredDying
ennessee Smith is a mild-mannered proes-sor o history but in his spare time he travelsinto the wilderness in search o lost arteacts andtreasure Ruggedly handsome he always seemsto keep his cool no matter how much danger heis inmdashand he tends to get into a lot o it
R983141983148983137983156983145983151983150983155983144983145983152983155
N983151983156983141983155
HARVEY REED RETIRED BOXER
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Strong Tinks-on-his-Feet BoxerUgly as Sin
G983141983137983154 Roll o quarters Poor fitting suitD983154983145983158983141983155 Look out or ennessee Smith
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 AngryScarediredrappedBlindedHungryDazedInjuredDying
Harvey Reed is a recently retired championboxer Finding the sedentary lie a little too bor-ing he has joined his old riend ennessee insearch o adventure
R983141983148983137983156983145983151983150983155983144983145983152983155
N983151983156983141983155
JIMMY SWEET PLUCKY KID
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Quick Smart-aleckUnderestimated Young
G983141983137983154 Noisy Firecrackers Dirty BaseballCap
D983154983145983158983141983155 See the 7 wonders o the world
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155
Angry
Scared
iredrappedBlindedHungryDazedInjuredDying
Jimmy Sweet is a happy-go-lucky kid who hasnever had anyone to rely on but himsel He iswiry tough and quick with a cheeky attitudethat requently gets him into trouble Jimmystowed away on a tramp steamer with the inten-tion o seeing the world and making his ortune
R983141983148983137983156983145983151983150983155983144983145983152983155
N983151983156983141983155
OCTOBER JONES GIRL REPORTER
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Beautiul Witty Good MemoryCurious
G983141983137983154 rusty Camera Tick Notebook D983154983145983158983141983155 Get the scoop on the real ennes-
see Smith
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 AngryScarediredrappedBlindedHungryDazedInjuredDying
October Jones is a reporter and adventurerafforded a great deal o reedom by her atherrsquosimmense wealth Beautiul intelligent and spoiltshe is a woman used to getting what she wants
R983141983148983137983156983145983151983150983155983144983145983152983155
N983151983156983141983155
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Tis list is by no means exhaustive but itrsquos a goodplace to start Each entry lists the kinds o things aDescriptor might be an advantage or hindrance orwhich makes it a handy reerence or both players and
Narrators
B983151983140983161 D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155A983143983145983148983141 helpul when dancing leaping doing gym-
nastics crawling through tight spaces and balancingA983149983138983145983140983141983160983156983154983151983157983155 great when shooting two guns at
the same time or doing slight-o-hand magic tricksB983148983151983150983140983141 good or getting people to underestimate
you not good i you spend too much time in the sunF983137983147983141 O983154983137983150983143983141 T983137983150 great or passing as an aging
celebrity and or drawing attention to yoursel
F983157983154983154983161 useul or resisting cold weather and livingin the woods
H983137983150983140983155983151983149983141 useul or flirting selling stuff gettingroles on V modelling and being popular
H983157983143983141 good or looking menacing reaching highplaces acting like a body builder or getting stuck insmall spaces
O983158983141983154983159983141983145983143983144983156 a problem when exercising andborrowing clothes
P983151983151983154 C983151983150983155983156983145983156983157983156983145983151983150 a hindrance when long dis-
tance running resisting damage perorming eats oendurance and healingQ983157983145983139983147 handy or ducking to and rom places
slight-o-hand dodging and other actions that requirespeed o action
R983137983162983151983154-983155983144983137983154983152 C983148983137983159983155 great or slicing up en-emies cutting vegetables and maybe climbing trees
S983144983151983154983156 a pain or reaching the top shel but use-ul or crawling under low objects and getting lost ina crowd
S983148983151983159 a problem when running dodging and re-
acting to thingsS983156983154983151983150983143 useul or lifing carrying smashing
and throwing things Wrestling and avoiding beingcrushed might also be aided
T983137983148983148 good or reaching the top shel climbingand seeing over other peoplersquos heads
T983144983145983150 handy or squeezing into places and clotheshiding behind poles and perorming on the catwalk
U983143983148983161 a problem when trying to seduce someoneor get a role on V
V983145983143983151983157983154 great or resisting poison long distancerunning and other eats o endurance
Weak a pain when lifing carrying smashing andthrowing stuff
W983141983138983138983141983140 F983141983141983156 great or swimming but terriblewhen buying shoes
M983145983150983140 D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155A983138983155983141983150983156-M983145983150983140983141983140 good or being distracted but a
problem when remembering where you lef the keysor that you just pulled the pin rom a hand grenade
B983151983151983147-S983149983137983154983156 great when doing exams knowingmath ormulas remembering dates in history andgenerally getting into Law at Harvard
C983151983149983152983157983156983141983154-W983145983162 good or programming fixing
your laptop and getting into PC vs Apple flame-warsD983145983149-W983145983156983156983141983140 a problem when listening to jokes
recognizing a trick or generally keeping up appear-ances in social settings
E983149983152983137983156983144983141983156983145983139 good or reading peoples emotionsdoing psychological evaluations and knowing how tocomort distressed people
F983151983139983157983155983141983140 good or staying on task not getting dis-tracted and looking serious
L983137983156983141983154983137983148 T983144983145983150983147983141983154 handy or problem solving
and approaching issues in new or unusual waysM983137983156983144983141983149983137983156983145983139983145983137983150 great or doing sums solvingequations and doing your tax
O983138983155983141983154983158983137983150983156 great or spotting hidden clues no-ticing details doing find-a-words and reading bodylanguage
O983154983137983156983151983154 good or public speaking debating andgetting people to see your point o view
S983148983151983159 a pain when trying to understand plans orlearn new things
T983137983139983156983145983139983145983137983150 great or planning battles remember-
ing military history and quoting sun suU983150983141983140983157983139983137983156983141983140 a pain when reading doing math
remembering important dates in history and doingany school-type tests
W983145983155983141 handy or sprouting proverbs giving adviceputting unrelated clues together interpreting peoplersquosreactions and saying lsquoI told you sorsquo
W983145983156983156983161 good or making unny comments beingcharming and or entertaining and always knowingthe right thing to say
APPENDIX - DESCRIPTORS
sabtato (order 7843833)
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E983140983143983141 D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155A983139983154983151983138983137983156983145983139983155 great or joining the circus leaping
through narrow gaps and doing impressive flipsA983154983139983137983150983141 K983150983151983159983148983141983140983143983141 good or identiying mys-
tic arteacts recognizing the presence o evil magicand reading ancient scrolls
C983151983157983154983137983143983141 handy when seeing something scary
telling your wie you orgot your anniversary and at-tempting other dangerous acts
D983154983145983158983145983150983143 great or car racing car chases and pass-ing your driving exam
F983141983150983139983145983150983143 good or sword fighting and other civi-lized orms o melee
G983151983151983140 M983141983149983151983154983161 handy or remembering namesand aces vital clues and mathematical ormulas
H983157983150983156983145983150983143 good when tracking and stalking look-ing good in camouflage and knowing what an angryrhinoceros sounds like
K983141983141983150 S983145983143983144983156 great or seeing a long way or evendoing stuff by moonlight
L983145983150983143983157983145983155983156983145983139983155 good or speaking one (or more)oreign languages and generally communicating withothers
M983137983143983145983139 great or knowing the mystic arts castingspells or acting like a stage magician
M983141983140983145983139983145983150983141 good or perorming operations diag-nosing illness and administering first aid
N983137983155983156983161 B983145983156983141 great or really hurting someone in
combat chewing your own arm off or winning a pieeating contestR983145983139983144 handy or buying luxury sports cars getting
invited to exclusive parties and bribing city officialsW983154983141983155983156983148983145983150983143 good or fighting unarmed combat
and pinning opponents to the ground
F1048684983137983159 D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155B983148983145983150983140 a pain when doing anything that requires
sight such as shooting navigating an unamiliar spaceor painting
B983154983137983158983141 good or charging into mortal danger act-ing oolhardy and getting into deep trouble
C983148983157983149983155983161 a problem when carrying a valuable vase
visiting an antique store or trying to cross a booby-trapped room
G983154983141983141983140983161 a pain when resisting the urge to steal lieor in some other way keep or obtain wealth
I983150-H983157983149983137983150 A983152983152983141983137983154983137983150983139983141 a hindrance when try-ing not to get noticed avoiding attention or finding apair o pants that fit just right
M983145983155983155983145983150983143 L983141983143 a problem when running climbingor perorming any other activity that involves move-ment without prosthetics or a wheel chair
O983148983140 a pain when trying to look cool climb stairsuse a computer or be positive about your health
P983151983151983154 a hindrance when wanting to buy ood orclothes or trying to get into an exclusive party
P983151983151983154 S983145983143983144983156 a pain when trying to recognizesomeone or thing driving at night or noticing visualclues
P983154983145983149983145983156983145983158983141 a problem when using mobile phonescars and door bells as well as interacting at more civi-lized social occasions
S983149983141983148983148983161 a hindrance when trying to impress peo-
ple or hiding rom wild animals or trackersW983137983150983156983141983140 a pain when trying to keep out o trou-ble or needing something rom your apartment
Y983151983157983150983143 a problem when trying to get into clubs betaken seriously by adults avoid school or see over thedash in a car
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
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NAME CONCEPT
BODY
MIND
EDGE
FLAW
DESCRIPTION
ROLL RESULT
6 Yes and
4 Yes
2 Yes but
5 No but
3 No
1 No and
A983150983143983154983161 983154983137983152983152983141983140 D983137983162983141983140
S983139983137983154983141983140 B1048684983145983150983140983141983140 I983150983146983157983154983141983140
983145983154983141983140 H983157983150983143983154983161 D983161983145983150983143
DRIVESWHAT DO YOU WANT
WHAT IS STOPPING YOU
WHAT WILL YOU DO
RELATIONSHIPS
C O N D I T I O N S
F U
P O I N T S
T H E O D D S
NOTES
G E A R
FU
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 152315
ACTION
SUMMARY
SET THE SCENEWhere does the scene take place Who is there What do they want Doyou need to break down into turns
ACTRoleplay your character and describe what is going on Push toward theobjective
ASK A QUESTIONWhen you need to resolve a conflict or complete an action ask a closedquestion (eg ldquoDo I succeedrdquo)
FACTOR IN MODIFIERS+1 bonus die or every Descriptor item o Gear Detail Condition or other
eature that makes the action easier+1 penalty die or every Descriptor item o Gear Detail Condition or othereature that makes the action harder
ROLLRoll all your dice Te result is the single best die (i rolling bonus dice) orsingle worst die (i rolling penalty dice)
DESCRIBE RESULTUse the die result to describe how the conflict or action turned out Apply
Conditions or Details as necessary
sabtato (order 7843833)
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Following is some simple straightorward adviceor Narrators It is all airly generic because all the spe-cific stuff is going to relate to the genre tone and styleo game that you and your players choose to play
9831371048684983147983145983150983143 983145983155 983143983151983151983140Start your game with a conversation alk about
what players want out o the game what you want andwhere those ideas overlap Tose overlaps are likelywhere everyone is going to have the most un At the very least you should work together to establish thegenre and tone o your shared story alk about thisstuff too so that everyone is clear o the specifics (thereis a world o difference between Gothic horror andsplatter films or example)
alk during the game too Encourage players toshare ideas and give input into scenes objectives andthe challenges characters ace I you need to clariyideas themes or issues then do that
L983145983155983156983141983150983145983150983143 983145983155 983143983151983151983140I there is going to be talk there needs to be listen-
ing Listen to your players and the things they tell youeither in conversation or when they do things withtheir character Do stuff that relates to the Descriptors
written on the playerrsquos character sheets because that iswhat they think is cool
W983144983141983150 9831521048684983137983161983145983150983143When running games donrsquot plan too much ahead
o time Te dice rolls are going to direct a lot o theaction and you and the players will fill in the gaps byapplying Conditions and Details Here are some tipsto keep things moving and help you enjoy the game as
much as the players doK983141983141983152 983156983144983145983150983143983155 983155983145983149983152983148983141 Do not complicate your job
by introducing lots o sub-plots or convoluted twistsTings will get all messed about by themselves and the
story will run off on tangents that you never dreamedo
Y983151983157 983137983154983141 983150983151983156 983156983144983141 983141983150983141983149983161 this may seem obviousbut is worth stating Your role is to help guide the storyin interesting directions not to kill everyone You cangive players hints and ideas i you think this will lead toa better story Sometimes you will portray the adver-saries and are expected to do so vigorously but airlyOther times you will get to be an ally companion orpeer and once again you should be true to the spirit othe game
S983137983161 ldquoY983141983155rdquo i players make suggestions or ask ques-tions it is probably because they are interested in whatis going on Tey probably have a cool idea to introduceto the story Encourage this and confidently say ldquoyesrdquoto requests Tis doesnrsquot mean you should let playersget anything they want ndash but you should let players in-troduce elements into the story when the time is right
M983137983147983141 983154983151983148983148983155 983149983141983137983150983145983150983143983142983157983148 Every time you callor a die roll it should mean something interesting isgoing to happen NO MAER HE RESUL Donrsquot
have players make rolls i the result is not important tothe story or i ailure will stop the momentum o thestory
NARRATOR
983091 Q983157983141983155983156983145983151983150983155 983156983151 983142983154983137983149983141 983161983151983157983154 983143983137983149983141
When you begin a game talk withthe players about their expectations ryto answer the ollowing three questions
W983144983137983156 983159983145983148983148 983139983144983137983154983137983139983156983141983154983155 983140983151983103
Do players want to kick in doorskill monsters and take home piles otreasure Do they want to eel like epicheroes Or the underdogs strugglingagainst ridiculous odds
H983151983159 983140983151 983152983148983137983161983141983154983155 983159983137983150983156 983156983151 983142983141983141983148983103
Do the players want to eel like theyare changing the world Like their char-acter is gaining in wealth prestige or
power Or do they want to eel like theirbacks are against the wall and their livesconstantly at risk
W983144983137983156 983145983155 983156983144983141 N983137983154983154983137983156983151983154rsquo983155 983154983151983148983141983103
What kinds o challenges encoun-ters and situations are you going to pre-
sent the characters in order to achievethe above Do you need to ensure everychallenge is accompanied by a generousreward Are you going to make every
fight hard but air Will you be relent-less in the pursuit o the antagonistrsquos
goals
Answer these questions and every-one at the table will be clear on theirrole in the coming adventure
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 172317
R983141983139983151983158983141983154983161During games characters can suffer injuries be-
come physically or mentally stressed and be afflictedby a range o other Conditions Conditions are alwaysrecovered at a time andor rate appropriate to the sto-ry Tis is usually with the passing o time but doesnot have to be A good rule o thumb is that one or
more Conditions can be removedrecovered betweenscenes though this will depend on the timing o suchencounters
R983141983159983137983154983140983155Reward players or good roleplaying and achieving
goals by giving them FU Points You may also rewardthem or a variety o other reasons as your group de-cides (see the sidebar on page 12) FU Points can beused to improve a characters chance o success and arethereore a great immediate tangible reward You donrsquot
have to be the only one at the table offering rewardsthough All players should speak up when someonehas done something cool unny or awesome and re-ward a FU Point
H983151983159 983149983157983139983144 983144983151983159 983151983142983156983141983150 Be generous with yourrewards as the positive reinorcement o earning FUPoints will inspire them on to greater acts o heroismspectacle or depravity as the case may be Also takeinto account whether this will be a ldquoone offrdquo game ora part o an ongoing story or campaign - players arelikely to burn through FU Points aster in a singe ses-
sion game and will need their resources replenishedaster
C983144983137983154983137983139983156983141983154983155 983078 O9831389831559831569831379831391048684983141983155All the characters monsters traps villains terrain
eatures creatures and obstacles that are encounteredduring a story are defined in much the same way ascharacters You are not confined by any rules or re-strictions when creating characters or obstacles theonly thing you must do is make them entertaining andinteresting
T983144983141 B983151983159983148
One technique or rewarding FUPoints is to place a bowl o beads chitsor tokens in the centre o the table Eachbead is a FU Point Te Narrator cantell players to ldquotake one rom the bowlrdquoand other players can reach in when it isappropriate to reward a player by pass-ing a bead rom the bowl Tis requirestrust between players and Narrator butmakes the running o the game verysmooth as no-one has to stop and askldquoDoes that deserve a FU Pointrdquo
A983140983158983137983150983139983141983149983141983150983156
FU is not a game about ldquolevellinguprdquo While characters might have avariety o experiences and learn romthem the real advancement comes romthe changing story andor world
I appropriate players can changeone Descriptor between game sessionsTis alteration should relate in someway to the experiences and story theircharacter just participated in Gear canbe changed between sessions at the Nar-ratorrsquos discretion
Goals might also change rom gamesession to game session Give playerstime to consider their goals at the starto each session and let them adjust orchange them as necessary
T983154983137983139983147983145983150983143 983151983138983155983156983137983139983148983141983155
Use sticky-notes or index cards torecord details about your charactersmonsters and obstacles Write downDescriptors Gear and other ino Asthey suffer Conditions record those onthe card
Use index cards to record importantterrain eatures too Write down anyDescriptor(s) pertaining to the eature
so players can take them into accountas they plan their actions
W983144983137983156 983140983151 I 983155983144983137983154983141 983159983145983156983144 983152983148983137983161983141983154983155
Some groups play open making nosecret o the Descriptors and details ocreatures and monsters Other groups(andor Narrators) keep this inorma-tion hidden rom players Both options
provide or different styles o play
Playing an open table means eve-ryone is clear about what is going onwhat opportunities exist or cool scenesand actions Players can see what GearConditions and Descriptors are ldquoin
playrdquo and incorporate them into scenes
Keeping the details o villains trapsand other obstacles rom the playerswill push them to test their enemies ex-
plore the environment and try differentthings Tey can manoeuvre themselvesand situations in directions they thinkwill be advantageous It is always satis-
ying to be rewarded with bonus dice oraccurately guessing an enemyrsquos Descrip-tors
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 182318
ennessee Smith amed explorer has finally got a solid lead on the whereabouts o the ancientIdol o ot an object o reported supernatural power Unortunately Smithrsquos arch enemy Giles
Fishburne is also on the trail o the Idol and hasthrown his lot in with the Nazis
Tis short adventure will get you into the actionquickly It illustrates one way you might prepare yourown adventures adversaries and obstacles Use thepre-generated characters presented at the end o theadventure Race to the emple o ot consists o a serieso set-piece encounters that you can use rearrange andignore at your leisure Remember that beat the oddsrolls will lead to all kinds o interesting twists and
turns and once the characters set out on the adventureanything is possible
B983141983142983151983154983141 983161983151983157 983138983141983143983145983150Beore starting play have a quick discussion about
the tone and style o the game Te scenario is clas-sic pulp - over the top action outrageous villains andlarger than lie heroes Make sure everyone is on thesame page here - talk about what makes this genre cooland perhaps point out examples o the genre (Indiana Jones Te Mummy Te Rocketeer ) and what parts o
these you enjoyedRead the flavour text above (the stuff in italics) and
get everyone at the table to throw around some ideaso cool stuff they would like to see happen during theadventure Note it all down - when things slow or iyou get stuck or what to do next chuck one o theseideas into the mix
S983139983141983150983141983155Te scenes presented here have a description o
where the action takes place and suggest Descriptorsyou or the players might incorporate into the actionTe italics set up the action o the scene and the objec-tive Paraphrase the details or your players
C98314498313710486841048684983141983150983143983141983155Te challenges and adversaries in this adventure
are recorded in boxes with relevant Descriptors Con-ditions and Notes Tese are to guide you and do nothave to be used Your own cool ideas should alwaystrump anything written here
E983155983139983137983152983141 983156983144983141 B9831571048684983137983147 M983137983154983147983141983156S983139983141983150983141 Central Asia - a bustling market in the city
o Bulak - Midday all stone and mud-brick buildingswith narrow arched windows surround the central
market stalls and caes bars and emporiums run offin all directions along winding narrow streets
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Crowded streets Exotic goods
Te characters have just acquired a map to theemple o ot Unortunately Nazi goons have ar-rived and want the map too Tere are a lot o goons and while the characters could fight themit might be easier to flee Do the characters escape
NAZI GOONS
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Lots o goons Beey AryansNot too bright
G983141983137983154 Noisy Sub-machine guns
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 ConusedrappedSlowedOut o Action
N983151983156983141983155 Tere are a number o goon squads equal tothe number o characters
W983144983137983156 983139983137983150 983143983151 983159983154983151983150983143983103 Te characters are cap-tured Te map is lost
9831549831379831509831551048684983137983156983145983150983143 983156983144983141 M983137983152S983139983141983150983141 A dark coffee lounge cae or back roomsomewhere in the city o Bulak Te smell o strongcoffee and exotic ood permeates the room
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Private
ennessee Smith and his companions have themap but must now translate it puzzling out thestrange symbols and markings Do they translatethe map
TRANSLATING THE MAP
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Ancient glyphs Brittle paperC983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 ornRuinedSmudged
Burnt to a crisp
W983144983137983156 983139983137983150 983143983151 983159983154983151983150983143983103 Te map is damaged Techaracters misread the map Tey cannot read the mapand must get help rom an expert in ancient languages
RACE TO THE TEMPLE OF TOT
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 192319
983144983141 G983151983157 Z983151983157 G983151983154983143983141S983139983141983150983141 Te majestic Gou Zou Gorge hal a mile
deep and crossed by a single iron girder railway bridgeWide open plains lie on either side o the gorge and theKow Mountains lie in the distance
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Open plains Impassible Gorge
Te characters ollow the map to Gou ZouGorge by car or horse back Giles Fishburne is ap- proaching ast aboard the German dirigible DerVogel Do the characters cross the bridge saelyDo they keep their lead on the Germans
NAZI BIRD TRUPPEN
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Tey Fly Agile
G983141983137983154 Delicate Flying Harness DeadlyStick Grenade
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 ConusedGrounded
SlowedOut o ActionN983151983156983141983155 Tere are a number o Bird ruppen equalto the number o characters
GOU ZOU BRIDGE
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Wide but narrow
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 RicketyBlown all to hell
N983151983156983141983155 You know you must introduce an approach-ing train right
W983144983137983156 983139983137983150 983143983151 983159983154983151983150983143983103 Te bridge is destroyed
Te map is lost the characters are captured
983144983141 98314110486859831521048684983141S983139983141983150983141 An ancient temple ashioned into the side
o a mountain Grand statues o sinister looking godsand daemons line the walls Dust covers everythingTe tunnel leads deeper into the mountain
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Dark Silent
Te characters must penetrate the heart o thetemple but the map warned o nearious traps
and terrible guardians Do they get past the trapsand guardians
NEFARIOUS TRAPS
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Hidden Deadly
G983141983137983154 Poison Darts Rusting Spears
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 DisarmedSet-offRevealed
N983151983156983141983155 Challenge characters with one or two trapsell them the passage is trapped but donrsquot tell themhow or where the traps are until they are sprung
STONE STATUE GUARDIAN
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Big Heavy Slow Relentless
G983141983137983154 Heavy Stone Weapons
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 DamagedOff balanceSlowedOut o Action
N983151983156983141983155 Tere is one Statue Guardian or every two
characters Te large heavy weapons can strikemultiple characters at once
W983144983137983156 983139983137983150 983143983151 983159983154983151983150983143983103 Characters cannot getpast traps characters are injured by traps
983144983141 I9831409831511048684 C9831449831371048685983138983141983154S983139983141983150983141 A large stone chamber ingeniously lit by
mirrors reflecting sunlight Te Idol o ot - a gold-en statue o a seven-headed monkey - sits on a stoneplinth in the centre o the room
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Large bronze mirrors
Te characters enter the chamber o the idolonly to find that Giles Fishburne and his Nazi goons are here too Do they deeat Giles and es-cape with the Idol
GILES FISHBURNE
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Smart Arrogant Sword fighter
G983141983137983154 Polished Sabre
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 ConusedInjuredSlowedOut o Action
N983151983156983141983155 Giles is a greedy arrogant villain but heisnrsquot stupid I things start looking dire he will attemptto escape make a deal andor double-cross anyone inhis way He has no loyalty to the Nazis
C983144983137983154983137983139983156983141983154983155Four pre-made characters can be ound on the next
page Tey are each examples o classic pulp charac-ter archetypes Players may tweak or adjust them atthe Narratorrsquos discretion beore play starts perhapschanging a Descriptor or two or switching out an item
o Gear Beore starting the game each player shoulddefine one or two relationships describing how thecharacters know each other A quick and easy way todo this is or everyone to describe how they know thecharacter to their lef
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 202320
TENNESSEE SMITH DAREDEVIL EXPLORER
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Nimble Level Headed Use BullWhip Araid o Heights
G983141983137983154 Bull Whip Worn Leather Jacket
D983154983145983158983141983155 Find the Idol o ot
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 AngryScaredired
rapped
Blinded
HungryDazedInjuredDying
ennessee Smith is a mild-mannered proes-sor o history but in his spare time he travelsinto the wilderness in search o lost arteacts andtreasure Ruggedly handsome he always seemsto keep his cool no matter how much danger heis inmdashand he tends to get into a lot o it
R983141983148983137983156983145983151983150983155983144983145983152983155
N983151983156983141983155
HARVEY REED RETIRED BOXER
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Strong Tinks-on-his-Feet BoxerUgly as Sin
G983141983137983154 Roll o quarters Poor fitting suitD983154983145983158983141983155 Look out or ennessee Smith
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 AngryScarediredrappedBlindedHungryDazedInjuredDying
Harvey Reed is a recently retired championboxer Finding the sedentary lie a little too bor-ing he has joined his old riend ennessee insearch o adventure
R983141983148983137983156983145983151983150983155983144983145983152983155
N983151983156983141983155
JIMMY SWEET PLUCKY KID
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Quick Smart-aleckUnderestimated Young
G983141983137983154 Noisy Firecrackers Dirty BaseballCap
D983154983145983158983141983155 See the 7 wonders o the world
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155
Angry
Scared
iredrappedBlindedHungryDazedInjuredDying
Jimmy Sweet is a happy-go-lucky kid who hasnever had anyone to rely on but himsel He iswiry tough and quick with a cheeky attitudethat requently gets him into trouble Jimmystowed away on a tramp steamer with the inten-tion o seeing the world and making his ortune
R983141983148983137983156983145983151983150983155983144983145983152983155
N983151983156983141983155
OCTOBER JONES GIRL REPORTER
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Beautiul Witty Good MemoryCurious
G983141983137983154 rusty Camera Tick Notebook D983154983145983158983141983155 Get the scoop on the real ennes-
see Smith
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 AngryScarediredrappedBlindedHungryDazedInjuredDying
October Jones is a reporter and adventurerafforded a great deal o reedom by her atherrsquosimmense wealth Beautiul intelligent and spoiltshe is a woman used to getting what she wants
R983141983148983137983156983145983151983150983155983144983145983152983155
N983151983156983141983155
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 212321
Tis list is by no means exhaustive but itrsquos a goodplace to start Each entry lists the kinds o things aDescriptor might be an advantage or hindrance orwhich makes it a handy reerence or both players and
Narrators
B983151983140983161 D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155A983143983145983148983141 helpul when dancing leaping doing gym-
nastics crawling through tight spaces and balancingA983149983138983145983140983141983160983156983154983151983157983155 great when shooting two guns at
the same time or doing slight-o-hand magic tricksB983148983151983150983140983141 good or getting people to underestimate
you not good i you spend too much time in the sunF983137983147983141 O983154983137983150983143983141 T983137983150 great or passing as an aging
celebrity and or drawing attention to yoursel
F983157983154983154983161 useul or resisting cold weather and livingin the woods
H983137983150983140983155983151983149983141 useul or flirting selling stuff gettingroles on V modelling and being popular
H983157983143983141 good or looking menacing reaching highplaces acting like a body builder or getting stuck insmall spaces
O983158983141983154983159983141983145983143983144983156 a problem when exercising andborrowing clothes
P983151983151983154 C983151983150983155983156983145983156983157983156983145983151983150 a hindrance when long dis-
tance running resisting damage perorming eats oendurance and healingQ983157983145983139983147 handy or ducking to and rom places
slight-o-hand dodging and other actions that requirespeed o action
R983137983162983151983154-983155983144983137983154983152 C983148983137983159983155 great or slicing up en-emies cutting vegetables and maybe climbing trees
S983144983151983154983156 a pain or reaching the top shel but use-ul or crawling under low objects and getting lost ina crowd
S983148983151983159 a problem when running dodging and re-
acting to thingsS983156983154983151983150983143 useul or lifing carrying smashing
and throwing things Wrestling and avoiding beingcrushed might also be aided
T983137983148983148 good or reaching the top shel climbingand seeing over other peoplersquos heads
T983144983145983150 handy or squeezing into places and clotheshiding behind poles and perorming on the catwalk
U983143983148983161 a problem when trying to seduce someoneor get a role on V
V983145983143983151983157983154 great or resisting poison long distancerunning and other eats o endurance
Weak a pain when lifing carrying smashing andthrowing stuff
W983141983138983138983141983140 F983141983141983156 great or swimming but terriblewhen buying shoes
M983145983150983140 D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155A983138983155983141983150983156-M983145983150983140983141983140 good or being distracted but a
problem when remembering where you lef the keysor that you just pulled the pin rom a hand grenade
B983151983151983147-S983149983137983154983156 great when doing exams knowingmath ormulas remembering dates in history andgenerally getting into Law at Harvard
C983151983149983152983157983156983141983154-W983145983162 good or programming fixing
your laptop and getting into PC vs Apple flame-warsD983145983149-W983145983156983156983141983140 a problem when listening to jokes
recognizing a trick or generally keeping up appear-ances in social settings
E983149983152983137983156983144983141983156983145983139 good or reading peoples emotionsdoing psychological evaluations and knowing how tocomort distressed people
F983151983139983157983155983141983140 good or staying on task not getting dis-tracted and looking serious
L983137983156983141983154983137983148 T983144983145983150983147983141983154 handy or problem solving
and approaching issues in new or unusual waysM983137983156983144983141983149983137983156983145983139983145983137983150 great or doing sums solvingequations and doing your tax
O983138983155983141983154983158983137983150983156 great or spotting hidden clues no-ticing details doing find-a-words and reading bodylanguage
O983154983137983156983151983154 good or public speaking debating andgetting people to see your point o view
S983148983151983159 a pain when trying to understand plans orlearn new things
T983137983139983156983145983139983145983137983150 great or planning battles remember-
ing military history and quoting sun suU983150983141983140983157983139983137983156983141983140 a pain when reading doing math
remembering important dates in history and doingany school-type tests
W983145983155983141 handy or sprouting proverbs giving adviceputting unrelated clues together interpreting peoplersquosreactions and saying lsquoI told you sorsquo
W983145983156983156983161 good or making unny comments beingcharming and or entertaining and always knowingthe right thing to say
APPENDIX - DESCRIPTORS
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 222322
E983140983143983141 D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155A983139983154983151983138983137983156983145983139983155 great or joining the circus leaping
through narrow gaps and doing impressive flipsA983154983139983137983150983141 K983150983151983159983148983141983140983143983141 good or identiying mys-
tic arteacts recognizing the presence o evil magicand reading ancient scrolls
C983151983157983154983137983143983141 handy when seeing something scary
telling your wie you orgot your anniversary and at-tempting other dangerous acts
D983154983145983158983145983150983143 great or car racing car chases and pass-ing your driving exam
F983141983150983139983145983150983143 good or sword fighting and other civi-lized orms o melee
G983151983151983140 M983141983149983151983154983161 handy or remembering namesand aces vital clues and mathematical ormulas
H983157983150983156983145983150983143 good when tracking and stalking look-ing good in camouflage and knowing what an angryrhinoceros sounds like
K983141983141983150 S983145983143983144983156 great or seeing a long way or evendoing stuff by moonlight
L983145983150983143983157983145983155983156983145983139983155 good or speaking one (or more)oreign languages and generally communicating withothers
M983137983143983145983139 great or knowing the mystic arts castingspells or acting like a stage magician
M983141983140983145983139983145983150983141 good or perorming operations diag-nosing illness and administering first aid
N983137983155983156983161 B983145983156983141 great or really hurting someone in
combat chewing your own arm off or winning a pieeating contestR983145983139983144 handy or buying luxury sports cars getting
invited to exclusive parties and bribing city officialsW983154983141983155983156983148983145983150983143 good or fighting unarmed combat
and pinning opponents to the ground
F1048684983137983159 D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155B983148983145983150983140 a pain when doing anything that requires
sight such as shooting navigating an unamiliar spaceor painting
B983154983137983158983141 good or charging into mortal danger act-ing oolhardy and getting into deep trouble
C983148983157983149983155983161 a problem when carrying a valuable vase
visiting an antique store or trying to cross a booby-trapped room
G983154983141983141983140983161 a pain when resisting the urge to steal lieor in some other way keep or obtain wealth
I983150-H983157983149983137983150 A983152983152983141983137983154983137983150983139983141 a hindrance when try-ing not to get noticed avoiding attention or finding apair o pants that fit just right
M983145983155983155983145983150983143 L983141983143 a problem when running climbingor perorming any other activity that involves move-ment without prosthetics or a wheel chair
O983148983140 a pain when trying to look cool climb stairsuse a computer or be positive about your health
P983151983151983154 a hindrance when wanting to buy ood orclothes or trying to get into an exclusive party
P983151983151983154 S983145983143983144983156 a pain when trying to recognizesomeone or thing driving at night or noticing visualclues
P983154983145983149983145983156983145983158983141 a problem when using mobile phonescars and door bells as well as interacting at more civi-lized social occasions
S983149983141983148983148983161 a hindrance when trying to impress peo-
ple or hiding rom wild animals or trackersW983137983150983156983141983140 a pain when trying to keep out o trou-ble or needing something rom your apartment
Y983151983157983150983143 a problem when trying to get into clubs betaken seriously by adults avoid school or see over thedash in a car
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 2323
NAME CONCEPT
BODY
MIND
EDGE
FLAW
DESCRIPTION
ROLL RESULT
6 Yes and
4 Yes
2 Yes but
5 No but
3 No
1 No and
A983150983143983154983161 983154983137983152983152983141983140 D983137983162983141983140
S983139983137983154983141983140 B1048684983145983150983140983141983140 I983150983146983157983154983141983140
983145983154983141983140 H983157983150983143983154983161 D983161983145983150983143
DRIVESWHAT DO YOU WANT
WHAT IS STOPPING YOU
WHAT WILL YOU DO
RELATIONSHIPS
C O N D I T I O N S
F U
P O I N T S
T H E O D D S
NOTES
G E A R
FU
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 162316
Following is some simple straightorward adviceor Narrators It is all airly generic because all the spe-cific stuff is going to relate to the genre tone and styleo game that you and your players choose to play
9831371048684983147983145983150983143 983145983155 983143983151983151983140Start your game with a conversation alk about
what players want out o the game what you want andwhere those ideas overlap Tose overlaps are likelywhere everyone is going to have the most un At the very least you should work together to establish thegenre and tone o your shared story alk about thisstuff too so that everyone is clear o the specifics (thereis a world o difference between Gothic horror andsplatter films or example)
alk during the game too Encourage players toshare ideas and give input into scenes objectives andthe challenges characters ace I you need to clariyideas themes or issues then do that
L983145983155983156983141983150983145983150983143 983145983155 983143983151983151983140I there is going to be talk there needs to be listen-
ing Listen to your players and the things they tell youeither in conversation or when they do things withtheir character Do stuff that relates to the Descriptors
written on the playerrsquos character sheets because that iswhat they think is cool
W983144983141983150 9831521048684983137983161983145983150983143When running games donrsquot plan too much ahead
o time Te dice rolls are going to direct a lot o theaction and you and the players will fill in the gaps byapplying Conditions and Details Here are some tipsto keep things moving and help you enjoy the game as
much as the players doK983141983141983152 983156983144983145983150983143983155 983155983145983149983152983148983141 Do not complicate your job
by introducing lots o sub-plots or convoluted twistsTings will get all messed about by themselves and the
story will run off on tangents that you never dreamedo
Y983151983157 983137983154983141 983150983151983156 983156983144983141 983141983150983141983149983161 this may seem obviousbut is worth stating Your role is to help guide the storyin interesting directions not to kill everyone You cangive players hints and ideas i you think this will lead toa better story Sometimes you will portray the adver-saries and are expected to do so vigorously but airlyOther times you will get to be an ally companion orpeer and once again you should be true to the spirit othe game
S983137983161 ldquoY983141983155rdquo i players make suggestions or ask ques-tions it is probably because they are interested in whatis going on Tey probably have a cool idea to introduceto the story Encourage this and confidently say ldquoyesrdquoto requests Tis doesnrsquot mean you should let playersget anything they want ndash but you should let players in-troduce elements into the story when the time is right
M983137983147983141 983154983151983148983148983155 983149983141983137983150983145983150983143983142983157983148 Every time you callor a die roll it should mean something interesting isgoing to happen NO MAER HE RESUL Donrsquot
have players make rolls i the result is not important tothe story or i ailure will stop the momentum o thestory
NARRATOR
983091 Q983157983141983155983156983145983151983150983155 983156983151 983142983154983137983149983141 983161983151983157983154 983143983137983149983141
When you begin a game talk withthe players about their expectations ryto answer the ollowing three questions
W983144983137983156 983159983145983148983148 983139983144983137983154983137983139983156983141983154983155 983140983151983103
Do players want to kick in doorskill monsters and take home piles otreasure Do they want to eel like epicheroes Or the underdogs strugglingagainst ridiculous odds
H983151983159 983140983151 983152983148983137983161983141983154983155 983159983137983150983156 983156983151 983142983141983141983148983103
Do the players want to eel like theyare changing the world Like their char-acter is gaining in wealth prestige or
power Or do they want to eel like theirbacks are against the wall and their livesconstantly at risk
W983144983137983156 983145983155 983156983144983141 N983137983154983154983137983156983151983154rsquo983155 983154983151983148983141983103
What kinds o challenges encoun-ters and situations are you going to pre-
sent the characters in order to achievethe above Do you need to ensure everychallenge is accompanied by a generousreward Are you going to make every
fight hard but air Will you be relent-less in the pursuit o the antagonistrsquos
goals
Answer these questions and every-one at the table will be clear on theirrole in the coming adventure
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 172317
R983141983139983151983158983141983154983161During games characters can suffer injuries be-
come physically or mentally stressed and be afflictedby a range o other Conditions Conditions are alwaysrecovered at a time andor rate appropriate to the sto-ry Tis is usually with the passing o time but doesnot have to be A good rule o thumb is that one or
more Conditions can be removedrecovered betweenscenes though this will depend on the timing o suchencounters
R983141983159983137983154983140983155Reward players or good roleplaying and achieving
goals by giving them FU Points You may also rewardthem or a variety o other reasons as your group de-cides (see the sidebar on page 12) FU Points can beused to improve a characters chance o success and arethereore a great immediate tangible reward You donrsquot
have to be the only one at the table offering rewardsthough All players should speak up when someonehas done something cool unny or awesome and re-ward a FU Point
H983151983159 983149983157983139983144 983144983151983159 983151983142983156983141983150 Be generous with yourrewards as the positive reinorcement o earning FUPoints will inspire them on to greater acts o heroismspectacle or depravity as the case may be Also takeinto account whether this will be a ldquoone offrdquo game ora part o an ongoing story or campaign - players arelikely to burn through FU Points aster in a singe ses-
sion game and will need their resources replenishedaster
C983144983137983154983137983139983156983141983154983155 983078 O9831389831559831569831379831391048684983141983155All the characters monsters traps villains terrain
eatures creatures and obstacles that are encounteredduring a story are defined in much the same way ascharacters You are not confined by any rules or re-strictions when creating characters or obstacles theonly thing you must do is make them entertaining andinteresting
T983144983141 B983151983159983148
One technique or rewarding FUPoints is to place a bowl o beads chitsor tokens in the centre o the table Eachbead is a FU Point Te Narrator cantell players to ldquotake one rom the bowlrdquoand other players can reach in when it isappropriate to reward a player by pass-ing a bead rom the bowl Tis requirestrust between players and Narrator butmakes the running o the game verysmooth as no-one has to stop and askldquoDoes that deserve a FU Pointrdquo
A983140983158983137983150983139983141983149983141983150983156
FU is not a game about ldquolevellinguprdquo While characters might have avariety o experiences and learn romthem the real advancement comes romthe changing story andor world
I appropriate players can changeone Descriptor between game sessionsTis alteration should relate in someway to the experiences and story theircharacter just participated in Gear canbe changed between sessions at the Nar-ratorrsquos discretion
Goals might also change rom gamesession to game session Give playerstime to consider their goals at the starto each session and let them adjust orchange them as necessary
T983154983137983139983147983145983150983143 983151983138983155983156983137983139983148983141983155
Use sticky-notes or index cards torecord details about your charactersmonsters and obstacles Write downDescriptors Gear and other ino Asthey suffer Conditions record those onthe card
Use index cards to record importantterrain eatures too Write down anyDescriptor(s) pertaining to the eature
so players can take them into accountas they plan their actions
W983144983137983156 983140983151 I 983155983144983137983154983141 983159983145983156983144 983152983148983137983161983141983154983155
Some groups play open making nosecret o the Descriptors and details ocreatures and monsters Other groups(andor Narrators) keep this inorma-tion hidden rom players Both options
provide or different styles o play
Playing an open table means eve-ryone is clear about what is going onwhat opportunities exist or cool scenesand actions Players can see what GearConditions and Descriptors are ldquoin
playrdquo and incorporate them into scenes
Keeping the details o villains trapsand other obstacles rom the playerswill push them to test their enemies ex-
plore the environment and try differentthings Tey can manoeuvre themselvesand situations in directions they thinkwill be advantageous It is always satis-
ying to be rewarded with bonus dice oraccurately guessing an enemyrsquos Descrip-tors
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 182318
ennessee Smith amed explorer has finally got a solid lead on the whereabouts o the ancientIdol o ot an object o reported supernatural power Unortunately Smithrsquos arch enemy Giles
Fishburne is also on the trail o the Idol and hasthrown his lot in with the Nazis
Tis short adventure will get you into the actionquickly It illustrates one way you might prepare yourown adventures adversaries and obstacles Use thepre-generated characters presented at the end o theadventure Race to the emple o ot consists o a serieso set-piece encounters that you can use rearrange andignore at your leisure Remember that beat the oddsrolls will lead to all kinds o interesting twists and
turns and once the characters set out on the adventureanything is possible
B983141983142983151983154983141 983161983151983157 983138983141983143983145983150Beore starting play have a quick discussion about
the tone and style o the game Te scenario is clas-sic pulp - over the top action outrageous villains andlarger than lie heroes Make sure everyone is on thesame page here - talk about what makes this genre cooland perhaps point out examples o the genre (Indiana Jones Te Mummy Te Rocketeer ) and what parts o
these you enjoyedRead the flavour text above (the stuff in italics) and
get everyone at the table to throw around some ideaso cool stuff they would like to see happen during theadventure Note it all down - when things slow or iyou get stuck or what to do next chuck one o theseideas into the mix
S983139983141983150983141983155Te scenes presented here have a description o
where the action takes place and suggest Descriptorsyou or the players might incorporate into the actionTe italics set up the action o the scene and the objec-tive Paraphrase the details or your players
C98314498313710486841048684983141983150983143983141983155Te challenges and adversaries in this adventure
are recorded in boxes with relevant Descriptors Con-ditions and Notes Tese are to guide you and do nothave to be used Your own cool ideas should alwaystrump anything written here
E983155983139983137983152983141 983156983144983141 B9831571048684983137983147 M983137983154983147983141983156S983139983141983150983141 Central Asia - a bustling market in the city
o Bulak - Midday all stone and mud-brick buildingswith narrow arched windows surround the central
market stalls and caes bars and emporiums run offin all directions along winding narrow streets
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Crowded streets Exotic goods
Te characters have just acquired a map to theemple o ot Unortunately Nazi goons have ar-rived and want the map too Tere are a lot o goons and while the characters could fight themit might be easier to flee Do the characters escape
NAZI GOONS
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Lots o goons Beey AryansNot too bright
G983141983137983154 Noisy Sub-machine guns
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 ConusedrappedSlowedOut o Action
N983151983156983141983155 Tere are a number o goon squads equal tothe number o characters
W983144983137983156 983139983137983150 983143983151 983159983154983151983150983143983103 Te characters are cap-tured Te map is lost
9831549831379831509831551048684983137983156983145983150983143 983156983144983141 M983137983152S983139983141983150983141 A dark coffee lounge cae or back roomsomewhere in the city o Bulak Te smell o strongcoffee and exotic ood permeates the room
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Private
ennessee Smith and his companions have themap but must now translate it puzzling out thestrange symbols and markings Do they translatethe map
TRANSLATING THE MAP
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Ancient glyphs Brittle paperC983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 ornRuinedSmudged
Burnt to a crisp
W983144983137983156 983139983137983150 983143983151 983159983154983151983150983143983103 Te map is damaged Techaracters misread the map Tey cannot read the mapand must get help rom an expert in ancient languages
RACE TO THE TEMPLE OF TOT
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 192319
983144983141 G983151983157 Z983151983157 G983151983154983143983141S983139983141983150983141 Te majestic Gou Zou Gorge hal a mile
deep and crossed by a single iron girder railway bridgeWide open plains lie on either side o the gorge and theKow Mountains lie in the distance
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Open plains Impassible Gorge
Te characters ollow the map to Gou ZouGorge by car or horse back Giles Fishburne is ap- proaching ast aboard the German dirigible DerVogel Do the characters cross the bridge saelyDo they keep their lead on the Germans
NAZI BIRD TRUPPEN
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Tey Fly Agile
G983141983137983154 Delicate Flying Harness DeadlyStick Grenade
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 ConusedGrounded
SlowedOut o ActionN983151983156983141983155 Tere are a number o Bird ruppen equalto the number o characters
GOU ZOU BRIDGE
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Wide but narrow
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 RicketyBlown all to hell
N983151983156983141983155 You know you must introduce an approach-ing train right
W983144983137983156 983139983137983150 983143983151 983159983154983151983150983143983103 Te bridge is destroyed
Te map is lost the characters are captured
983144983141 98314110486859831521048684983141S983139983141983150983141 An ancient temple ashioned into the side
o a mountain Grand statues o sinister looking godsand daemons line the walls Dust covers everythingTe tunnel leads deeper into the mountain
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Dark Silent
Te characters must penetrate the heart o thetemple but the map warned o nearious traps
and terrible guardians Do they get past the trapsand guardians
NEFARIOUS TRAPS
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Hidden Deadly
G983141983137983154 Poison Darts Rusting Spears
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 DisarmedSet-offRevealed
N983151983156983141983155 Challenge characters with one or two trapsell them the passage is trapped but donrsquot tell themhow or where the traps are until they are sprung
STONE STATUE GUARDIAN
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Big Heavy Slow Relentless
G983141983137983154 Heavy Stone Weapons
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 DamagedOff balanceSlowedOut o Action
N983151983156983141983155 Tere is one Statue Guardian or every two
characters Te large heavy weapons can strikemultiple characters at once
W983144983137983156 983139983137983150 983143983151 983159983154983151983150983143983103 Characters cannot getpast traps characters are injured by traps
983144983141 I9831409831511048684 C9831449831371048685983138983141983154S983139983141983150983141 A large stone chamber ingeniously lit by
mirrors reflecting sunlight Te Idol o ot - a gold-en statue o a seven-headed monkey - sits on a stoneplinth in the centre o the room
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Large bronze mirrors
Te characters enter the chamber o the idolonly to find that Giles Fishburne and his Nazi goons are here too Do they deeat Giles and es-cape with the Idol
GILES FISHBURNE
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Smart Arrogant Sword fighter
G983141983137983154 Polished Sabre
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 ConusedInjuredSlowedOut o Action
N983151983156983141983155 Giles is a greedy arrogant villain but heisnrsquot stupid I things start looking dire he will attemptto escape make a deal andor double-cross anyone inhis way He has no loyalty to the Nazis
C983144983137983154983137983139983156983141983154983155Four pre-made characters can be ound on the next
page Tey are each examples o classic pulp charac-ter archetypes Players may tweak or adjust them atthe Narratorrsquos discretion beore play starts perhapschanging a Descriptor or two or switching out an item
o Gear Beore starting the game each player shoulddefine one or two relationships describing how thecharacters know each other A quick and easy way todo this is or everyone to describe how they know thecharacter to their lef
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 202320
TENNESSEE SMITH DAREDEVIL EXPLORER
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Nimble Level Headed Use BullWhip Araid o Heights
G983141983137983154 Bull Whip Worn Leather Jacket
D983154983145983158983141983155 Find the Idol o ot
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 AngryScaredired
rapped
Blinded
HungryDazedInjuredDying
ennessee Smith is a mild-mannered proes-sor o history but in his spare time he travelsinto the wilderness in search o lost arteacts andtreasure Ruggedly handsome he always seemsto keep his cool no matter how much danger heis inmdashand he tends to get into a lot o it
R983141983148983137983156983145983151983150983155983144983145983152983155
N983151983156983141983155
HARVEY REED RETIRED BOXER
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Strong Tinks-on-his-Feet BoxerUgly as Sin
G983141983137983154 Roll o quarters Poor fitting suitD983154983145983158983141983155 Look out or ennessee Smith
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 AngryScarediredrappedBlindedHungryDazedInjuredDying
Harvey Reed is a recently retired championboxer Finding the sedentary lie a little too bor-ing he has joined his old riend ennessee insearch o adventure
R983141983148983137983156983145983151983150983155983144983145983152983155
N983151983156983141983155
JIMMY SWEET PLUCKY KID
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Quick Smart-aleckUnderestimated Young
G983141983137983154 Noisy Firecrackers Dirty BaseballCap
D983154983145983158983141983155 See the 7 wonders o the world
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155
Angry
Scared
iredrappedBlindedHungryDazedInjuredDying
Jimmy Sweet is a happy-go-lucky kid who hasnever had anyone to rely on but himsel He iswiry tough and quick with a cheeky attitudethat requently gets him into trouble Jimmystowed away on a tramp steamer with the inten-tion o seeing the world and making his ortune
R983141983148983137983156983145983151983150983155983144983145983152983155
N983151983156983141983155
OCTOBER JONES GIRL REPORTER
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Beautiul Witty Good MemoryCurious
G983141983137983154 rusty Camera Tick Notebook D983154983145983158983141983155 Get the scoop on the real ennes-
see Smith
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 AngryScarediredrappedBlindedHungryDazedInjuredDying
October Jones is a reporter and adventurerafforded a great deal o reedom by her atherrsquosimmense wealth Beautiul intelligent and spoiltshe is a woman used to getting what she wants
R983141983148983137983156983145983151983150983155983144983145983152983155
N983151983156983141983155
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 212321
Tis list is by no means exhaustive but itrsquos a goodplace to start Each entry lists the kinds o things aDescriptor might be an advantage or hindrance orwhich makes it a handy reerence or both players and
Narrators
B983151983140983161 D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155A983143983145983148983141 helpul when dancing leaping doing gym-
nastics crawling through tight spaces and balancingA983149983138983145983140983141983160983156983154983151983157983155 great when shooting two guns at
the same time or doing slight-o-hand magic tricksB983148983151983150983140983141 good or getting people to underestimate
you not good i you spend too much time in the sunF983137983147983141 O983154983137983150983143983141 T983137983150 great or passing as an aging
celebrity and or drawing attention to yoursel
F983157983154983154983161 useul or resisting cold weather and livingin the woods
H983137983150983140983155983151983149983141 useul or flirting selling stuff gettingroles on V modelling and being popular
H983157983143983141 good or looking menacing reaching highplaces acting like a body builder or getting stuck insmall spaces
O983158983141983154983159983141983145983143983144983156 a problem when exercising andborrowing clothes
P983151983151983154 C983151983150983155983156983145983156983157983156983145983151983150 a hindrance when long dis-
tance running resisting damage perorming eats oendurance and healingQ983157983145983139983147 handy or ducking to and rom places
slight-o-hand dodging and other actions that requirespeed o action
R983137983162983151983154-983155983144983137983154983152 C983148983137983159983155 great or slicing up en-emies cutting vegetables and maybe climbing trees
S983144983151983154983156 a pain or reaching the top shel but use-ul or crawling under low objects and getting lost ina crowd
S983148983151983159 a problem when running dodging and re-
acting to thingsS983156983154983151983150983143 useul or lifing carrying smashing
and throwing things Wrestling and avoiding beingcrushed might also be aided
T983137983148983148 good or reaching the top shel climbingand seeing over other peoplersquos heads
T983144983145983150 handy or squeezing into places and clotheshiding behind poles and perorming on the catwalk
U983143983148983161 a problem when trying to seduce someoneor get a role on V
V983145983143983151983157983154 great or resisting poison long distancerunning and other eats o endurance
Weak a pain when lifing carrying smashing andthrowing stuff
W983141983138983138983141983140 F983141983141983156 great or swimming but terriblewhen buying shoes
M983145983150983140 D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155A983138983155983141983150983156-M983145983150983140983141983140 good or being distracted but a
problem when remembering where you lef the keysor that you just pulled the pin rom a hand grenade
B983151983151983147-S983149983137983154983156 great when doing exams knowingmath ormulas remembering dates in history andgenerally getting into Law at Harvard
C983151983149983152983157983156983141983154-W983145983162 good or programming fixing
your laptop and getting into PC vs Apple flame-warsD983145983149-W983145983156983156983141983140 a problem when listening to jokes
recognizing a trick or generally keeping up appear-ances in social settings
E983149983152983137983156983144983141983156983145983139 good or reading peoples emotionsdoing psychological evaluations and knowing how tocomort distressed people
F983151983139983157983155983141983140 good or staying on task not getting dis-tracted and looking serious
L983137983156983141983154983137983148 T983144983145983150983147983141983154 handy or problem solving
and approaching issues in new or unusual waysM983137983156983144983141983149983137983156983145983139983145983137983150 great or doing sums solvingequations and doing your tax
O983138983155983141983154983158983137983150983156 great or spotting hidden clues no-ticing details doing find-a-words and reading bodylanguage
O983154983137983156983151983154 good or public speaking debating andgetting people to see your point o view
S983148983151983159 a pain when trying to understand plans orlearn new things
T983137983139983156983145983139983145983137983150 great or planning battles remember-
ing military history and quoting sun suU983150983141983140983157983139983137983156983141983140 a pain when reading doing math
remembering important dates in history and doingany school-type tests
W983145983155983141 handy or sprouting proverbs giving adviceputting unrelated clues together interpreting peoplersquosreactions and saying lsquoI told you sorsquo
W983145983156983156983161 good or making unny comments beingcharming and or entertaining and always knowingthe right thing to say
APPENDIX - DESCRIPTORS
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 222322
E983140983143983141 D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155A983139983154983151983138983137983156983145983139983155 great or joining the circus leaping
through narrow gaps and doing impressive flipsA983154983139983137983150983141 K983150983151983159983148983141983140983143983141 good or identiying mys-
tic arteacts recognizing the presence o evil magicand reading ancient scrolls
C983151983157983154983137983143983141 handy when seeing something scary
telling your wie you orgot your anniversary and at-tempting other dangerous acts
D983154983145983158983145983150983143 great or car racing car chases and pass-ing your driving exam
F983141983150983139983145983150983143 good or sword fighting and other civi-lized orms o melee
G983151983151983140 M983141983149983151983154983161 handy or remembering namesand aces vital clues and mathematical ormulas
H983157983150983156983145983150983143 good when tracking and stalking look-ing good in camouflage and knowing what an angryrhinoceros sounds like
K983141983141983150 S983145983143983144983156 great or seeing a long way or evendoing stuff by moonlight
L983145983150983143983157983145983155983156983145983139983155 good or speaking one (or more)oreign languages and generally communicating withothers
M983137983143983145983139 great or knowing the mystic arts castingspells or acting like a stage magician
M983141983140983145983139983145983150983141 good or perorming operations diag-nosing illness and administering first aid
N983137983155983156983161 B983145983156983141 great or really hurting someone in
combat chewing your own arm off or winning a pieeating contestR983145983139983144 handy or buying luxury sports cars getting
invited to exclusive parties and bribing city officialsW983154983141983155983156983148983145983150983143 good or fighting unarmed combat
and pinning opponents to the ground
F1048684983137983159 D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155B983148983145983150983140 a pain when doing anything that requires
sight such as shooting navigating an unamiliar spaceor painting
B983154983137983158983141 good or charging into mortal danger act-ing oolhardy and getting into deep trouble
C983148983157983149983155983161 a problem when carrying a valuable vase
visiting an antique store or trying to cross a booby-trapped room
G983154983141983141983140983161 a pain when resisting the urge to steal lieor in some other way keep or obtain wealth
I983150-H983157983149983137983150 A983152983152983141983137983154983137983150983139983141 a hindrance when try-ing not to get noticed avoiding attention or finding apair o pants that fit just right
M983145983155983155983145983150983143 L983141983143 a problem when running climbingor perorming any other activity that involves move-ment without prosthetics or a wheel chair
O983148983140 a pain when trying to look cool climb stairsuse a computer or be positive about your health
P983151983151983154 a hindrance when wanting to buy ood orclothes or trying to get into an exclusive party
P983151983151983154 S983145983143983144983156 a pain when trying to recognizesomeone or thing driving at night or noticing visualclues
P983154983145983149983145983156983145983158983141 a problem when using mobile phonescars and door bells as well as interacting at more civi-lized social occasions
S983149983141983148983148983161 a hindrance when trying to impress peo-
ple or hiding rom wild animals or trackersW983137983150983156983141983140 a pain when trying to keep out o trou-ble or needing something rom your apartment
Y983151983157983150983143 a problem when trying to get into clubs betaken seriously by adults avoid school or see over thedash in a car
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 2323
NAME CONCEPT
BODY
MIND
EDGE
FLAW
DESCRIPTION
ROLL RESULT
6 Yes and
4 Yes
2 Yes but
5 No but
3 No
1 No and
A983150983143983154983161 983154983137983152983152983141983140 D983137983162983141983140
S983139983137983154983141983140 B1048684983145983150983140983141983140 I983150983146983157983154983141983140
983145983154983141983140 H983157983150983143983154983161 D983161983145983150983143
DRIVESWHAT DO YOU WANT
WHAT IS STOPPING YOU
WHAT WILL YOU DO
RELATIONSHIPS
C O N D I T I O N S
F U
P O I N T S
T H E O D D S
NOTES
G E A R
FU
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 172317
R983141983139983151983158983141983154983161During games characters can suffer injuries be-
come physically or mentally stressed and be afflictedby a range o other Conditions Conditions are alwaysrecovered at a time andor rate appropriate to the sto-ry Tis is usually with the passing o time but doesnot have to be A good rule o thumb is that one or
more Conditions can be removedrecovered betweenscenes though this will depend on the timing o suchencounters
R983141983159983137983154983140983155Reward players or good roleplaying and achieving
goals by giving them FU Points You may also rewardthem or a variety o other reasons as your group de-cides (see the sidebar on page 12) FU Points can beused to improve a characters chance o success and arethereore a great immediate tangible reward You donrsquot
have to be the only one at the table offering rewardsthough All players should speak up when someonehas done something cool unny or awesome and re-ward a FU Point
H983151983159 983149983157983139983144 983144983151983159 983151983142983156983141983150 Be generous with yourrewards as the positive reinorcement o earning FUPoints will inspire them on to greater acts o heroismspectacle or depravity as the case may be Also takeinto account whether this will be a ldquoone offrdquo game ora part o an ongoing story or campaign - players arelikely to burn through FU Points aster in a singe ses-
sion game and will need their resources replenishedaster
C983144983137983154983137983139983156983141983154983155 983078 O9831389831559831569831379831391048684983141983155All the characters monsters traps villains terrain
eatures creatures and obstacles that are encounteredduring a story are defined in much the same way ascharacters You are not confined by any rules or re-strictions when creating characters or obstacles theonly thing you must do is make them entertaining andinteresting
T983144983141 B983151983159983148
One technique or rewarding FUPoints is to place a bowl o beads chitsor tokens in the centre o the table Eachbead is a FU Point Te Narrator cantell players to ldquotake one rom the bowlrdquoand other players can reach in when it isappropriate to reward a player by pass-ing a bead rom the bowl Tis requirestrust between players and Narrator butmakes the running o the game verysmooth as no-one has to stop and askldquoDoes that deserve a FU Pointrdquo
A983140983158983137983150983139983141983149983141983150983156
FU is not a game about ldquolevellinguprdquo While characters might have avariety o experiences and learn romthem the real advancement comes romthe changing story andor world
I appropriate players can changeone Descriptor between game sessionsTis alteration should relate in someway to the experiences and story theircharacter just participated in Gear canbe changed between sessions at the Nar-ratorrsquos discretion
Goals might also change rom gamesession to game session Give playerstime to consider their goals at the starto each session and let them adjust orchange them as necessary
T983154983137983139983147983145983150983143 983151983138983155983156983137983139983148983141983155
Use sticky-notes or index cards torecord details about your charactersmonsters and obstacles Write downDescriptors Gear and other ino Asthey suffer Conditions record those onthe card
Use index cards to record importantterrain eatures too Write down anyDescriptor(s) pertaining to the eature
so players can take them into accountas they plan their actions
W983144983137983156 983140983151 I 983155983144983137983154983141 983159983145983156983144 983152983148983137983161983141983154983155
Some groups play open making nosecret o the Descriptors and details ocreatures and monsters Other groups(andor Narrators) keep this inorma-tion hidden rom players Both options
provide or different styles o play
Playing an open table means eve-ryone is clear about what is going onwhat opportunities exist or cool scenesand actions Players can see what GearConditions and Descriptors are ldquoin
playrdquo and incorporate them into scenes
Keeping the details o villains trapsand other obstacles rom the playerswill push them to test their enemies ex-
plore the environment and try differentthings Tey can manoeuvre themselvesand situations in directions they thinkwill be advantageous It is always satis-
ying to be rewarded with bonus dice oraccurately guessing an enemyrsquos Descrip-tors
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 182318
ennessee Smith amed explorer has finally got a solid lead on the whereabouts o the ancientIdol o ot an object o reported supernatural power Unortunately Smithrsquos arch enemy Giles
Fishburne is also on the trail o the Idol and hasthrown his lot in with the Nazis
Tis short adventure will get you into the actionquickly It illustrates one way you might prepare yourown adventures adversaries and obstacles Use thepre-generated characters presented at the end o theadventure Race to the emple o ot consists o a serieso set-piece encounters that you can use rearrange andignore at your leisure Remember that beat the oddsrolls will lead to all kinds o interesting twists and
turns and once the characters set out on the adventureanything is possible
B983141983142983151983154983141 983161983151983157 983138983141983143983145983150Beore starting play have a quick discussion about
the tone and style o the game Te scenario is clas-sic pulp - over the top action outrageous villains andlarger than lie heroes Make sure everyone is on thesame page here - talk about what makes this genre cooland perhaps point out examples o the genre (Indiana Jones Te Mummy Te Rocketeer ) and what parts o
these you enjoyedRead the flavour text above (the stuff in italics) and
get everyone at the table to throw around some ideaso cool stuff they would like to see happen during theadventure Note it all down - when things slow or iyou get stuck or what to do next chuck one o theseideas into the mix
S983139983141983150983141983155Te scenes presented here have a description o
where the action takes place and suggest Descriptorsyou or the players might incorporate into the actionTe italics set up the action o the scene and the objec-tive Paraphrase the details or your players
C98314498313710486841048684983141983150983143983141983155Te challenges and adversaries in this adventure
are recorded in boxes with relevant Descriptors Con-ditions and Notes Tese are to guide you and do nothave to be used Your own cool ideas should alwaystrump anything written here
E983155983139983137983152983141 983156983144983141 B9831571048684983137983147 M983137983154983147983141983156S983139983141983150983141 Central Asia - a bustling market in the city
o Bulak - Midday all stone and mud-brick buildingswith narrow arched windows surround the central
market stalls and caes bars and emporiums run offin all directions along winding narrow streets
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Crowded streets Exotic goods
Te characters have just acquired a map to theemple o ot Unortunately Nazi goons have ar-rived and want the map too Tere are a lot o goons and while the characters could fight themit might be easier to flee Do the characters escape
NAZI GOONS
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Lots o goons Beey AryansNot too bright
G983141983137983154 Noisy Sub-machine guns
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 ConusedrappedSlowedOut o Action
N983151983156983141983155 Tere are a number o goon squads equal tothe number o characters
W983144983137983156 983139983137983150 983143983151 983159983154983151983150983143983103 Te characters are cap-tured Te map is lost
9831549831379831509831551048684983137983156983145983150983143 983156983144983141 M983137983152S983139983141983150983141 A dark coffee lounge cae or back roomsomewhere in the city o Bulak Te smell o strongcoffee and exotic ood permeates the room
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Private
ennessee Smith and his companions have themap but must now translate it puzzling out thestrange symbols and markings Do they translatethe map
TRANSLATING THE MAP
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Ancient glyphs Brittle paperC983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 ornRuinedSmudged
Burnt to a crisp
W983144983137983156 983139983137983150 983143983151 983159983154983151983150983143983103 Te map is damaged Techaracters misread the map Tey cannot read the mapand must get help rom an expert in ancient languages
RACE TO THE TEMPLE OF TOT
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 192319
983144983141 G983151983157 Z983151983157 G983151983154983143983141S983139983141983150983141 Te majestic Gou Zou Gorge hal a mile
deep and crossed by a single iron girder railway bridgeWide open plains lie on either side o the gorge and theKow Mountains lie in the distance
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Open plains Impassible Gorge
Te characters ollow the map to Gou ZouGorge by car or horse back Giles Fishburne is ap- proaching ast aboard the German dirigible DerVogel Do the characters cross the bridge saelyDo they keep their lead on the Germans
NAZI BIRD TRUPPEN
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Tey Fly Agile
G983141983137983154 Delicate Flying Harness DeadlyStick Grenade
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 ConusedGrounded
SlowedOut o ActionN983151983156983141983155 Tere are a number o Bird ruppen equalto the number o characters
GOU ZOU BRIDGE
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Wide but narrow
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 RicketyBlown all to hell
N983151983156983141983155 You know you must introduce an approach-ing train right
W983144983137983156 983139983137983150 983143983151 983159983154983151983150983143983103 Te bridge is destroyed
Te map is lost the characters are captured
983144983141 98314110486859831521048684983141S983139983141983150983141 An ancient temple ashioned into the side
o a mountain Grand statues o sinister looking godsand daemons line the walls Dust covers everythingTe tunnel leads deeper into the mountain
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Dark Silent
Te characters must penetrate the heart o thetemple but the map warned o nearious traps
and terrible guardians Do they get past the trapsand guardians
NEFARIOUS TRAPS
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Hidden Deadly
G983141983137983154 Poison Darts Rusting Spears
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 DisarmedSet-offRevealed
N983151983156983141983155 Challenge characters with one or two trapsell them the passage is trapped but donrsquot tell themhow or where the traps are until they are sprung
STONE STATUE GUARDIAN
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Big Heavy Slow Relentless
G983141983137983154 Heavy Stone Weapons
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 DamagedOff balanceSlowedOut o Action
N983151983156983141983155 Tere is one Statue Guardian or every two
characters Te large heavy weapons can strikemultiple characters at once
W983144983137983156 983139983137983150 983143983151 983159983154983151983150983143983103 Characters cannot getpast traps characters are injured by traps
983144983141 I9831409831511048684 C9831449831371048685983138983141983154S983139983141983150983141 A large stone chamber ingeniously lit by
mirrors reflecting sunlight Te Idol o ot - a gold-en statue o a seven-headed monkey - sits on a stoneplinth in the centre o the room
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Large bronze mirrors
Te characters enter the chamber o the idolonly to find that Giles Fishburne and his Nazi goons are here too Do they deeat Giles and es-cape with the Idol
GILES FISHBURNE
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Smart Arrogant Sword fighter
G983141983137983154 Polished Sabre
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 ConusedInjuredSlowedOut o Action
N983151983156983141983155 Giles is a greedy arrogant villain but heisnrsquot stupid I things start looking dire he will attemptto escape make a deal andor double-cross anyone inhis way He has no loyalty to the Nazis
C983144983137983154983137983139983156983141983154983155Four pre-made characters can be ound on the next
page Tey are each examples o classic pulp charac-ter archetypes Players may tweak or adjust them atthe Narratorrsquos discretion beore play starts perhapschanging a Descriptor or two or switching out an item
o Gear Beore starting the game each player shoulddefine one or two relationships describing how thecharacters know each other A quick and easy way todo this is or everyone to describe how they know thecharacter to their lef
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 202320
TENNESSEE SMITH DAREDEVIL EXPLORER
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Nimble Level Headed Use BullWhip Araid o Heights
G983141983137983154 Bull Whip Worn Leather Jacket
D983154983145983158983141983155 Find the Idol o ot
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 AngryScaredired
rapped
Blinded
HungryDazedInjuredDying
ennessee Smith is a mild-mannered proes-sor o history but in his spare time he travelsinto the wilderness in search o lost arteacts andtreasure Ruggedly handsome he always seemsto keep his cool no matter how much danger heis inmdashand he tends to get into a lot o it
R983141983148983137983156983145983151983150983155983144983145983152983155
N983151983156983141983155
HARVEY REED RETIRED BOXER
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Strong Tinks-on-his-Feet BoxerUgly as Sin
G983141983137983154 Roll o quarters Poor fitting suitD983154983145983158983141983155 Look out or ennessee Smith
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 AngryScarediredrappedBlindedHungryDazedInjuredDying
Harvey Reed is a recently retired championboxer Finding the sedentary lie a little too bor-ing he has joined his old riend ennessee insearch o adventure
R983141983148983137983156983145983151983150983155983144983145983152983155
N983151983156983141983155
JIMMY SWEET PLUCKY KID
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Quick Smart-aleckUnderestimated Young
G983141983137983154 Noisy Firecrackers Dirty BaseballCap
D983154983145983158983141983155 See the 7 wonders o the world
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155
Angry
Scared
iredrappedBlindedHungryDazedInjuredDying
Jimmy Sweet is a happy-go-lucky kid who hasnever had anyone to rely on but himsel He iswiry tough and quick with a cheeky attitudethat requently gets him into trouble Jimmystowed away on a tramp steamer with the inten-tion o seeing the world and making his ortune
R983141983148983137983156983145983151983150983155983144983145983152983155
N983151983156983141983155
OCTOBER JONES GIRL REPORTER
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Beautiul Witty Good MemoryCurious
G983141983137983154 rusty Camera Tick Notebook D983154983145983158983141983155 Get the scoop on the real ennes-
see Smith
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 AngryScarediredrappedBlindedHungryDazedInjuredDying
October Jones is a reporter and adventurerafforded a great deal o reedom by her atherrsquosimmense wealth Beautiul intelligent and spoiltshe is a woman used to getting what she wants
R983141983148983137983156983145983151983150983155983144983145983152983155
N983151983156983141983155
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 212321
Tis list is by no means exhaustive but itrsquos a goodplace to start Each entry lists the kinds o things aDescriptor might be an advantage or hindrance orwhich makes it a handy reerence or both players and
Narrators
B983151983140983161 D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155A983143983145983148983141 helpul when dancing leaping doing gym-
nastics crawling through tight spaces and balancingA983149983138983145983140983141983160983156983154983151983157983155 great when shooting two guns at
the same time or doing slight-o-hand magic tricksB983148983151983150983140983141 good or getting people to underestimate
you not good i you spend too much time in the sunF983137983147983141 O983154983137983150983143983141 T983137983150 great or passing as an aging
celebrity and or drawing attention to yoursel
F983157983154983154983161 useul or resisting cold weather and livingin the woods
H983137983150983140983155983151983149983141 useul or flirting selling stuff gettingroles on V modelling and being popular
H983157983143983141 good or looking menacing reaching highplaces acting like a body builder or getting stuck insmall spaces
O983158983141983154983159983141983145983143983144983156 a problem when exercising andborrowing clothes
P983151983151983154 C983151983150983155983156983145983156983157983156983145983151983150 a hindrance when long dis-
tance running resisting damage perorming eats oendurance and healingQ983157983145983139983147 handy or ducking to and rom places
slight-o-hand dodging and other actions that requirespeed o action
R983137983162983151983154-983155983144983137983154983152 C983148983137983159983155 great or slicing up en-emies cutting vegetables and maybe climbing trees
S983144983151983154983156 a pain or reaching the top shel but use-ul or crawling under low objects and getting lost ina crowd
S983148983151983159 a problem when running dodging and re-
acting to thingsS983156983154983151983150983143 useul or lifing carrying smashing
and throwing things Wrestling and avoiding beingcrushed might also be aided
T983137983148983148 good or reaching the top shel climbingand seeing over other peoplersquos heads
T983144983145983150 handy or squeezing into places and clotheshiding behind poles and perorming on the catwalk
U983143983148983161 a problem when trying to seduce someoneor get a role on V
V983145983143983151983157983154 great or resisting poison long distancerunning and other eats o endurance
Weak a pain when lifing carrying smashing andthrowing stuff
W983141983138983138983141983140 F983141983141983156 great or swimming but terriblewhen buying shoes
M983145983150983140 D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155A983138983155983141983150983156-M983145983150983140983141983140 good or being distracted but a
problem when remembering where you lef the keysor that you just pulled the pin rom a hand grenade
B983151983151983147-S983149983137983154983156 great when doing exams knowingmath ormulas remembering dates in history andgenerally getting into Law at Harvard
C983151983149983152983157983156983141983154-W983145983162 good or programming fixing
your laptop and getting into PC vs Apple flame-warsD983145983149-W983145983156983156983141983140 a problem when listening to jokes
recognizing a trick or generally keeping up appear-ances in social settings
E983149983152983137983156983144983141983156983145983139 good or reading peoples emotionsdoing psychological evaluations and knowing how tocomort distressed people
F983151983139983157983155983141983140 good or staying on task not getting dis-tracted and looking serious
L983137983156983141983154983137983148 T983144983145983150983147983141983154 handy or problem solving
and approaching issues in new or unusual waysM983137983156983144983141983149983137983156983145983139983145983137983150 great or doing sums solvingequations and doing your tax
O983138983155983141983154983158983137983150983156 great or spotting hidden clues no-ticing details doing find-a-words and reading bodylanguage
O983154983137983156983151983154 good or public speaking debating andgetting people to see your point o view
S983148983151983159 a pain when trying to understand plans orlearn new things
T983137983139983156983145983139983145983137983150 great or planning battles remember-
ing military history and quoting sun suU983150983141983140983157983139983137983156983141983140 a pain when reading doing math
remembering important dates in history and doingany school-type tests
W983145983155983141 handy or sprouting proverbs giving adviceputting unrelated clues together interpreting peoplersquosreactions and saying lsquoI told you sorsquo
W983145983156983156983161 good or making unny comments beingcharming and or entertaining and always knowingthe right thing to say
APPENDIX - DESCRIPTORS
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 222322
E983140983143983141 D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155A983139983154983151983138983137983156983145983139983155 great or joining the circus leaping
through narrow gaps and doing impressive flipsA983154983139983137983150983141 K983150983151983159983148983141983140983143983141 good or identiying mys-
tic arteacts recognizing the presence o evil magicand reading ancient scrolls
C983151983157983154983137983143983141 handy when seeing something scary
telling your wie you orgot your anniversary and at-tempting other dangerous acts
D983154983145983158983145983150983143 great or car racing car chases and pass-ing your driving exam
F983141983150983139983145983150983143 good or sword fighting and other civi-lized orms o melee
G983151983151983140 M983141983149983151983154983161 handy or remembering namesand aces vital clues and mathematical ormulas
H983157983150983156983145983150983143 good when tracking and stalking look-ing good in camouflage and knowing what an angryrhinoceros sounds like
K983141983141983150 S983145983143983144983156 great or seeing a long way or evendoing stuff by moonlight
L983145983150983143983157983145983155983156983145983139983155 good or speaking one (or more)oreign languages and generally communicating withothers
M983137983143983145983139 great or knowing the mystic arts castingspells or acting like a stage magician
M983141983140983145983139983145983150983141 good or perorming operations diag-nosing illness and administering first aid
N983137983155983156983161 B983145983156983141 great or really hurting someone in
combat chewing your own arm off or winning a pieeating contestR983145983139983144 handy or buying luxury sports cars getting
invited to exclusive parties and bribing city officialsW983154983141983155983156983148983145983150983143 good or fighting unarmed combat
and pinning opponents to the ground
F1048684983137983159 D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155B983148983145983150983140 a pain when doing anything that requires
sight such as shooting navigating an unamiliar spaceor painting
B983154983137983158983141 good or charging into mortal danger act-ing oolhardy and getting into deep trouble
C983148983157983149983155983161 a problem when carrying a valuable vase
visiting an antique store or trying to cross a booby-trapped room
G983154983141983141983140983161 a pain when resisting the urge to steal lieor in some other way keep or obtain wealth
I983150-H983157983149983137983150 A983152983152983141983137983154983137983150983139983141 a hindrance when try-ing not to get noticed avoiding attention or finding apair o pants that fit just right
M983145983155983155983145983150983143 L983141983143 a problem when running climbingor perorming any other activity that involves move-ment without prosthetics or a wheel chair
O983148983140 a pain when trying to look cool climb stairsuse a computer or be positive about your health
P983151983151983154 a hindrance when wanting to buy ood orclothes or trying to get into an exclusive party
P983151983151983154 S983145983143983144983156 a pain when trying to recognizesomeone or thing driving at night or noticing visualclues
P983154983145983149983145983156983145983158983141 a problem when using mobile phonescars and door bells as well as interacting at more civi-lized social occasions
S983149983141983148983148983161 a hindrance when trying to impress peo-
ple or hiding rom wild animals or trackersW983137983150983156983141983140 a pain when trying to keep out o trou-ble or needing something rom your apartment
Y983151983157983150983143 a problem when trying to get into clubs betaken seriously by adults avoid school or see over thedash in a car
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 2323
NAME CONCEPT
BODY
MIND
EDGE
FLAW
DESCRIPTION
ROLL RESULT
6 Yes and
4 Yes
2 Yes but
5 No but
3 No
1 No and
A983150983143983154983161 983154983137983152983152983141983140 D983137983162983141983140
S983139983137983154983141983140 B1048684983145983150983140983141983140 I983150983146983157983154983141983140
983145983154983141983140 H983157983150983143983154983161 D983161983145983150983143
DRIVESWHAT DO YOU WANT
WHAT IS STOPPING YOU
WHAT WILL YOU DO
RELATIONSHIPS
C O N D I T I O N S
F U
P O I N T S
T H E O D D S
NOTES
G E A R
FU
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 182318
ennessee Smith amed explorer has finally got a solid lead on the whereabouts o the ancientIdol o ot an object o reported supernatural power Unortunately Smithrsquos arch enemy Giles
Fishburne is also on the trail o the Idol and hasthrown his lot in with the Nazis
Tis short adventure will get you into the actionquickly It illustrates one way you might prepare yourown adventures adversaries and obstacles Use thepre-generated characters presented at the end o theadventure Race to the emple o ot consists o a serieso set-piece encounters that you can use rearrange andignore at your leisure Remember that beat the oddsrolls will lead to all kinds o interesting twists and
turns and once the characters set out on the adventureanything is possible
B983141983142983151983154983141 983161983151983157 983138983141983143983145983150Beore starting play have a quick discussion about
the tone and style o the game Te scenario is clas-sic pulp - over the top action outrageous villains andlarger than lie heroes Make sure everyone is on thesame page here - talk about what makes this genre cooland perhaps point out examples o the genre (Indiana Jones Te Mummy Te Rocketeer ) and what parts o
these you enjoyedRead the flavour text above (the stuff in italics) and
get everyone at the table to throw around some ideaso cool stuff they would like to see happen during theadventure Note it all down - when things slow or iyou get stuck or what to do next chuck one o theseideas into the mix
S983139983141983150983141983155Te scenes presented here have a description o
where the action takes place and suggest Descriptorsyou or the players might incorporate into the actionTe italics set up the action o the scene and the objec-tive Paraphrase the details or your players
C98314498313710486841048684983141983150983143983141983155Te challenges and adversaries in this adventure
are recorded in boxes with relevant Descriptors Con-ditions and Notes Tese are to guide you and do nothave to be used Your own cool ideas should alwaystrump anything written here
E983155983139983137983152983141 983156983144983141 B9831571048684983137983147 M983137983154983147983141983156S983139983141983150983141 Central Asia - a bustling market in the city
o Bulak - Midday all stone and mud-brick buildingswith narrow arched windows surround the central
market stalls and caes bars and emporiums run offin all directions along winding narrow streets
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Crowded streets Exotic goods
Te characters have just acquired a map to theemple o ot Unortunately Nazi goons have ar-rived and want the map too Tere are a lot o goons and while the characters could fight themit might be easier to flee Do the characters escape
NAZI GOONS
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Lots o goons Beey AryansNot too bright
G983141983137983154 Noisy Sub-machine guns
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 ConusedrappedSlowedOut o Action
N983151983156983141983155 Tere are a number o goon squads equal tothe number o characters
W983144983137983156 983139983137983150 983143983151 983159983154983151983150983143983103 Te characters are cap-tured Te map is lost
9831549831379831509831551048684983137983156983145983150983143 983156983144983141 M983137983152S983139983141983150983141 A dark coffee lounge cae or back roomsomewhere in the city o Bulak Te smell o strongcoffee and exotic ood permeates the room
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Private
ennessee Smith and his companions have themap but must now translate it puzzling out thestrange symbols and markings Do they translatethe map
TRANSLATING THE MAP
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Ancient glyphs Brittle paperC983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 ornRuinedSmudged
Burnt to a crisp
W983144983137983156 983139983137983150 983143983151 983159983154983151983150983143983103 Te map is damaged Techaracters misread the map Tey cannot read the mapand must get help rom an expert in ancient languages
RACE TO THE TEMPLE OF TOT
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983144983141 G983151983157 Z983151983157 G983151983154983143983141S983139983141983150983141 Te majestic Gou Zou Gorge hal a mile
deep and crossed by a single iron girder railway bridgeWide open plains lie on either side o the gorge and theKow Mountains lie in the distance
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Open plains Impassible Gorge
Te characters ollow the map to Gou ZouGorge by car or horse back Giles Fishburne is ap- proaching ast aboard the German dirigible DerVogel Do the characters cross the bridge saelyDo they keep their lead on the Germans
NAZI BIRD TRUPPEN
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Tey Fly Agile
G983141983137983154 Delicate Flying Harness DeadlyStick Grenade
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 ConusedGrounded
SlowedOut o ActionN983151983156983141983155 Tere are a number o Bird ruppen equalto the number o characters
GOU ZOU BRIDGE
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Wide but narrow
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 RicketyBlown all to hell
N983151983156983141983155 You know you must introduce an approach-ing train right
W983144983137983156 983139983137983150 983143983151 983159983154983151983150983143983103 Te bridge is destroyed
Te map is lost the characters are captured
983144983141 98314110486859831521048684983141S983139983141983150983141 An ancient temple ashioned into the side
o a mountain Grand statues o sinister looking godsand daemons line the walls Dust covers everythingTe tunnel leads deeper into the mountain
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Dark Silent
Te characters must penetrate the heart o thetemple but the map warned o nearious traps
and terrible guardians Do they get past the trapsand guardians
NEFARIOUS TRAPS
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Hidden Deadly
G983141983137983154 Poison Darts Rusting Spears
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 DisarmedSet-offRevealed
N983151983156983141983155 Challenge characters with one or two trapsell them the passage is trapped but donrsquot tell themhow or where the traps are until they are sprung
STONE STATUE GUARDIAN
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Big Heavy Slow Relentless
G983141983137983154 Heavy Stone Weapons
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 DamagedOff balanceSlowedOut o Action
N983151983156983141983155 Tere is one Statue Guardian or every two
characters Te large heavy weapons can strikemultiple characters at once
W983144983137983156 983139983137983150 983143983151 983159983154983151983150983143983103 Characters cannot getpast traps characters are injured by traps
983144983141 I9831409831511048684 C9831449831371048685983138983141983154S983139983141983150983141 A large stone chamber ingeniously lit by
mirrors reflecting sunlight Te Idol o ot - a gold-en statue o a seven-headed monkey - sits on a stoneplinth in the centre o the room
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Large bronze mirrors
Te characters enter the chamber o the idolonly to find that Giles Fishburne and his Nazi goons are here too Do they deeat Giles and es-cape with the Idol
GILES FISHBURNE
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Smart Arrogant Sword fighter
G983141983137983154 Polished Sabre
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 ConusedInjuredSlowedOut o Action
N983151983156983141983155 Giles is a greedy arrogant villain but heisnrsquot stupid I things start looking dire he will attemptto escape make a deal andor double-cross anyone inhis way He has no loyalty to the Nazis
C983144983137983154983137983139983156983141983154983155Four pre-made characters can be ound on the next
page Tey are each examples o classic pulp charac-ter archetypes Players may tweak or adjust them atthe Narratorrsquos discretion beore play starts perhapschanging a Descriptor or two or switching out an item
o Gear Beore starting the game each player shoulddefine one or two relationships describing how thecharacters know each other A quick and easy way todo this is or everyone to describe how they know thecharacter to their lef
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7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
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TENNESSEE SMITH DAREDEVIL EXPLORER
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Nimble Level Headed Use BullWhip Araid o Heights
G983141983137983154 Bull Whip Worn Leather Jacket
D983154983145983158983141983155 Find the Idol o ot
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 AngryScaredired
rapped
Blinded
HungryDazedInjuredDying
ennessee Smith is a mild-mannered proes-sor o history but in his spare time he travelsinto the wilderness in search o lost arteacts andtreasure Ruggedly handsome he always seemsto keep his cool no matter how much danger heis inmdashand he tends to get into a lot o it
R983141983148983137983156983145983151983150983155983144983145983152983155
N983151983156983141983155
HARVEY REED RETIRED BOXER
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Strong Tinks-on-his-Feet BoxerUgly as Sin
G983141983137983154 Roll o quarters Poor fitting suitD983154983145983158983141983155 Look out or ennessee Smith
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 AngryScarediredrappedBlindedHungryDazedInjuredDying
Harvey Reed is a recently retired championboxer Finding the sedentary lie a little too bor-ing he has joined his old riend ennessee insearch o adventure
R983141983148983137983156983145983151983150983155983144983145983152983155
N983151983156983141983155
JIMMY SWEET PLUCKY KID
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Quick Smart-aleckUnderestimated Young
G983141983137983154 Noisy Firecrackers Dirty BaseballCap
D983154983145983158983141983155 See the 7 wonders o the world
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155
Angry
Scared
iredrappedBlindedHungryDazedInjuredDying
Jimmy Sweet is a happy-go-lucky kid who hasnever had anyone to rely on but himsel He iswiry tough and quick with a cheeky attitudethat requently gets him into trouble Jimmystowed away on a tramp steamer with the inten-tion o seeing the world and making his ortune
R983141983148983137983156983145983151983150983155983144983145983152983155
N983151983156983141983155
OCTOBER JONES GIRL REPORTER
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Beautiul Witty Good MemoryCurious
G983141983137983154 rusty Camera Tick Notebook D983154983145983158983141983155 Get the scoop on the real ennes-
see Smith
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 AngryScarediredrappedBlindedHungryDazedInjuredDying
October Jones is a reporter and adventurerafforded a great deal o reedom by her atherrsquosimmense wealth Beautiul intelligent and spoiltshe is a woman used to getting what she wants
R983141983148983137983156983145983151983150983155983144983145983152983155
N983151983156983141983155
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 212321
Tis list is by no means exhaustive but itrsquos a goodplace to start Each entry lists the kinds o things aDescriptor might be an advantage or hindrance orwhich makes it a handy reerence or both players and
Narrators
B983151983140983161 D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155A983143983145983148983141 helpul when dancing leaping doing gym-
nastics crawling through tight spaces and balancingA983149983138983145983140983141983160983156983154983151983157983155 great when shooting two guns at
the same time or doing slight-o-hand magic tricksB983148983151983150983140983141 good or getting people to underestimate
you not good i you spend too much time in the sunF983137983147983141 O983154983137983150983143983141 T983137983150 great or passing as an aging
celebrity and or drawing attention to yoursel
F983157983154983154983161 useul or resisting cold weather and livingin the woods
H983137983150983140983155983151983149983141 useul or flirting selling stuff gettingroles on V modelling and being popular
H983157983143983141 good or looking menacing reaching highplaces acting like a body builder or getting stuck insmall spaces
O983158983141983154983159983141983145983143983144983156 a problem when exercising andborrowing clothes
P983151983151983154 C983151983150983155983156983145983156983157983156983145983151983150 a hindrance when long dis-
tance running resisting damage perorming eats oendurance and healingQ983157983145983139983147 handy or ducking to and rom places
slight-o-hand dodging and other actions that requirespeed o action
R983137983162983151983154-983155983144983137983154983152 C983148983137983159983155 great or slicing up en-emies cutting vegetables and maybe climbing trees
S983144983151983154983156 a pain or reaching the top shel but use-ul or crawling under low objects and getting lost ina crowd
S983148983151983159 a problem when running dodging and re-
acting to thingsS983156983154983151983150983143 useul or lifing carrying smashing
and throwing things Wrestling and avoiding beingcrushed might also be aided
T983137983148983148 good or reaching the top shel climbingand seeing over other peoplersquos heads
T983144983145983150 handy or squeezing into places and clotheshiding behind poles and perorming on the catwalk
U983143983148983161 a problem when trying to seduce someoneor get a role on V
V983145983143983151983157983154 great or resisting poison long distancerunning and other eats o endurance
Weak a pain when lifing carrying smashing andthrowing stuff
W983141983138983138983141983140 F983141983141983156 great or swimming but terriblewhen buying shoes
M983145983150983140 D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155A983138983155983141983150983156-M983145983150983140983141983140 good or being distracted but a
problem when remembering where you lef the keysor that you just pulled the pin rom a hand grenade
B983151983151983147-S983149983137983154983156 great when doing exams knowingmath ormulas remembering dates in history andgenerally getting into Law at Harvard
C983151983149983152983157983156983141983154-W983145983162 good or programming fixing
your laptop and getting into PC vs Apple flame-warsD983145983149-W983145983156983156983141983140 a problem when listening to jokes
recognizing a trick or generally keeping up appear-ances in social settings
E983149983152983137983156983144983141983156983145983139 good or reading peoples emotionsdoing psychological evaluations and knowing how tocomort distressed people
F983151983139983157983155983141983140 good or staying on task not getting dis-tracted and looking serious
L983137983156983141983154983137983148 T983144983145983150983147983141983154 handy or problem solving
and approaching issues in new or unusual waysM983137983156983144983141983149983137983156983145983139983145983137983150 great or doing sums solvingequations and doing your tax
O983138983155983141983154983158983137983150983156 great or spotting hidden clues no-ticing details doing find-a-words and reading bodylanguage
O983154983137983156983151983154 good or public speaking debating andgetting people to see your point o view
S983148983151983159 a pain when trying to understand plans orlearn new things
T983137983139983156983145983139983145983137983150 great or planning battles remember-
ing military history and quoting sun suU983150983141983140983157983139983137983156983141983140 a pain when reading doing math
remembering important dates in history and doingany school-type tests
W983145983155983141 handy or sprouting proverbs giving adviceputting unrelated clues together interpreting peoplersquosreactions and saying lsquoI told you sorsquo
W983145983156983156983161 good or making unny comments beingcharming and or entertaining and always knowingthe right thing to say
APPENDIX - DESCRIPTORS
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 222322
E983140983143983141 D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155A983139983154983151983138983137983156983145983139983155 great or joining the circus leaping
through narrow gaps and doing impressive flipsA983154983139983137983150983141 K983150983151983159983148983141983140983143983141 good or identiying mys-
tic arteacts recognizing the presence o evil magicand reading ancient scrolls
C983151983157983154983137983143983141 handy when seeing something scary
telling your wie you orgot your anniversary and at-tempting other dangerous acts
D983154983145983158983145983150983143 great or car racing car chases and pass-ing your driving exam
F983141983150983139983145983150983143 good or sword fighting and other civi-lized orms o melee
G983151983151983140 M983141983149983151983154983161 handy or remembering namesand aces vital clues and mathematical ormulas
H983157983150983156983145983150983143 good when tracking and stalking look-ing good in camouflage and knowing what an angryrhinoceros sounds like
K983141983141983150 S983145983143983144983156 great or seeing a long way or evendoing stuff by moonlight
L983145983150983143983157983145983155983156983145983139983155 good or speaking one (or more)oreign languages and generally communicating withothers
M983137983143983145983139 great or knowing the mystic arts castingspells or acting like a stage magician
M983141983140983145983139983145983150983141 good or perorming operations diag-nosing illness and administering first aid
N983137983155983156983161 B983145983156983141 great or really hurting someone in
combat chewing your own arm off or winning a pieeating contestR983145983139983144 handy or buying luxury sports cars getting
invited to exclusive parties and bribing city officialsW983154983141983155983156983148983145983150983143 good or fighting unarmed combat
and pinning opponents to the ground
F1048684983137983159 D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155B983148983145983150983140 a pain when doing anything that requires
sight such as shooting navigating an unamiliar spaceor painting
B983154983137983158983141 good or charging into mortal danger act-ing oolhardy and getting into deep trouble
C983148983157983149983155983161 a problem when carrying a valuable vase
visiting an antique store or trying to cross a booby-trapped room
G983154983141983141983140983161 a pain when resisting the urge to steal lieor in some other way keep or obtain wealth
I983150-H983157983149983137983150 A983152983152983141983137983154983137983150983139983141 a hindrance when try-ing not to get noticed avoiding attention or finding apair o pants that fit just right
M983145983155983155983145983150983143 L983141983143 a problem when running climbingor perorming any other activity that involves move-ment without prosthetics or a wheel chair
O983148983140 a pain when trying to look cool climb stairsuse a computer or be positive about your health
P983151983151983154 a hindrance when wanting to buy ood orclothes or trying to get into an exclusive party
P983151983151983154 S983145983143983144983156 a pain when trying to recognizesomeone or thing driving at night or noticing visualclues
P983154983145983149983145983156983145983158983141 a problem when using mobile phonescars and door bells as well as interacting at more civi-lized social occasions
S983149983141983148983148983161 a hindrance when trying to impress peo-
ple or hiding rom wild animals or trackersW983137983150983156983141983140 a pain when trying to keep out o trou-ble or needing something rom your apartment
Y983151983157983150983143 a problem when trying to get into clubs betaken seriously by adults avoid school or see over thedash in a car
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 2323
NAME CONCEPT
BODY
MIND
EDGE
FLAW
DESCRIPTION
ROLL RESULT
6 Yes and
4 Yes
2 Yes but
5 No but
3 No
1 No and
A983150983143983154983161 983154983137983152983152983141983140 D983137983162983141983140
S983139983137983154983141983140 B1048684983145983150983140983141983140 I983150983146983157983154983141983140
983145983154983141983140 H983157983150983143983154983161 D983161983145983150983143
DRIVESWHAT DO YOU WANT
WHAT IS STOPPING YOU
WHAT WILL YOU DO
RELATIONSHIPS
C O N D I T I O N S
F U
P O I N T S
T H E O D D S
NOTES
G E A R
FU
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 192319
983144983141 G983151983157 Z983151983157 G983151983154983143983141S983139983141983150983141 Te majestic Gou Zou Gorge hal a mile
deep and crossed by a single iron girder railway bridgeWide open plains lie on either side o the gorge and theKow Mountains lie in the distance
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Open plains Impassible Gorge
Te characters ollow the map to Gou ZouGorge by car or horse back Giles Fishburne is ap- proaching ast aboard the German dirigible DerVogel Do the characters cross the bridge saelyDo they keep their lead on the Germans
NAZI BIRD TRUPPEN
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Tey Fly Agile
G983141983137983154 Delicate Flying Harness DeadlyStick Grenade
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 ConusedGrounded
SlowedOut o ActionN983151983156983141983155 Tere are a number o Bird ruppen equalto the number o characters
GOU ZOU BRIDGE
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Wide but narrow
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 RicketyBlown all to hell
N983151983156983141983155 You know you must introduce an approach-ing train right
W983144983137983156 983139983137983150 983143983151 983159983154983151983150983143983103 Te bridge is destroyed
Te map is lost the characters are captured
983144983141 98314110486859831521048684983141S983139983141983150983141 An ancient temple ashioned into the side
o a mountain Grand statues o sinister looking godsand daemons line the walls Dust covers everythingTe tunnel leads deeper into the mountain
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Dark Silent
Te characters must penetrate the heart o thetemple but the map warned o nearious traps
and terrible guardians Do they get past the trapsand guardians
NEFARIOUS TRAPS
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Hidden Deadly
G983141983137983154 Poison Darts Rusting Spears
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 DisarmedSet-offRevealed
N983151983156983141983155 Challenge characters with one or two trapsell them the passage is trapped but donrsquot tell themhow or where the traps are until they are sprung
STONE STATUE GUARDIAN
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Big Heavy Slow Relentless
G983141983137983154 Heavy Stone Weapons
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 DamagedOff balanceSlowedOut o Action
N983151983156983141983155 Tere is one Statue Guardian or every two
characters Te large heavy weapons can strikemultiple characters at once
W983144983137983156 983139983137983150 983143983151 983159983154983151983150983143983103 Characters cannot getpast traps characters are injured by traps
983144983141 I9831409831511048684 C9831449831371048685983138983141983154S983139983141983150983141 A large stone chamber ingeniously lit by
mirrors reflecting sunlight Te Idol o ot - a gold-en statue o a seven-headed monkey - sits on a stoneplinth in the centre o the room
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Large bronze mirrors
Te characters enter the chamber o the idolonly to find that Giles Fishburne and his Nazi goons are here too Do they deeat Giles and es-cape with the Idol
GILES FISHBURNE
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Smart Arrogant Sword fighter
G983141983137983154 Polished Sabre
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 ConusedInjuredSlowedOut o Action
N983151983156983141983155 Giles is a greedy arrogant villain but heisnrsquot stupid I things start looking dire he will attemptto escape make a deal andor double-cross anyone inhis way He has no loyalty to the Nazis
C983144983137983154983137983139983156983141983154983155Four pre-made characters can be ound on the next
page Tey are each examples o classic pulp charac-ter archetypes Players may tweak or adjust them atthe Narratorrsquos discretion beore play starts perhapschanging a Descriptor or two or switching out an item
o Gear Beore starting the game each player shoulddefine one or two relationships describing how thecharacters know each other A quick and easy way todo this is or everyone to describe how they know thecharacter to their lef
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 202320
TENNESSEE SMITH DAREDEVIL EXPLORER
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Nimble Level Headed Use BullWhip Araid o Heights
G983141983137983154 Bull Whip Worn Leather Jacket
D983154983145983158983141983155 Find the Idol o ot
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 AngryScaredired
rapped
Blinded
HungryDazedInjuredDying
ennessee Smith is a mild-mannered proes-sor o history but in his spare time he travelsinto the wilderness in search o lost arteacts andtreasure Ruggedly handsome he always seemsto keep his cool no matter how much danger heis inmdashand he tends to get into a lot o it
R983141983148983137983156983145983151983150983155983144983145983152983155
N983151983156983141983155
HARVEY REED RETIRED BOXER
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Strong Tinks-on-his-Feet BoxerUgly as Sin
G983141983137983154 Roll o quarters Poor fitting suitD983154983145983158983141983155 Look out or ennessee Smith
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 AngryScarediredrappedBlindedHungryDazedInjuredDying
Harvey Reed is a recently retired championboxer Finding the sedentary lie a little too bor-ing he has joined his old riend ennessee insearch o adventure
R983141983148983137983156983145983151983150983155983144983145983152983155
N983151983156983141983155
JIMMY SWEET PLUCKY KID
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Quick Smart-aleckUnderestimated Young
G983141983137983154 Noisy Firecrackers Dirty BaseballCap
D983154983145983158983141983155 See the 7 wonders o the world
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155
Angry
Scared
iredrappedBlindedHungryDazedInjuredDying
Jimmy Sweet is a happy-go-lucky kid who hasnever had anyone to rely on but himsel He iswiry tough and quick with a cheeky attitudethat requently gets him into trouble Jimmystowed away on a tramp steamer with the inten-tion o seeing the world and making his ortune
R983141983148983137983156983145983151983150983155983144983145983152983155
N983151983156983141983155
OCTOBER JONES GIRL REPORTER
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Beautiul Witty Good MemoryCurious
G983141983137983154 rusty Camera Tick Notebook D983154983145983158983141983155 Get the scoop on the real ennes-
see Smith
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 AngryScarediredrappedBlindedHungryDazedInjuredDying
October Jones is a reporter and adventurerafforded a great deal o reedom by her atherrsquosimmense wealth Beautiul intelligent and spoiltshe is a woman used to getting what she wants
R983141983148983137983156983145983151983150983155983144983145983152983155
N983151983156983141983155
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 212321
Tis list is by no means exhaustive but itrsquos a goodplace to start Each entry lists the kinds o things aDescriptor might be an advantage or hindrance orwhich makes it a handy reerence or both players and
Narrators
B983151983140983161 D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155A983143983145983148983141 helpul when dancing leaping doing gym-
nastics crawling through tight spaces and balancingA983149983138983145983140983141983160983156983154983151983157983155 great when shooting two guns at
the same time or doing slight-o-hand magic tricksB983148983151983150983140983141 good or getting people to underestimate
you not good i you spend too much time in the sunF983137983147983141 O983154983137983150983143983141 T983137983150 great or passing as an aging
celebrity and or drawing attention to yoursel
F983157983154983154983161 useul or resisting cold weather and livingin the woods
H983137983150983140983155983151983149983141 useul or flirting selling stuff gettingroles on V modelling and being popular
H983157983143983141 good or looking menacing reaching highplaces acting like a body builder or getting stuck insmall spaces
O983158983141983154983159983141983145983143983144983156 a problem when exercising andborrowing clothes
P983151983151983154 C983151983150983155983156983145983156983157983156983145983151983150 a hindrance when long dis-
tance running resisting damage perorming eats oendurance and healingQ983157983145983139983147 handy or ducking to and rom places
slight-o-hand dodging and other actions that requirespeed o action
R983137983162983151983154-983155983144983137983154983152 C983148983137983159983155 great or slicing up en-emies cutting vegetables and maybe climbing trees
S983144983151983154983156 a pain or reaching the top shel but use-ul or crawling under low objects and getting lost ina crowd
S983148983151983159 a problem when running dodging and re-
acting to thingsS983156983154983151983150983143 useul or lifing carrying smashing
and throwing things Wrestling and avoiding beingcrushed might also be aided
T983137983148983148 good or reaching the top shel climbingand seeing over other peoplersquos heads
T983144983145983150 handy or squeezing into places and clotheshiding behind poles and perorming on the catwalk
U983143983148983161 a problem when trying to seduce someoneor get a role on V
V983145983143983151983157983154 great or resisting poison long distancerunning and other eats o endurance
Weak a pain when lifing carrying smashing andthrowing stuff
W983141983138983138983141983140 F983141983141983156 great or swimming but terriblewhen buying shoes
M983145983150983140 D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155A983138983155983141983150983156-M983145983150983140983141983140 good or being distracted but a
problem when remembering where you lef the keysor that you just pulled the pin rom a hand grenade
B983151983151983147-S983149983137983154983156 great when doing exams knowingmath ormulas remembering dates in history andgenerally getting into Law at Harvard
C983151983149983152983157983156983141983154-W983145983162 good or programming fixing
your laptop and getting into PC vs Apple flame-warsD983145983149-W983145983156983156983141983140 a problem when listening to jokes
recognizing a trick or generally keeping up appear-ances in social settings
E983149983152983137983156983144983141983156983145983139 good or reading peoples emotionsdoing psychological evaluations and knowing how tocomort distressed people
F983151983139983157983155983141983140 good or staying on task not getting dis-tracted and looking serious
L983137983156983141983154983137983148 T983144983145983150983147983141983154 handy or problem solving
and approaching issues in new or unusual waysM983137983156983144983141983149983137983156983145983139983145983137983150 great or doing sums solvingequations and doing your tax
O983138983155983141983154983158983137983150983156 great or spotting hidden clues no-ticing details doing find-a-words and reading bodylanguage
O983154983137983156983151983154 good or public speaking debating andgetting people to see your point o view
S983148983151983159 a pain when trying to understand plans orlearn new things
T983137983139983156983145983139983145983137983150 great or planning battles remember-
ing military history and quoting sun suU983150983141983140983157983139983137983156983141983140 a pain when reading doing math
remembering important dates in history and doingany school-type tests
W983145983155983141 handy or sprouting proverbs giving adviceputting unrelated clues together interpreting peoplersquosreactions and saying lsquoI told you sorsquo
W983145983156983156983161 good or making unny comments beingcharming and or entertaining and always knowingthe right thing to say
APPENDIX - DESCRIPTORS
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 222322
E983140983143983141 D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155A983139983154983151983138983137983156983145983139983155 great or joining the circus leaping
through narrow gaps and doing impressive flipsA983154983139983137983150983141 K983150983151983159983148983141983140983143983141 good or identiying mys-
tic arteacts recognizing the presence o evil magicand reading ancient scrolls
C983151983157983154983137983143983141 handy when seeing something scary
telling your wie you orgot your anniversary and at-tempting other dangerous acts
D983154983145983158983145983150983143 great or car racing car chases and pass-ing your driving exam
F983141983150983139983145983150983143 good or sword fighting and other civi-lized orms o melee
G983151983151983140 M983141983149983151983154983161 handy or remembering namesand aces vital clues and mathematical ormulas
H983157983150983156983145983150983143 good when tracking and stalking look-ing good in camouflage and knowing what an angryrhinoceros sounds like
K983141983141983150 S983145983143983144983156 great or seeing a long way or evendoing stuff by moonlight
L983145983150983143983157983145983155983156983145983139983155 good or speaking one (or more)oreign languages and generally communicating withothers
M983137983143983145983139 great or knowing the mystic arts castingspells or acting like a stage magician
M983141983140983145983139983145983150983141 good or perorming operations diag-nosing illness and administering first aid
N983137983155983156983161 B983145983156983141 great or really hurting someone in
combat chewing your own arm off or winning a pieeating contestR983145983139983144 handy or buying luxury sports cars getting
invited to exclusive parties and bribing city officialsW983154983141983155983156983148983145983150983143 good or fighting unarmed combat
and pinning opponents to the ground
F1048684983137983159 D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155B983148983145983150983140 a pain when doing anything that requires
sight such as shooting navigating an unamiliar spaceor painting
B983154983137983158983141 good or charging into mortal danger act-ing oolhardy and getting into deep trouble
C983148983157983149983155983161 a problem when carrying a valuable vase
visiting an antique store or trying to cross a booby-trapped room
G983154983141983141983140983161 a pain when resisting the urge to steal lieor in some other way keep or obtain wealth
I983150-H983157983149983137983150 A983152983152983141983137983154983137983150983139983141 a hindrance when try-ing not to get noticed avoiding attention or finding apair o pants that fit just right
M983145983155983155983145983150983143 L983141983143 a problem when running climbingor perorming any other activity that involves move-ment without prosthetics or a wheel chair
O983148983140 a pain when trying to look cool climb stairsuse a computer or be positive about your health
P983151983151983154 a hindrance when wanting to buy ood orclothes or trying to get into an exclusive party
P983151983151983154 S983145983143983144983156 a pain when trying to recognizesomeone or thing driving at night or noticing visualclues
P983154983145983149983145983156983145983158983141 a problem when using mobile phonescars and door bells as well as interacting at more civi-lized social occasions
S983149983141983148983148983161 a hindrance when trying to impress peo-
ple or hiding rom wild animals or trackersW983137983150983156983141983140 a pain when trying to keep out o trou-ble or needing something rom your apartment
Y983151983157983150983143 a problem when trying to get into clubs betaken seriously by adults avoid school or see over thedash in a car
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 2323
NAME CONCEPT
BODY
MIND
EDGE
FLAW
DESCRIPTION
ROLL RESULT
6 Yes and
4 Yes
2 Yes but
5 No but
3 No
1 No and
A983150983143983154983161 983154983137983152983152983141983140 D983137983162983141983140
S983139983137983154983141983140 B1048684983145983150983140983141983140 I983150983146983157983154983141983140
983145983154983141983140 H983157983150983143983154983161 D983161983145983150983143
DRIVESWHAT DO YOU WANT
WHAT IS STOPPING YOU
WHAT WILL YOU DO
RELATIONSHIPS
C O N D I T I O N S
F U
P O I N T S
T H E O D D S
NOTES
G E A R
FU
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 202320
TENNESSEE SMITH DAREDEVIL EXPLORER
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Nimble Level Headed Use BullWhip Araid o Heights
G983141983137983154 Bull Whip Worn Leather Jacket
D983154983145983158983141983155 Find the Idol o ot
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 AngryScaredired
rapped
Blinded
HungryDazedInjuredDying
ennessee Smith is a mild-mannered proes-sor o history but in his spare time he travelsinto the wilderness in search o lost arteacts andtreasure Ruggedly handsome he always seemsto keep his cool no matter how much danger heis inmdashand he tends to get into a lot o it
R983141983148983137983156983145983151983150983155983144983145983152983155
N983151983156983141983155
HARVEY REED RETIRED BOXER
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Strong Tinks-on-his-Feet BoxerUgly as Sin
G983141983137983154 Roll o quarters Poor fitting suitD983154983145983158983141983155 Look out or ennessee Smith
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 AngryScarediredrappedBlindedHungryDazedInjuredDying
Harvey Reed is a recently retired championboxer Finding the sedentary lie a little too bor-ing he has joined his old riend ennessee insearch o adventure
R983141983148983137983156983145983151983150983155983144983145983152983155
N983151983156983141983155
JIMMY SWEET PLUCKY KID
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Quick Smart-aleckUnderestimated Young
G983141983137983154 Noisy Firecrackers Dirty BaseballCap
D983154983145983158983141983155 See the 7 wonders o the world
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155
Angry
Scared
iredrappedBlindedHungryDazedInjuredDying
Jimmy Sweet is a happy-go-lucky kid who hasnever had anyone to rely on but himsel He iswiry tough and quick with a cheeky attitudethat requently gets him into trouble Jimmystowed away on a tramp steamer with the inten-tion o seeing the world and making his ortune
R983141983148983137983156983145983151983150983155983144983145983152983155
N983151983156983141983155
OCTOBER JONES GIRL REPORTER
D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155 Beautiul Witty Good MemoryCurious
G983141983137983154 rusty Camera Tick Notebook D983154983145983158983141983155 Get the scoop on the real ennes-
see Smith
C983151983150983140983145983156983145983151983150983155 AngryScarediredrappedBlindedHungryDazedInjuredDying
October Jones is a reporter and adventurerafforded a great deal o reedom by her atherrsquosimmense wealth Beautiul intelligent and spoiltshe is a woman used to getting what she wants
R983141983148983137983156983145983151983150983155983144983145983152983155
N983151983156983141983155
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 212321
Tis list is by no means exhaustive but itrsquos a goodplace to start Each entry lists the kinds o things aDescriptor might be an advantage or hindrance orwhich makes it a handy reerence or both players and
Narrators
B983151983140983161 D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155A983143983145983148983141 helpul when dancing leaping doing gym-
nastics crawling through tight spaces and balancingA983149983138983145983140983141983160983156983154983151983157983155 great when shooting two guns at
the same time or doing slight-o-hand magic tricksB983148983151983150983140983141 good or getting people to underestimate
you not good i you spend too much time in the sunF983137983147983141 O983154983137983150983143983141 T983137983150 great or passing as an aging
celebrity and or drawing attention to yoursel
F983157983154983154983161 useul or resisting cold weather and livingin the woods
H983137983150983140983155983151983149983141 useul or flirting selling stuff gettingroles on V modelling and being popular
H983157983143983141 good or looking menacing reaching highplaces acting like a body builder or getting stuck insmall spaces
O983158983141983154983159983141983145983143983144983156 a problem when exercising andborrowing clothes
P983151983151983154 C983151983150983155983156983145983156983157983156983145983151983150 a hindrance when long dis-
tance running resisting damage perorming eats oendurance and healingQ983157983145983139983147 handy or ducking to and rom places
slight-o-hand dodging and other actions that requirespeed o action
R983137983162983151983154-983155983144983137983154983152 C983148983137983159983155 great or slicing up en-emies cutting vegetables and maybe climbing trees
S983144983151983154983156 a pain or reaching the top shel but use-ul or crawling under low objects and getting lost ina crowd
S983148983151983159 a problem when running dodging and re-
acting to thingsS983156983154983151983150983143 useul or lifing carrying smashing
and throwing things Wrestling and avoiding beingcrushed might also be aided
T983137983148983148 good or reaching the top shel climbingand seeing over other peoplersquos heads
T983144983145983150 handy or squeezing into places and clotheshiding behind poles and perorming on the catwalk
U983143983148983161 a problem when trying to seduce someoneor get a role on V
V983145983143983151983157983154 great or resisting poison long distancerunning and other eats o endurance
Weak a pain when lifing carrying smashing andthrowing stuff
W983141983138983138983141983140 F983141983141983156 great or swimming but terriblewhen buying shoes
M983145983150983140 D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155A983138983155983141983150983156-M983145983150983140983141983140 good or being distracted but a
problem when remembering where you lef the keysor that you just pulled the pin rom a hand grenade
B983151983151983147-S983149983137983154983156 great when doing exams knowingmath ormulas remembering dates in history andgenerally getting into Law at Harvard
C983151983149983152983157983156983141983154-W983145983162 good or programming fixing
your laptop and getting into PC vs Apple flame-warsD983145983149-W983145983156983156983141983140 a problem when listening to jokes
recognizing a trick or generally keeping up appear-ances in social settings
E983149983152983137983156983144983141983156983145983139 good or reading peoples emotionsdoing psychological evaluations and knowing how tocomort distressed people
F983151983139983157983155983141983140 good or staying on task not getting dis-tracted and looking serious
L983137983156983141983154983137983148 T983144983145983150983147983141983154 handy or problem solving
and approaching issues in new or unusual waysM983137983156983144983141983149983137983156983145983139983145983137983150 great or doing sums solvingequations and doing your tax
O983138983155983141983154983158983137983150983156 great or spotting hidden clues no-ticing details doing find-a-words and reading bodylanguage
O983154983137983156983151983154 good or public speaking debating andgetting people to see your point o view
S983148983151983159 a pain when trying to understand plans orlearn new things
T983137983139983156983145983139983145983137983150 great or planning battles remember-
ing military history and quoting sun suU983150983141983140983157983139983137983156983141983140 a pain when reading doing math
remembering important dates in history and doingany school-type tests
W983145983155983141 handy or sprouting proverbs giving adviceputting unrelated clues together interpreting peoplersquosreactions and saying lsquoI told you sorsquo
W983145983156983156983161 good or making unny comments beingcharming and or entertaining and always knowingthe right thing to say
APPENDIX - DESCRIPTORS
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 222322
E983140983143983141 D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155A983139983154983151983138983137983156983145983139983155 great or joining the circus leaping
through narrow gaps and doing impressive flipsA983154983139983137983150983141 K983150983151983159983148983141983140983143983141 good or identiying mys-
tic arteacts recognizing the presence o evil magicand reading ancient scrolls
C983151983157983154983137983143983141 handy when seeing something scary
telling your wie you orgot your anniversary and at-tempting other dangerous acts
D983154983145983158983145983150983143 great or car racing car chases and pass-ing your driving exam
F983141983150983139983145983150983143 good or sword fighting and other civi-lized orms o melee
G983151983151983140 M983141983149983151983154983161 handy or remembering namesand aces vital clues and mathematical ormulas
H983157983150983156983145983150983143 good when tracking and stalking look-ing good in camouflage and knowing what an angryrhinoceros sounds like
K983141983141983150 S983145983143983144983156 great or seeing a long way or evendoing stuff by moonlight
L983145983150983143983157983145983155983156983145983139983155 good or speaking one (or more)oreign languages and generally communicating withothers
M983137983143983145983139 great or knowing the mystic arts castingspells or acting like a stage magician
M983141983140983145983139983145983150983141 good or perorming operations diag-nosing illness and administering first aid
N983137983155983156983161 B983145983156983141 great or really hurting someone in
combat chewing your own arm off or winning a pieeating contestR983145983139983144 handy or buying luxury sports cars getting
invited to exclusive parties and bribing city officialsW983154983141983155983156983148983145983150983143 good or fighting unarmed combat
and pinning opponents to the ground
F1048684983137983159 D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155B983148983145983150983140 a pain when doing anything that requires
sight such as shooting navigating an unamiliar spaceor painting
B983154983137983158983141 good or charging into mortal danger act-ing oolhardy and getting into deep trouble
C983148983157983149983155983161 a problem when carrying a valuable vase
visiting an antique store or trying to cross a booby-trapped room
G983154983141983141983140983161 a pain when resisting the urge to steal lieor in some other way keep or obtain wealth
I983150-H983157983149983137983150 A983152983152983141983137983154983137983150983139983141 a hindrance when try-ing not to get noticed avoiding attention or finding apair o pants that fit just right
M983145983155983155983145983150983143 L983141983143 a problem when running climbingor perorming any other activity that involves move-ment without prosthetics or a wheel chair
O983148983140 a pain when trying to look cool climb stairsuse a computer or be positive about your health
P983151983151983154 a hindrance when wanting to buy ood orclothes or trying to get into an exclusive party
P983151983151983154 S983145983143983144983156 a pain when trying to recognizesomeone or thing driving at night or noticing visualclues
P983154983145983149983145983156983145983158983141 a problem when using mobile phonescars and door bells as well as interacting at more civi-lized social occasions
S983149983141983148983148983161 a hindrance when trying to impress peo-
ple or hiding rom wild animals or trackersW983137983150983156983141983140 a pain when trying to keep out o trou-ble or needing something rom your apartment
Y983151983157983150983143 a problem when trying to get into clubs betaken seriously by adults avoid school or see over thedash in a car
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 2323
NAME CONCEPT
BODY
MIND
EDGE
FLAW
DESCRIPTION
ROLL RESULT
6 Yes and
4 Yes
2 Yes but
5 No but
3 No
1 No and
A983150983143983154983161 983154983137983152983152983141983140 D983137983162983141983140
S983139983137983154983141983140 B1048684983145983150983140983141983140 I983150983146983157983154983141983140
983145983154983141983140 H983157983150983143983154983161 D983161983145983150983143
DRIVESWHAT DO YOU WANT
WHAT IS STOPPING YOU
WHAT WILL YOU DO
RELATIONSHIPS
C O N D I T I O N S
F U
P O I N T S
T H E O D D S
NOTES
G E A R
FU
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 212321
Tis list is by no means exhaustive but itrsquos a goodplace to start Each entry lists the kinds o things aDescriptor might be an advantage or hindrance orwhich makes it a handy reerence or both players and
Narrators
B983151983140983161 D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155A983143983145983148983141 helpul when dancing leaping doing gym-
nastics crawling through tight spaces and balancingA983149983138983145983140983141983160983156983154983151983157983155 great when shooting two guns at
the same time or doing slight-o-hand magic tricksB983148983151983150983140983141 good or getting people to underestimate
you not good i you spend too much time in the sunF983137983147983141 O983154983137983150983143983141 T983137983150 great or passing as an aging
celebrity and or drawing attention to yoursel
F983157983154983154983161 useul or resisting cold weather and livingin the woods
H983137983150983140983155983151983149983141 useul or flirting selling stuff gettingroles on V modelling and being popular
H983157983143983141 good or looking menacing reaching highplaces acting like a body builder or getting stuck insmall spaces
O983158983141983154983159983141983145983143983144983156 a problem when exercising andborrowing clothes
P983151983151983154 C983151983150983155983156983145983156983157983156983145983151983150 a hindrance when long dis-
tance running resisting damage perorming eats oendurance and healingQ983157983145983139983147 handy or ducking to and rom places
slight-o-hand dodging and other actions that requirespeed o action
R983137983162983151983154-983155983144983137983154983152 C983148983137983159983155 great or slicing up en-emies cutting vegetables and maybe climbing trees
S983144983151983154983156 a pain or reaching the top shel but use-ul or crawling under low objects and getting lost ina crowd
S983148983151983159 a problem when running dodging and re-
acting to thingsS983156983154983151983150983143 useul or lifing carrying smashing
and throwing things Wrestling and avoiding beingcrushed might also be aided
T983137983148983148 good or reaching the top shel climbingand seeing over other peoplersquos heads
T983144983145983150 handy or squeezing into places and clotheshiding behind poles and perorming on the catwalk
U983143983148983161 a problem when trying to seduce someoneor get a role on V
V983145983143983151983157983154 great or resisting poison long distancerunning and other eats o endurance
Weak a pain when lifing carrying smashing andthrowing stuff
W983141983138983138983141983140 F983141983141983156 great or swimming but terriblewhen buying shoes
M983145983150983140 D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155A983138983155983141983150983156-M983145983150983140983141983140 good or being distracted but a
problem when remembering where you lef the keysor that you just pulled the pin rom a hand grenade
B983151983151983147-S983149983137983154983156 great when doing exams knowingmath ormulas remembering dates in history andgenerally getting into Law at Harvard
C983151983149983152983157983156983141983154-W983145983162 good or programming fixing
your laptop and getting into PC vs Apple flame-warsD983145983149-W983145983156983156983141983140 a problem when listening to jokes
recognizing a trick or generally keeping up appear-ances in social settings
E983149983152983137983156983144983141983156983145983139 good or reading peoples emotionsdoing psychological evaluations and knowing how tocomort distressed people
F983151983139983157983155983141983140 good or staying on task not getting dis-tracted and looking serious
L983137983156983141983154983137983148 T983144983145983150983147983141983154 handy or problem solving
and approaching issues in new or unusual waysM983137983156983144983141983149983137983156983145983139983145983137983150 great or doing sums solvingequations and doing your tax
O983138983155983141983154983158983137983150983156 great or spotting hidden clues no-ticing details doing find-a-words and reading bodylanguage
O983154983137983156983151983154 good or public speaking debating andgetting people to see your point o view
S983148983151983159 a pain when trying to understand plans orlearn new things
T983137983139983156983145983139983145983137983150 great or planning battles remember-
ing military history and quoting sun suU983150983141983140983157983139983137983156983141983140 a pain when reading doing math
remembering important dates in history and doingany school-type tests
W983145983155983141 handy or sprouting proverbs giving adviceputting unrelated clues together interpreting peoplersquosreactions and saying lsquoI told you sorsquo
W983145983156983156983161 good or making unny comments beingcharming and or entertaining and always knowingthe right thing to say
APPENDIX - DESCRIPTORS
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 222322
E983140983143983141 D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155A983139983154983151983138983137983156983145983139983155 great or joining the circus leaping
through narrow gaps and doing impressive flipsA983154983139983137983150983141 K983150983151983159983148983141983140983143983141 good or identiying mys-
tic arteacts recognizing the presence o evil magicand reading ancient scrolls
C983151983157983154983137983143983141 handy when seeing something scary
telling your wie you orgot your anniversary and at-tempting other dangerous acts
D983154983145983158983145983150983143 great or car racing car chases and pass-ing your driving exam
F983141983150983139983145983150983143 good or sword fighting and other civi-lized orms o melee
G983151983151983140 M983141983149983151983154983161 handy or remembering namesand aces vital clues and mathematical ormulas
H983157983150983156983145983150983143 good when tracking and stalking look-ing good in camouflage and knowing what an angryrhinoceros sounds like
K983141983141983150 S983145983143983144983156 great or seeing a long way or evendoing stuff by moonlight
L983145983150983143983157983145983155983156983145983139983155 good or speaking one (or more)oreign languages and generally communicating withothers
M983137983143983145983139 great or knowing the mystic arts castingspells or acting like a stage magician
M983141983140983145983139983145983150983141 good or perorming operations diag-nosing illness and administering first aid
N983137983155983156983161 B983145983156983141 great or really hurting someone in
combat chewing your own arm off or winning a pieeating contestR983145983139983144 handy or buying luxury sports cars getting
invited to exclusive parties and bribing city officialsW983154983141983155983156983148983145983150983143 good or fighting unarmed combat
and pinning opponents to the ground
F1048684983137983159 D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155B983148983145983150983140 a pain when doing anything that requires
sight such as shooting navigating an unamiliar spaceor painting
B983154983137983158983141 good or charging into mortal danger act-ing oolhardy and getting into deep trouble
C983148983157983149983155983161 a problem when carrying a valuable vase
visiting an antique store or trying to cross a booby-trapped room
G983154983141983141983140983161 a pain when resisting the urge to steal lieor in some other way keep or obtain wealth
I983150-H983157983149983137983150 A983152983152983141983137983154983137983150983139983141 a hindrance when try-ing not to get noticed avoiding attention or finding apair o pants that fit just right
M983145983155983155983145983150983143 L983141983143 a problem when running climbingor perorming any other activity that involves move-ment without prosthetics or a wheel chair
O983148983140 a pain when trying to look cool climb stairsuse a computer or be positive about your health
P983151983151983154 a hindrance when wanting to buy ood orclothes or trying to get into an exclusive party
P983151983151983154 S983145983143983144983156 a pain when trying to recognizesomeone or thing driving at night or noticing visualclues
P983154983145983149983145983156983145983158983141 a problem when using mobile phonescars and door bells as well as interacting at more civi-lized social occasions
S983149983141983148983148983161 a hindrance when trying to impress peo-
ple or hiding rom wild animals or trackersW983137983150983156983141983140 a pain when trying to keep out o trou-ble or needing something rom your apartment
Y983151983157983150983143 a problem when trying to get into clubs betaken seriously by adults avoid school or see over thedash in a car
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 2323
NAME CONCEPT
BODY
MIND
EDGE
FLAW
DESCRIPTION
ROLL RESULT
6 Yes and
4 Yes
2 Yes but
5 No but
3 No
1 No and
A983150983143983154983161 983154983137983152983152983141983140 D983137983162983141983140
S983139983137983154983141983140 B1048684983145983150983140983141983140 I983150983146983157983154983141983140
983145983154983141983140 H983157983150983143983154983161 D983161983145983150983143
DRIVESWHAT DO YOU WANT
WHAT IS STOPPING YOU
WHAT WILL YOU DO
RELATIONSHIPS
C O N D I T I O N S
F U
P O I N T S
T H E O D D S
NOTES
G E A R
FU
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 222322
E983140983143983141 D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155A983139983154983151983138983137983156983145983139983155 great or joining the circus leaping
through narrow gaps and doing impressive flipsA983154983139983137983150983141 K983150983151983159983148983141983140983143983141 good or identiying mys-
tic arteacts recognizing the presence o evil magicand reading ancient scrolls
C983151983157983154983137983143983141 handy when seeing something scary
telling your wie you orgot your anniversary and at-tempting other dangerous acts
D983154983145983158983145983150983143 great or car racing car chases and pass-ing your driving exam
F983141983150983139983145983150983143 good or sword fighting and other civi-lized orms o melee
G983151983151983140 M983141983149983151983154983161 handy or remembering namesand aces vital clues and mathematical ormulas
H983157983150983156983145983150983143 good when tracking and stalking look-ing good in camouflage and knowing what an angryrhinoceros sounds like
K983141983141983150 S983145983143983144983156 great or seeing a long way or evendoing stuff by moonlight
L983145983150983143983157983145983155983156983145983139983155 good or speaking one (or more)oreign languages and generally communicating withothers
M983137983143983145983139 great or knowing the mystic arts castingspells or acting like a stage magician
M983141983140983145983139983145983150983141 good or perorming operations diag-nosing illness and administering first aid
N983137983155983156983161 B983145983156983141 great or really hurting someone in
combat chewing your own arm off or winning a pieeating contestR983145983139983144 handy or buying luxury sports cars getting
invited to exclusive parties and bribing city officialsW983154983141983155983156983148983145983150983143 good or fighting unarmed combat
and pinning opponents to the ground
F1048684983137983159 D983141983155983139983154983145983152983156983151983154983155B983148983145983150983140 a pain when doing anything that requires
sight such as shooting navigating an unamiliar spaceor painting
B983154983137983158983141 good or charging into mortal danger act-ing oolhardy and getting into deep trouble
C983148983157983149983155983161 a problem when carrying a valuable vase
visiting an antique store or trying to cross a booby-trapped room
G983154983141983141983140983161 a pain when resisting the urge to steal lieor in some other way keep or obtain wealth
I983150-H983157983149983137983150 A983152983152983141983137983154983137983150983139983141 a hindrance when try-ing not to get noticed avoiding attention or finding apair o pants that fit just right
M983145983155983155983145983150983143 L983141983143 a problem when running climbingor perorming any other activity that involves move-ment without prosthetics or a wheel chair
O983148983140 a pain when trying to look cool climb stairsuse a computer or be positive about your health
P983151983151983154 a hindrance when wanting to buy ood orclothes or trying to get into an exclusive party
P983151983151983154 S983145983143983144983156 a pain when trying to recognizesomeone or thing driving at night or noticing visualclues
P983154983145983149983145983156983145983158983141 a problem when using mobile phonescars and door bells as well as interacting at more civi-lized social occasions
S983149983141983148983148983161 a hindrance when trying to impress peo-
ple or hiding rom wild animals or trackersW983137983150983156983141983140 a pain when trying to keep out o trou-ble or needing something rom your apartment
Y983151983157983150983143 a problem when trying to get into clubs betaken seriously by adults avoid school or see over thedash in a car
sabtato (order 7843833)
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 2323
NAME CONCEPT
BODY
MIND
EDGE
FLAW
DESCRIPTION
ROLL RESULT
6 Yes and
4 Yes
2 Yes but
5 No but
3 No
1 No and
A983150983143983154983161 983154983137983152983152983141983140 D983137983162983141983140
S983139983137983154983141983140 B1048684983145983150983140983141983140 I983150983146983157983154983141983140
983145983154983141983140 H983157983150983143983154983161 D983161983145983150983143
DRIVESWHAT DO YOU WANT
WHAT IS STOPPING YOU
WHAT WILL YOU DO
RELATIONSHIPS
C O N D I T I O N S
F U
P O I N T S
T H E O D D S
NOTES
G E A R
FU
7212019 FU the Freeform Universal RPG
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfu-the-freeform-universal-rpg 2323
NAME CONCEPT
BODY
MIND
EDGE
FLAW
DESCRIPTION
ROLL RESULT
6 Yes and
4 Yes
2 Yes but
5 No but
3 No
1 No and
A983150983143983154983161 983154983137983152983152983141983140 D983137983162983141983140
S983139983137983154983141983140 B1048684983145983150983140983141983140 I983150983146983157983154983141983140
983145983154983141983140 H983157983150983143983154983161 D983161983145983150983143
DRIVESWHAT DO YOU WANT
WHAT IS STOPPING YOU
WHAT WILL YOU DO
RELATIONSHIPS
C O N D I T I O N S
F U
P O I N T S
T H E O D D S
NOTES
G E A R
FU