What Is a Roleplaying Game?

ANYANY GAME.GAME. ANYANY GENRE.GENRE. SIMPLE.SIMPLE. FAST.FAST. UNIVERSAL UNIVERSAL ® F F U U Z Z I The House Rules I O O N They’re the rules you and your gaming group have built up painstakingly over years of hard fought play sessions. Gallons N

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of Coke and mountains of Fritos later, they’re adapted to fit your style; flexible, comprehensive and capable of being C C O tailored the way you like to use them. The House Rules. O R R E ® E R Fuzion . The new House Rules. R U U L With it’s adaptable, flexible systems, Fuzion allows you to mix settings, bend genres, even shift between campaigns with- L E E S out losing a beat. Take your characters between campaigns, even worlds, and have their abilties synch up to their new S F surroundings seamlessly. Only Fuzion has the ability to cross settings this way—because it’s been designed from the F O start to cover almost any world you can imagine. All this in a book a beginning player can read from cover to cover in O R R an evening. 56 pages stripped down and ready to go. Play for an evening or plan a world spanning campaign. A A N N Y ® Y G Thousands of gamers use Fuzion as their House Rules. G E E N So why haven’t YOU noticed? Because Fuzion is the backbone system for over a number of popular roleplaying games. Cyberpunk. N ™ ™ ™ ™ R Dragon Ball Z , Sengoku , Shards of the Stone , Lightspeed , Heresy and many others, in print, on the internet and at local game R E tables around the world. It’s the engine that drives all these game systems, working right there in the background, making E R R O games run smoothly and without notice; a powerful, dynamic system that invisibly works to make good games even better. We O L didn’t just come up with this baby last weekend. It’s been field-tested by gamers just like you. L E E P P L L A Fully Packed and Ready to Rock A Y Y I I N But Fuzion isn’t just rules. It’s an integrated system. In this book, you’ll find tons of ready to use stuff at your fingertips. Skills. N G Perks. Talents. Magic. Clerical Spells. Psionics. Superpowers.Sample Personal file gear, weapons, armor, tools, and transportation from G over ten different levels of technology--from medieval to the far future. Just mix and match to build instant campaigns without having to search a lot of extra rulebooks or settings. Or even recreate your favorite settings just by picking the stuff you need- -and get ready to play right away. Or even combine resources to make your own unique combinations. ® Get LINKED to the only system with a built in Upgrade Path. Hate revisions? Hate being caught out by changes? Want new stuff without having to wait for the next book? Looking for a multitude of other world settings for Fuzion? Access the power of the Fuzion Webring at http://e.webring.com/hub?ring=fuzionalliance&id=1&hub. Use it to link to other Fuzion players and GMs for new rules, answers, clarifications and expansions. New stuff. All a mouse click away. Fuzion®. Infinite power. Infinite possibilities. Infinite adventures. Now at your fingertips for only $8. R R T T

1 AM 10010 ISBN# 1-891933-09-4 Fuzion Core Game Rules Copyright © R. Talsorian Games, Inc., 2002. All Rights Reserved under 1 0 0 0 International Copyright Conventions. Fuzion™ is the FUZION Labs Group’s Trademark for its multi-genre 0 1 game system. All situations, incidents and persons portrayed within are fictional and any similarity 1 0 without satiric intent to individuals living or dead is strictly coincidental. 0 1-891933-09-4 ® MULTIGENREMULTIGENRE ROLEPLAYINGROLEPLAYING TOOL TOOL

CORECORE FUZIONFUZION The Rules and Nothing But Those Responsible: the Rules! System Creators: The Fuzion Introduction...... 2 Resolving Combat...... 48 Labs Group What is a Roleplaying Game? ...... 3 Types of damage ...... 48 How do I play?...... 3 Determining the damage done...... 49 How do I GM?...... 4 Damage scaling ...... 50 Author of this particular tome: Applying the damage...... 51 Creating a Character ...... 5 Aimed Shots...... 52 Mike Pondsmith Knockback...... 52 What is a character?...... 5 Defenses ...... 53 What are characteristics?...... 5 Graphic Design: Ted Talsorian Buying characteristics...... 6 What are derived characteristics? ...... 6 The Environment & Recovery ...... 54 Editing and Graphics Twinges: Sample Character Sheet ...... 7 The Environment...... 54 Electricity ...... 54 Lisa Pondsmith Blank Character Sheet...... 8 Burning ...... 54 Optional derived characteristics ...... 9 Poison ...... 54 Drugs...... 54 Interior Illustration: Illness...... 54 Optional Possibilities ...... 10 Environment ...... 54 Gary Washington Option Points...... 10 Asphyxiation ...... 54 More Option Points:Complications...... 11 Ramming & Bashing...... 54 Option 1: Skills...... 14 Recovering from damage ...... 55 Invaluable Help, Timely Option 2: Talents ...... 16 Suggestions and Staunch Option 3: Perks...... 17 Experience: How do I Improve? ...... 56 Option 4: Gear...... 18 Support: Christian Conkle Magic...... 24 Psionics ...... 28 Option 4: Superpowers...... 30 PDF Conversion: Jim Milligan Getting Into Action...... 34 Distance...... 34 Terrain ...... 34 Time ...... 34 Also thanks for timely help to Chris Turns ...... 35 1 Weible and all the members of the Actions...... 35 Fuzion Alliance. Speed ...... 35 Advanced Actions...... 36 Resolving Actions...... 37 R.Talsorian is profoundly sorry for Lifting, ThrowingSample and Strength Feats file...... 38 leaving Gary Washington's art credit Throwing ...... 39 off the printed version of the Fuzion Modifying Actions...... 39 Core Rules. Gary has been a com- Using Your Skills...... 40 plete gentleman about this unfortu- What characteristic do I use? ...... 40 nate oversite and we will make sure What skill do I use? ...... 40 that it is remedied in the next printing. Improving skill use...... 41 – Lisa Pondsmith, Business Manager, Driving and piloting actions...... 41 RTG Conflict & Combat...... 43 Types of combat ...... 43 Rules of play ...... 43 Combat modifiers ...... 44 Making the attack ...... 45 10010 • 1-891933-09-4 Special attacks...... 45 Targeting against range...... 45 Vehicle combat...... 45 Area effect attacks...... 45 Explosions ...... 45 Autofire attacks...... 46 Core Fuzion © 2002 R. Talsorian Archery attacks ...... 46

international Copyright Conventions. N

Fuzion™ is the FUZION Lab Group’s E

Trademark for its multi-genre game R I

system. All situations, incidents, and C

persons portrayed within are fictional F

and any similiarity without satiric Visit the Fuzion Webring at: U intent to individuals living or dead is http://e.webring.com/hub?ring=fuzionalliance&id=1&hub Z I

strictly coincidental. O

to experience more of the Fuzion world. N WhatWhat isis Fuzion?Fuzion? G he Fuzion system is a metasystem, not a multisystem. A multisystem allows you to play the same way in a number of different E genres or settings. A metasystem, on the other hand, allows you to not only do this, but also combine elements of many differ- N Tent genres into one setting, (for instance, giant robots and fantasy characters), as well as allowing you to customize those core E

R rules to best fit the individual genre by adjusting the level of their impact on your game.

I The result is that in any Fuzion book, you may find a few tables that either don’t directly apply to the genre or may seem to be out C of scale to the genre (for instance, Strength and Throwing tables that allow you to lift mountains and chuck them into orbit). Relax. The

F whole idea is that in each Fuzion setting, we may use the same tables, but they have different limits as established by your GameMaster U when he defines the game world. Z Why do we do it this way? The first reason is that although you may not currently have any characters in your game that can lift I

O mountains, you have the option of adding them at any time—if you want to. Otherwise, simply use the tables at the setting for your

N campaign level. And if you need characters to lift small mountains, you can easily “dial” those tables to a level which best fits that particular game. In addition, Fuzion was designed as a whole, not as a series of parts for different genres. That means we’ve tried to cover many different conditions which might arise over hundreds of genres and settings instead of putting out new rules as new settings come up. This allows you more flexibility in creating your own genres; if you want to add starships to your fantasy game (like in Poul Anderson’s High Crusade), you don’t need to wait till we put out out a specific book combining these elements. This is especially important when you consider the number of new genres and settings arising every day in animé, comics and movies—with zombie cowboys, parapsy- chic FBI agents, superpowered ninja rangers and so on. Lastly, since Fuzion was designed from the roots of both the HERO and Interlock systems (two game systems popular worldwide for many years), it also has the advantage of being able to use previously published materials from both of these systems with very lit- tle conversion required. And since Fuzion can be applied to a wide variety of genres, it has been licensed to other game settings as well as RTG and HERO’s settings, allowing players to use parts of these offspring systems as well. For more on the Fuzion system, to download updates of the Core Design Rules, news on more Fuzion products and a listing of Fuzion related websites, visit the R. Talsorian Games website at http://www. talsorian.com. What did all that mean and how does it work? It’s two o’clock on Saturday afternoon. Five people are seated around a dining room table covered with books, papers, dice, 2 and snacks with no nutritionally redeeming features. One person controls the fate of all there. GameMaster: Now, when I told everybody about the game I said it was going to be Fuzion with a kind of Lost World setting. Its going to be Heroic scale so you have 50 points for characteristics and 50 for options. There will be psionics, but no magic or superpowers. Also, this is starting out about 1868, so your gear has to be historical. I will be extra nice and tell you that you’re all going to be shipwrecked together. Eric: You mean like Doug McClure? Karen: Who has the psionics? The people or the dinosaurs?Sample Can I play filea dinosaur. GameMaster: You’ll have to wait and see. And “no” on the dinosaur. Scott: Can I play my elf character. Here, look at his character sheet. Tony: Can I have some of your Fritos? GameMaster: Yes. How long have you been playing this elf. He’s gross. Oh, you can play him alright,but with no magic, he’s going to be one sad puppy. Scott: O.k., I’ve got a cool space marine character that got sucked into a black hole his first game out. How about that. GameMaster: Hmmm. O.k. I rule that you get sucked through the black hole, lose conciousness and wake up on a beach. You see no one. You have your clothes and gear, but nothing that runs on power cells works. Eric: How big is this island going to be? If I decide my character is phobic of water, can I get big disadvantage points cause I’ll be able to see the ocean at all times? Doug: I’m going to play a Victorian gentleman scientist, but I’m going to spend everything I’ve got because I’m betting we’re not going to be running into any stores any time soon. Karen: So if I take psionics, how does that fit in with a Victorian setting? Does everyone think I’m possessed or do I have to be a spiritualist or something? GameMaster: You can do that if you want, or you can buy psionics now and they haven’t manifested yet but they will soon. Karen: How soon? GameMaster: That would be telling. Tony: Where are we sailing from? Can I play a Chinese monk and buy Simulate Death as a Talent. I always wanted to do that. GameMaster: Actually that would work in pretty well. Eric: What about the water thing? GameMaster: No, the island is bigger than that. Besides it would have made it really difficult for you to survive the wreck. Eric: O.K., what if I just take Lecherous? Karen: Thanks a lot. Could I have just let him drown? Doug: Just don’t have your character be unlucky. I tried that once. GameMaster: O.k, we’ve got a lost space marine, a Chinese monk, a gentleman scientist and ... Karen, are you a spiritualist or what? Karen: Can I be a French spiritualist with psionic powers, take Split Personality and channel some interesting dead person? GameMaster: Sure, why not. Hand me those Fritos. GENERIC FUZION 3 3 Mike, Bruce, Dave and Lisa have As GM, Mike starts off the session Bruce has decided to play the role of

A Typical Roleplaying A Typical Session gathered together for a roleplaying session (also known as a “run”). They find a com- fortable place in Mike’s living room, with enough space for some books, some dice, and a few favorite types of party food (a staple of a good roleplaying session). by proposing the situation and describing the scene. He begins: “The three of you It’s about nine have just entered the City. at night, and the dark, windy stone streets are slick with the recent rain and the filth of years of slum living. The weak moonlight casts long shadows as you make your way past street beggars and the occasional thug looking for an easy target. a tough mercenary Gron adventurer, Helstrom. He thinks about the type of character he is playing and decides that someone like Gron would be looking for action. He says, “Gron grabs the nearest street Sample file Sample s already been written up, or lets you create one. , the Gamemaster (GM) acts like the author or director of the play; he “sets the

roleplaying game lets you pretend to be a character in a Each player takes the much like being in a play. story,

In a Fuzion Game, one player becomes the GM and decides the setting of the adventure, One player How do I play ? the rules to be used, starting points for characters, and which choices and options presented in the Fuzion rules will be used in that particular game. The other players get their characters ready based on what the GM tells them about the rules. The GM either gives you a character, lets you pick one that’ stage,” telling the players where they are, what is happening, and what other characters in the stage,” telling the players where they are, what is happening, and what other characters action story (called Non-Player Characters, or NPCs) are saying and doing. The GM guides the More but does not control it; the results of the game depend both on the players and the GM. as roleplaying is just like the “cops and robbers” or “playing house” games you played simply, and a kid, only this time with rules to help guide you, and situations that are more complex interesting. role of a character in the story, making the decisions and role of a character in the story, saying the things that character would say in the situations that happen along the way. A

Game? What is a Roleplaying What is

Game? What is a Roleplaying What is thug by the lapels of his cheap outfit and growls, ‘Where’s the nearest bar?’” What else does the Referee/GM do? Dave has decided to play the role of Jord The GM prepares a story (or uses one already written for him in a pre-published adven- Mattersly, a clever would-be detective and G delver into mysteries—the more bizarre the ture book), and begins to tell the players what their characters see and hear, and starts asking E better. Jord’s a thinker, not a fighter, so Dave the players what their characters will do next. When something comes up where the result N tries another tack—”Jord pulls Gron’s hands isn’t obvious (like whether or not you hit someone or whether you can pick a lock), he also adju- E off the thug’s collar and says ‘Excuse my R friend’s enthusiasm. We’re just looking for a dicates what the result will be, based on the rules you’re reading now. I

C place with strong drink and some quiet social- izing...’”

F How do I GM? Lisa is playing the role of Lara Khon, a U cunning master thief with a bit of Robin Hood The best way is through trying it yourself. We have provided some examples of how rules Z in her background. As a natural paranoid, are incorporated into game play in the sidebars. The most important part is to be a good sto- I O she’s scanning the locals around the group. ryteller—to try and vividly describe the world you are guiding people through, and to pose

N “What does Lara see in the crowd?” As GM, Mike thinks about it. It’s night, in problems or situations that will challenge your players to do their best. Challenge them, but a bad section of town, and Gron’s just don’t squash them. roughed up one of the locals. He says, “Well, Almost as important is the need for the GM to be an impartial judge of the rules and Lara sees three large figures moving silently out of the shadows. The moonlight glints off of effects of the game on his or her players. Remember; if you aren’t interesting and you aren’t drawn weapons as they approach you...” fair, no one’s going to want to star in your “movie.” Good luck! “Lara turns to Gron and Jord,” says Lisa, catching on fast. “Fellas, we have a problem coming up...”

Do I have to dress up or something? Not really. Although there is a specific style of roleplaying game called a LARP (or Live Action Role Play, where people do dress up sometimes), most games are played by sit- ting around a table, imagining the scene 4 described by the GM, and then acting out what you think your character would do in that situation. You don’t have to dress in costume, wave around plastic weapons or (God help us!) run around in the steam tunnels at midnight. Sample file GENERIC FUZION 5 5 At eali- This ea is obably oic. ealm of ealm of her t demigods. This is the human skills egularly save Save for the This is the r s simply the best This is reality on ers r . This is the reality ossed into the r t Einstein, Carl Lewis, or es and thwar each; it’ mal humans. This is the eal people” at this level, our capability in this ar e Alber . oy r , and are among the very in the best . Superpowers or super e than 10 Points: Super human. Y es in this kind of reality rarely if ever Mor 5-6 Points: Heroic 7-8 Points: Incredible. 9-10 Points: Legendary. Less than 1 Point: Challenged Less than 1-2 Points: Everyday. 3-4 Points: Competent t ever find “r e Galactic Empir o is a good cop, fireman, soldier, or other o is a good cop, fireman, soldier, e common, and adventur eality level of most four color comics or won’ unless they ar Helen of T a human can possibly be and you pr that only a few of us live in—Green Beret com- members, FBI team bat specialists, SWAT agents and spies. Most people in this kind of campaign are much better than ordinary— equivalent to TV heroes;more better looking, competent (and with stuntmen). A typical adventure at this reality level would be a drug sting, a hostage rescue, or a rugged trip in the jungle. ty many of us live in; the closest thing to a her dedicated citizen. Most healthy adults have some Characteristics that fall into this range. Adventur encounter supernatural powers or feats; a bank robbery would be a lot of excitement at this reality level. realm of Hollywood blockbusters, of super martial artists like Jackie Chan, geniuses like Einstein, or action movie stars with a big effects budget and a lot of stunt men. Most “animé heroes” or “realistic” superheroic This is a level campaigns fall into this reality. that only a few ever r this point, you have cr the super unbelievable to nor r mythology HOW GOOD IS GOOD? IS GOOD HOW value is most often found in children,value is most elderly or infir- weakened by illness people, or those Everydaymity. tasks at this level are difficult. the mundane side. People herethe mundane side. People are generally out of shape, unremarkable, not super and in everydaybright, but they get along just life fine. Many ordinary people around world the are at this likely to have some Characteristics by on and to do most value. It’s enough to get things (though not very unusual or stressful tasks ) At this level, adventureis something your idea of action is that happens to others; visiting Denny’s at midnight. feats of Olympic athletes, gorgeous super- models, top sports stars, world leaders, and Nobel Prize winners, you have now left reality altogether world at what you do. This is also the r low budget action films, where the heroes bat- tle international gangsters and invading aliens. Typical Incredible reality adventures are much like Heroic ones, but with huge weapons and world-spanning plots. ar entir

, - - Sample file Sample ick Blaine would be one of the charac- ick Blaine would be R , or Stats) are NUMBERS that describe your char- echnique, but might not be able to fence or juggle. On Statistics asablanca, C character is a role that you will be playing in the loose, will be playing in is a role that you character impromptu play that makes up a roleplaying session. For up a roleplaying session. play that makes impromptu ou can be a really big, tough, strong guy and still get floored by a head cold! (also called How healthy you are. How resistant to shock effects, poisons and disease. Y gence, but also includes cleverness, awareness, perception, and ability to gence, but also includes cleverness, awareness, hit 1. become apparent until you learn. Mental deficiencies don’t reflexes, inasmuch as this covers the knack of using tools. One character might have a high T the other hand, another might have high Reflexes, but only a fair level of Technique. and coordination, as used in aiming, throwing, jug- response time Your gling. A stage magician, for example, would have a high Reflex this is the Characteristic that affects Characteristic. Most importantly, your ability to hit things. ing, combat and other athletic activities. A gymnast would have a high this Characteristic is used to avoid being hit. Most importantly, Dexterity. How generally bright you are. As a rule, this is more than sheer intelli How generally bright you are. As a rule, this Characteristic represents your courage and cool. charisma; how well you get along with others; how you interact in social situations.

he movie example, if your roleplaying group were staging a recreation of group were staging a recreation example, if your roleplaying t in this Bogart, the person playing Rick ters. Much like Humphrey char- to act out what he (or she), thought the adventure would try in each scene of the “movie”. acter would be doing What is a Character? What A

(INT): (CON): (WILL): (WILL): determination and ability to face danger and/or stress. This Your (TECH): ability to manipulate tools or instruments. This is not the same as Your ROUP (PRE): influence people through your character and ability to impress and Your (DEX): as pertains to balancing, leaping, jump- overall physical competence, Your ROUP (REF): ROUP G G G T ou buy the level of your Characteristics from a pool of points given to you by the GM at ou buy the level of your Characteristics from AL

Creating A Character A Creating Creating A Character Creating Y Characteristics But what keeps a player from saying, “Ah! When the Nazi officer corners Rick at the air- from saying, “Ah! When the Nazi officer But what keeps a player ENT HYSICAL OMBA M P Constitution Reflexes Dexterity paign, characters will have 10 Primary Characteristics, arranged into four groups: paign, characters will have 10 Primary Characteristics, C Technique Intelligence Willpower Presence How Do You Get Them? Get How Do You and/or adventure. In a typical Fuzion cam the start of the game, based on the type of character What are Characteristics? as compared to everything else in the universe. All people and creatures can be ability acter’s This lets you compare one person to another described (or written up) using Characteristics. a person with a Characteristic of 5 might which is often important in the game. For instance, of 4, but not as good as a person with a be better off than a person with a Characteristic rated from 1 to 10 (remember Bo Derek in the Characteristic of 6. Characteristics are generally want to don’t a person theoretically could be. You movie “10”? That would be the best looking meet number 1). port, Rick uses his X-Ray vision to melt Herr Strasser’s gun?” That’s where the RULES come in. where the RULES gun?” That’s vision to melt Herr Strasser’s port, Rick uses his X-Ray guidelines the GM uses a set of structured convincingly, make sure a character is played To And to set possible within the confines of the world. what is or isn’t (like these) to tell players he starts out with the very powerful possible for a particular character, guidelines on what is tool of Characteristics.