The NN SS NNAAGGSS SSOOCCIIEETTYY Worldbook Accuracy, Adventure, and Tea at Four by Scott Larson GGG5001 $22.95 144 pages ISBN-1887154086 The original NAGS Society Worldbook was, is, and ever shall be freely available for download via the Internet ( www.nagssociety.com) . If you enjoy this book, consider purchasing the revised and expanded Terra Incognita: The NAGS Society Handbook, published by Grey Ghost Press, replete with improvements, guaranteed to divert and satisfy. Among the abundant refinements: Character creation templates—a quick, easy method for generating individualized Nags; A cornucopia of new Nag Tech gadgetry, from Bergstrom’s Acoustical Topophone to the Voluminous Valise; Action resolution and combat; revised and refined, with useful illustrative vignettes; Vehicles creation and combat rules, revised and streamlined, along with several novel vehicles; A detailed list of items for purchase in the field, prices in dollars and pounds in 1890 and 1930, including Conklin’s Handy Manual of Useful Information for only 60¢; A completely new, ready–to–run adventure: Moctezuma’s Revenge; A sample campaign: The Pangæa Prophesy, revised and expanded, along with a guided tour of the famous airship Legend; Expanded advice for the game master on running Terra Incognita campaigns and adventures, Sagacious guidelines for adjudicating Fudge rules; A detailed almanac of occurrences historical and outré (from 1851 to 1940), brimming with over 90 tantalizing adventure ideas; Seven NAGS Society campuses, one on each continent, described in detail; Statistics for any number of madmen, minions, and monsters, each complete with adventure hooks; Expanded collection of references and inspiration, conveniently annotated. Please visit the Terra Incognita website at www.nagssociety.com for more resources. The NN SS NNAAGGSS SSOOCCIIEETTYY Worldbook Accuracy, Adventure, and Tea at Four Copyright © 1999–2000 by Scott Larson. All Rights are Reserved. Version 1.3 (May 1, 2002) The c.FUDGE game system rules in the Nags Society Worldbook are de- Disclaimer rived from FUDGE, by Steffan O’Sullivan. We include the following dis- The following materials based on FUDGE, entitled The NAGS SOCIETY claimers, as requested: WORLDBOOK, are created by Scott Larson and made available by circa About FUDGE games, and are not authorized or endorsed in any way by Steffan O’Sullivan or any publisher of other FUDGE materials. Neither Steffan FUDGE is a role–playing game written by Steffan O’Sullivan, with exten- O’Sullivan nor any publisher of other FUDGE material is in any way re- sive input from the Usenet community of rec.games.design. The basic rules sponsible for the content of these materials. Original FUDGE materials © of FUDGE are available on the internet via anonymous ftp at Copyright 1992–1995 Steffan O’Sullivan, All Rights Reserved. ftp.csua.berkeley.edu, and in book form or on disk from Grey Ghost Games, P.O. Box 838, Randolph, MA 02368. They may be used with any Illustrations gaming genre. While an individual work derived from FUDGE may specify As far as I know, all of the illustrations in this Worldbook are either public certain attributes and skills, many more are possible with FUDGE. Every domain or original creations. I found the clip art at the Antique Black and Game Master using FUDGE is encouraged to add or ignore any character White Art collection at www.geocities.com/~ginnis , JOD’s Old Fashioned traits. Anyone who wishes to distribute such material for free may do so— merely include this ABOUT FUDGE notice and disclaimer (complete with Black and White Clip Art at joanod.users.fl.net.au/clip.htm, the Vintage FUDGE copyright notice). If you wish to charge a fee for such material, Clip Art Collection at www.winchoice.com/vintageclipart and Art Today at other than as an article in a magazine or other periodical, you must first www.arttoday.com . obtain a royalty–free license from the author of FUDGE, Steffan O’Sullivan, P.O. Box 465, Plymouth, NH 03264. 3 CONTENTS Contents 4 The World of Nags 5 INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND 6 NAG OPERATIONS (NAGOPS)10 NAGTECH 17 RUNNING THE NAGS SOCIETY 23 THE NAGS CAMPAIGN 25 the c.FUDGE Game System 31 CHARACTER CREATION (1) 32 ACTION RESOLUTION (3) 43 COMBAT (4) 49 VEHICLE COMBAT 60 CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT (5) 63 GM TIPS AND CONVERSION (6.1 AND 3.23) 64 Adventures 65 THE RETURN IS OVERDUE 66 SOME ADVENTURE TIDBITS 79 WRITING ADVENTURES FOR THE WORLD OF NAGS 80 SOURCES FOR ADVENTURE IDEAS 82 Appendices 83 AREAS OF SPECIALTY AS TEMPLATES 84 RANDOM CHARACTER GENERATION (1.8) 87 REFERENCES AND INSPIRATION 89 NAGS SOCIETY FORMS 91 Index 92 4 Part I THE WORLD OF NAGS orbidden maps…mysterious archæological sites…ancient sunken shipwrecks… F Do history’s secrets intrigue you while its inaccuracies repel? Do you bristle at excessive accolades that dilute a job well done? Do you insist upon cutting–edge technology and tea at four? 5 Introduction and Background The NAGS Society Worldbook describes a group of adventurer–scientists whose exploits were never recounted in the annals of cinematic heroes, explorers of the Nineteenth and Twentieth centuries, pulp adventure stories of the 1930’s, and super- natural investigative fiction and RPG’s set in the 1920’s. Nags (for that is how Society Members are properly called) pledge allegiance to the National Archæological Geo- graphical and Submarine Society. The Society’s absolute beginnings are shrouded in mystery. However, if one chose to search with care, one might find evidence of Society Operations percolating through time and place. A Game Master can run campaigns based entirely on the Society and its operations, or she could insert the Society into an ongoing campaign in another genre. The work of the NAGS Society and its Members is as varied and diverse as the planet Earth itself, in all of its richness and mystery. Welcome to the World of NAGS! WHAT IS THE NAGS SOCIETY? the Society requires continued discretion by all Members. The National Archæological Geological and Submarine There is an old joke among Nags that by comparison, Society is a private, non–governmental organization Freemasons and Templars are exhibitionists! (“National” was inserted to make it sound even less The Society established its headquarters in Oxford in interesting). The Society has accepted as its sworn duty the 1851. The importance of its work was soon recognized by task of exploring and clarifying terrestrial and marine the knowledgeable in all countries—the Society’s scope is mysteries. international and continues to the modern day and into the According to the masthead of future. its Journal, the Society is “dedicated Requests for Attention (RFA’s) to exploring man and his milieu…” come to the Society from individu- (“humans and their habitat” in the als, organizations, and national gov- more inclusive description adopted ernments (although they never ostensibly in 1920) “…as recorded admit it publicly) who have prob- by the planet Earth.” lems that cannot be resolved The Society’s purpose is to through conventional means. RFA’s contribute to the store of human are also generated internally—a knowledge, to ensure that this somewhat rare occurrence. The knowledge is accurate, and that it is NAGS Society is in the business of ultimately (although not necessarily refining and clarifying knowledge immediately) accessible to all. Soci- for the common good rather than ety practice comprises a variety of initiating excursions into the un- information–gathering techniques: known. verifying maps, clarifying thinking, and uncovering myster- ies. Through their work, Nags strive to explore—and yet to WHO ARE THE NAGS? preserve—the mysteries of the Earth. They become initi- Nags are a group of adventurer–scientists whose goal is the ated into the planet’s secrets without revealing them. Some acquisition of understanding rather than riches or fame. knowledge might be forever lost if it were shared too early They visit the Earth’s exotic and mysterious corners in or- with the public. der to share in its secrets. Nags often explore sites that The Society was founded on December 31, 1850, fol- eventually become household names long before the scien- lowing a mysterious train wreck in the American west. The tific establishment “discovers” them. Society’s founders, known as the Original Three Members, Nags bear many similarities to adventurous heroes of were Rebekah Winslow, a young American schoolteacher, cinema and fiction—the difference lies in their attitude. Captain Jack Efland, a bored English gentleman, and Grey Nags go about their business with reserved dignity rather Cloud, an inquisitive Navajo boy. The trio became em- than flash, almost as though they were adventuring bureau- broiled in an adventure together. The mixed nature of the crats. This is not to say that Nags don’t have fun; rather, party necessitated discretion on their part—they would have they derive satisfaction from acting off–stage. offended drawing room morality through their association. Neither individual Nags nor the Society takes credit for As they conducted their impromptu investigation, each per- their work. Their names are never printed in the newspaper. son was an equal, contributing her or his unique talents. Governments never (officially) thank them. No Nag will From this humble beginning (which has become legen- retire rich and famous. They are an unobtrusive part of the dary among Nags) the Society has expanded to include peo- weave of society’s fabric. Nags have small, discreet accounts ple from all classes and nations. The egalitarian nature of 6 in conservative banks and they pay income tax. Even the NAGS OF NOTE name of the Society is nondescript and stodgy–sounding to Throughout this Worldbook we will make note of a variety discourage the public interest in their work of Society Members and Associates.