6 Tips and Examples

6.1 GM Tips and Conversion

Always remember the main point of the game is to have fun...

The GM should translate at least one of her favorite characters into FUDGE from whatever system she is used to. This will give her a good idea of what traits to choose, and how many.

FUDGE is incredibly flexible, possibly more so than any system you've played before. Once you've translated a favorite character, fiddle with her a bit. Can you tweak her to be exactly what you want, possibly in ways your previous system wouldn't allow? What if you split that attribute into two or three effects — ah! See, she can be smart in some ways, but dumb in others; knowledgeable of some things, ignorant of others. Hmm — too many attributes? Make some of them gifts, then — that might be easier to deal with. And so on — have fun!

It is easy to create NPCs to challenge the player characters by counting levels. Figure roughly how many levels have been spent on combat skills by the average player character. This figure, put into combat skills in an NPC, should give a fair fight. For example, if the PCs are built on 40 skill levels and four free attribute levels, the average character might have ten levels in combat skills directly. In that case, a gang of thugs with ten levels each of combat skills and two attribute levels put into physical attributes should challenge the player characters pretty closely.

6.11 Conversion Hints

It is not practical to give guidelines for converting every game system to and from FUDGE. However, two systems of trait measurement are in widespread use: a 3-18 scale, and a percentile system. While these are not used uniformly (and there are many games that don't use either system), it is still useful to discuss translating between such systems and FUDGE.

Standard 3-18 scale traits are converted as follows:

Percentile traits are converted roughly as follows:

6.12 Templates

A GM can create a character template for the players. This may help a player make his first FUDGE character, or allow players coming from a game with a character class system to feel at home. She should also allow custom-designed characters, though, for players who feel limited by character classes.

The "GM limits" and the list of attributes at the beginning of each sample character in Section 6.3 are templates. The GM can hand out character sheets with attributes and limits already printed on them. This can be accompanied by a copy of the list of sample skills in Section 1.32, Skills, and possibly the sample lists of gifts and faults in Sections 1.33 (Gifts), and 1.34 (Faults). The players can then create characters with a minimum of hassle.

For more detail, the GM can actually create templates of character "classes." As an example familiar to many gamers, the GM may have guidelines for players wishing to play a fantasy fighter character, or magician, or cleric, or thief, etc. The GM can set up minimum attribute standards for each character class, recommended gifts, and minimum skill levels.

Templates can be set up for any genre, not just fantasy. You may have guidelines for a typical scientist character, or policeman, or psychic phenomenon investigator, or King's Musketeer, etc.

See Sections 6.41, Ranger Template, and 6.42, Broad Class Templates, for examples.

A different type of template shows the player the native abilities and limitations of a fantasy or science fiction race. See the sample character Seihook (Section 6.342), for a science fiction race, and Section 6.43, Cercopes, for a fantasy race.

6.2 Character Sheet Example

[View Section 6.2 in ASCII format.]

6.3 Character Examples

The following characters are designed to different GM standards to show some of the many possibilities. Each character example includes the GM guidelines used. All but the last one are made with the Objective Character Creation system, though all are compatible with the Subjective Character Creation system, of course. Easy and hard skills are denoted as such. (In the Objective Character Creation system, it costs less to get an easy skill at a given level, and more for a hard skill.) Skills that have defaults of non-existent and cost one level just to get at Terrible are listed as: Telepathy (VH). These are usually skills that control Supernormal Powers.

The numbers in parentheses after trait levels are the Objective level costs, and are optional on any given character sheet (but make it easy to tally).

Some characters have a separate Damage Capacity attribute; others have Damage Capacity represented by some other attribute, such as Strength, Health, Body, Constitution, Physical, etc.

Most of the gifts and faults were chosen with an eye towards variety, for purposes of example. Of course, if you use these characters, feel free to change any of the traits.

6.31 Fantasy Characters

Brogo, Floranna, and Moose have some magic abilities, using the sample FUDGE Magic system found in the Addenda. Brogo is just a dabbler in magic, and Moose is only slightly better. Floranna is a full magician, however.

6.311 Brogo the Scout, Halfling

GM limits: 8 attributes (4 free levels); 50 free skill levels, w/ maximum of 1 Superb, 3 Greats; 2 free gifts; magic available.

Note: spell-casting is equal to Coolness-2 in this game, with a maximum level of Fair — no Spell-casting skill need be bought. Also, Magic Potential isn't limited to a specific effect in this game: Brogo can try for any effect, except as limited by his fault. "Halfling" is defined under Brogo's faults.

6.312 Floranna, Elven Magician

GM limits: 2 attributes (1 free level); 50 free skill levels, w/ maximum of 1 Superb, 3 Greats; 4 free gifts; magic available.

Note: There are two separate Spell-casting skills, and the GM allows them to be raised above Fair at a rate of 1 gift per skill level. It costs 4 levels to get "Spell Casting on Others" at Fair, then 6 more levels to get it at Good, since one gift = 6 skill levels.

6.313 Moose the Mage, Human Combat Magician

GM limits: 6 attributes (3 free levels); 30 free skill levels, w/ maximum of 1 Superb, 3 Greats; 2 free gifts; magic available.

Note: Moose's Spell-casting skill costs double levels because of his low Intelligence attribute. It would also take double EP to raise.

6.314 Tarag Half-Ogre

GM limits: 3 attributes (3 free levels); 10 free skill levels, w/ maximum of 1 Superb, 2 Greats; 3 free gifts; magic available. Half-Ogre is Scale 3.

6.32 Historical Fiction Characters

6.321 Hakim al-Saari, Thief of Baghdad, 792 A.D.

GM limits: 4 attributes (2 free levels); 35 free skill levels, w/ maximum of 1 Superb, 1 Great; 1 free gift; no supernormal powers available.

6.322 Arian o Gwent, Welsh Archer, 1190

A Norman conqueror murdered Arian's family under the guise of a flag of truce. When Arian slew him in vengeance, she was outlawed from Wales. Escaping north, the embittered Arian is about to join Robin Hood's outlaw Saxon band and introduce into England a new Welsh invention, the longbow...

GM limits: 6 attributes (4 free levels); 30 free skill levels, w/ maximum of 1 Superb, 2 Great; 2 free gifts; no supernormal powers available; must take 2 faults: Outlaw & Loyal to Companions, which do not count as trading for other traits.

6.323 Henri le Rouge, Musketeer of King Louis XIII, 1627

GM limits: since this is a cinematic campaign without magical or SF healing, the GM has set higher limits: 9 attributes (8 free levels); 60 free skill levels, w/ maximum of 2 Superb, 5 Greats; 3 free gifts; no supernormal powers available.

6.324 Scruffy Sanders, Stagecoach Driver, 1870s, Western U.S.A.

GM limits: 5 attributes (3 free levels); 30 free skill levels, w/ maximum of 1 Superb, 2 Great; 2 free gifts; no supernormal powers available; minimum 1 fault that doesn't count for trading. Scruffy traded his one Superb skill limit for two extra Greats, so he has four Great skills, and no Superb skills.

6.33 Modern Characters

6.331 Dolores Ramirez, Journalist, 1990s

GM limits: 10 attributes (5 free levels); 50 free skill levels, w/ maximum of 1 Superb, 4 Greats; 2 free gifts; limited Psi available.

Note: The player forgot an important skill for Dolores, and one a journalist would logically have: Research. This was noticed during a game, and the player petitioned the GM to add Research as an Uncommitted trait. The GM agreed, and [Research: Good] was added to Dolores' character sheet. Dolores already had 1 Superb and 4 Great skills, so this is the best she could start with it. This does not count against starting free levels — Uncommitted traits are extra.

6.332 Sherman Foley, homeless person and scanner, modern day

By: Bernard Hsiung

GM limits: no specified attributes — free levels = half number of attributes taken; 50 free skill levels, w/ maximum of 1 Superb, 4 Greats; 2 free gifts; semi-limited Psi.

Note: Sherman's player only chose 4 attributes when the GM gave free reign: Sherman has any unlisted attribute the GM considers essential at Fair.

6.333 Dragonfly (James Stoddard), Secret Superhero

GM limits: 7 attributes (4 free levels); 50 free skill levels, w/ maximum of 2 Superb, 6 Greats; 2 free gifts; 4 free Superpowers.

6.34 Science Fiction Characters

6.341 Captain Wallop of the Space Patrol

This character is from a cinematic Space Opera campaign, so the limits are high. GM limits: 4 attributes (4 free levels); 50 free skill levels, w/ maximum of 1 Superb, 3 Greats, 8 Goods; 2 free gifts; one free Supernormal power, subject to GM approval.

6.342 Seihook — Alien from Aldebaran

The erlesti are a non-humanoid race from the star system Aldebaran. An erlest resembles a collection of animated twine and moss-covered rock of less than half human mass. It digests the moss through its "skin" — but to a human observer, the moss appears to be digesting the erlest. Erlesti can also use the "twine" pieces as straws to drink fluids — alcohol affects them as it does humans. While erlesti have nothing resembling hands, they have strong psi powers that enable them to manipulate their environment and even travel space.

Erlesti are friendly with humanity — "interesting auras," they say, "always interesting." In general, they are bewildered by red tape, dislike war, value their families above all things, and like comfort, but don't seek extreme wealth.

Their Damage Capacity is determined by their Size attribute (their small size and increased density balance out to the same Scale as humans); Perception is determined by Empathy Skill, which they say extends to inanimate objects, and refuse to use any other word to describe the ability. Psi attributes rate raw strength; psi skills fine manipulation of that strength. Erlesti are hermaphroditic (they exchange "twine" with each other to procreate), so Seihook is both male and female.

GM limits: 8 attributes (5 free levels); 40 free skill levels, w/ maximum of 1 Superb, 3 Greats; 2 free gifts; Supernormal Powers count as attributes — no extra cost.

6.343 Screamer (Frederick Grant); Occupation: Decker

Cyberpunk character by: Stephan Szabo

GM limits: 7 attributes (3 free levels); 30 free skill levels, w/ maximum of 1 Superb, 4 Greats; 2 free gifts; Cybernetic enhancements count as gifts, not supernormal powers.

6.35 Miscellaneous Characters

6.351 Fan Yin Wong, Ghost

Fan Yin is from a campaign where all the PCs are ghosts with low karma levels. She must do a number of good deeds before she can risk being reborn again, but her ability to influence the material world is limited.

GM limits: 12 attributes (6 free levels); 25 free skill levels, w/ maximum 1 Superb, 2 Great; no free gifts, but 6 Supernormal Powers, with constraint on the number of uses per day; 2 personality faults required, do not count for trading purposes.

Note: the supernormal powers are described with "uses per day" and skill levels. The default skill level is Poor; it takes one gift to raise a supernormal power each level above Poor.

6.352 Cassandra Pine, Vampire Private Investigator

Modern vampire character by Deird'Re Brooks

GM limits: 10 Attributes (5 free levels), 60 free skill levels, w/ maximum of 1 Superb, 4 Greats, 2 free gifts, 3 free supernatural powers.

6.353 Chicory, Bunny

Chicory is a character in a game where rabbits are the norm, and humans are giant monsters. The scale is therefore relative to rabbits.

GM limits: 6 attributes (3 free levels); 40 free skill levels, w/ maximum 1 Superb, 3 Great; 2 gifts, 1 Supernormal Power.

6.354 Squeegee Fizzle, Cartoon Chimp

Squeegee is a time- and space-hopping chimpanzee in a universe without physical laws as we know them. Real loose rules on this one, folks! There is no death in cartoons: get your characters to a Heal-O-Ray machine and they'll be fine.

GM limits: 3 Supernormal Powers allowed, at least 4 faults required; otherwise: no limits — take what you want, and we'll talk about it.

6.4 Class and Racial Template Examples

See also Section 6.342, Seihook, as an example of a science fiction racial template.

6.41 Ranger Template (Fantasy Character Class)

See Section 6.12, Templates, for a discussion of character class templates. This is a sample template — the GM should customize to her own game, including adding or deleting attributes, gifts, skills, etc. The GM may allow a beginning character to be a ranger apprentice, rather than full ranger. An apprentice is one or two levels less than a full ranger in any given attribute or skill.

Ranger requirements:

• Dexterity: Good or better
• Intelligence: Fair or better
• Perception: Good or better
• Strength: Good or better

• Area Knowledge: Fair or better
• Bow: Good or better
• Climbing: Fair or better
• Mimic Animal Sounds: Fair or better
• Move Quietly: Good or better
• Riding: Fair or better
• Scouting (the skill of observing and remembering): Fair or better
• Spear or Sword: Good or better
• Survival: Good or better
• Woods Lore: Good or better

6.42 Broad Class Templates

For a loose and easy game, the GM can assign each character class levels for the broad skill example groups in Section 1.32, Skills. This makes an ideal game for teaching role-playing to beginning players, or when playing with large numbers of players.

For example, the GM decides the players can be one of seven different character classes: Fighter, Ranger, Rogue, Magician, Cleric, Diplomat/Scholar, Jack of All Trades. Each of these characters can be defined as follows:

Beginning Fighter:

• Physical Attributes: Great
• Mental Attributes: Mediocre
• Psyche Attributes: Poor

• Animal Skills: Mediocre
• Athletic skills: Great
• Combat skills: Great
• Outdoor skills: Fair
• Social skills (Fellowship): Fair
• All other skills: Poor

Beginning Ranger:

• Physical Attributes: Good
• Mental Attributes: Fair
• Psyche Attributes: Poor

• Animal Skills: Good
• Athletic skills: Fair
• Combat skills: Good
• Covert skills: Fair
• Craft skills: Fair
• Outdoor skills: Great
• All other skills: Poor

Beginning Rogue:

• Physical Attributes: Fair
• Mental Attributes: Good
• Psyche Attributes: Poor

• Athletic skills: Fair
• Combat skills: Mediocre
• Covert skills: Great
• Manipulative skills: Great
• Merchant skills: Fair
• Social skills (Fellowship): Mediocre
• Urban skills: Good
• All other skills: Poor

Beginning Magician:

• Physical Attributes: Poor
• Mental Attributes: Good
• Psyche Attributes: Fair

• Craft skills: Mediocre
• Knowledge skills: Fair
• Spiritual skills: Fair
• Supernormal Power skills: Great
• All other skills: Poor

• Gift: Supernormal Power

Beginning Cleric:

• Physical Attributes: Poor
• Mental Attributes: Fair
• Psyche Attributes: Great

• Animal Skills: Fair
• Craft skills: Mediocre
• Knowledge skills: Fair
• Medical skills: Good
• Social skills (Formal): Good
• Spiritual skills: Great
• Supernormal Power skills: Fair
• All other skills: Poor

• Gift: Divine Favor

Beginning Diplomat/Scholar:

• Physical Attributes: Poor
• Mental Attributes: Great
• Psyche Attributes: Mediocre

• Artistic skills: Mediocre
• Knowledge skills: Great
• Language skills: Good
• Manipulative skills: Good
• Medical skills: Fair
• Social skills (Fellowship): Mediocre
• Social skills (Formal): Great
• Spiritual skills: Mediocre
• Technical skills: Mediocre
• All other skills: Poor

Beginning Jack of All Trades:

• Physical Attributes: Fair
• Mental Attributes: Fair
• Psyche Attributes: Mediocre

• Animal Skills: Mediocre
• Artistic skills: Mediocre
• Athletic skills: Mediocre
• Combat skills: Fair
• Covert skills: Mediocre
• Craft skills: Mediocre
• Knowledge skills: Mediocre
• Manipulative skills: Mediocre
• Merchant skills: Mediocre
• Outdoor skills: Fair
• Social skills (Fellowship): Good
• Social skills (Formal): Mediocre
• Spiritual skills: Mediocre
• Technical skills: Mediocre
• Urban skills: Fair

These character classes are merely examples for a simple fantasy game. The GM can change or ignore any that she wishes and create new character classes. She can also create classes for other genres, such as for a science fiction setting.

Each character class has unlisted Knowledge skills appropriate to its class. For example, a fighter has Good Knowledge of tactics, determining weapon quality, judging how well-trained an army is by observing it for a while, etc. Likewise, a rogue has Good Knowledge of types of locks, how many guards a wealthy merchant might have, the value of a given material for disguising oneself, etc.

Some skills listed in Section 1.32, Skills, as being under one heading fall under another in certain cases. For example, a rogue would be Great at climbing, even though Climbing is listed as an Athletic skill. In this case, it's a Covert skill. The ability to move quietly is listed as a Covert skill, but a fighter would be Fair at it, and a ranger Great.

Character development in this system is handled normally. The GM must decide at some point whether to continue to use broad skill groups or to break skills down into finer divisions. Each skill must be raised separately if the GM decides to break the broad groups into finer distinctions. If the GM likes keeping the skills together as groups, then raising an entire skill group level should cost more experience points than in a system with narrowly-defined skills — perhaps as much as ten times the cost.

6.43 Fantasy Race: Cercopes

Cercopes (or Kerkopes) were originally a pair of brothers in early Greek mythology. By the first century BC, however, mythological writers had expanded them into their own race. It is in this later definition that they are used here.

Cercopes (singular: cercop) are a small, apish race that love to play tricks and pranks on anyone they can. Born thieves, some of them even dared to steal Heracles' weapons! When he caught them and tied them to a pole for punishment, they amused him so with their jokes and banter that he let them go. Players should not attempt to play a cercop unless they have a roguish sense of humor.

Cercopes are small humanoids with ugly, apelike faces and a prehensile tail. A cercop stands about four feet high (120 cm), but generally stoops a bit. The face is not hairy, but both sexes tend to have long sideburns that often meet under the chin — this hair does not continue to grow, but stays the same length, as monkeys' hair does. The bodies have some scant hair on the back, and the tail is furred except for the final six inches (15 cm). Arms, legs and chests have no more hair than the average human male does, and they wear clothing — with a tail hole. Their feet resemble monkeys' feet, but they cannot manipulate things well with them. They are not fond of shoes, only wearing them when attempting to disguise themselves as another race. Cercopes stand upright most of the time, but lean forward to run, with the tail acting as a counterbalance. Their tails are strong enough to be used in combat and to aid in climbing. However, a cercop cannot do fine manipulation (such as pick a lock) with its tail. Cercopes speak their own language, and need to learn another to speak with the rest of the party.

The average cercop has a Mediocre Strength and Damage Capacity, but a Good Dexterity. Their intelligence runs the same range as humans. Cercopes have the racial gifts of Exceptional Balance (+2 to any action requiring balance, even in difficult situations), the Ability to Land on their Feet with no harm from twice the distance a human could, and Prehensile Tail. Their racial faults are Impulsiveness (act first, think later), Compulsive Jokers (practical and otherwise), Kleptomania, Unattractive Appearance to other races, and Bad Reputations as Thieves and Tricksters. They have a bonus of +1 to the following skills: Acrobatics, Move Quietly, Climbing and Fast Talk. They have a -1 penalty to use any weapon of Medium size or bigger.

The net result is that it counts as a fault to be a Cercop. Since anyone playing such a character actually gets some useful bonuses if playing a thief, the GM should be sure to enforce the faults — especially the Bad Reputation. NPCs will have a hard time trusting a cercop, usually with good reason.

This racial template gives a strong incentive to creating a thief character. However, it is possible to make a cercop warrior or even cleric if desired. Certain faults can be "bought off." That is, a character may have a gift of Not a Kleptomaniac — but it costs one gift, which would nullify the free fault level. However, the Unattractive Appearance and Bad Reputation cannot be bought off — these are inherent prejudices in others, not in one's self.

A cercop character could take a fault: No Tail — perhaps he lost it in battle. This would give extra levels to overcome the -1 penalty to all medium and large weapons if a character wished to be a warrior cercop, for example.

6.5 Animal & Creature Examples

Non-PC animals need not be built using level limits. Just define what traits are essential to the animal, and let it go at that. The Strength Scale refers to Section 2.3, Non-humans. Damage may include a "weapon deadliness" factor for teeth, claws, and, in some cases, body optimized for combat (usually carnivores).

Dog:

• Perception: Great to Superb (Smell should be Scale: Dog)
• Strength/Mass Scale: -7 to 0
• Skills: Mediocre to Superb (tailor to specific training received; examples include attack, guard, guide, track, hunt, and tricks)
• Melee Combat: Fair to Superb
• Damage Capacity: Good to Great

Cat:

• Agility: Great to Superb
• Scale: -6 or -7
• Skills: Survival, Hunting, Playing
• Gifts: Night Vision, Nine Lives (e.g., each time a cat receives damage that would kill it in one blow, check off one life and don't count the damage. There are other ways to play this, of course, such as a Legendary Dodge ability.)
• Faults: Independent-minded, Curious, Lazy, Vain
• Damage Capacity: Fair to Superb

Horse:

• Strength: Scale 3 Good to Great
• Endurance: Good
• Speed: Scale 4 Good to Great
• Skills: Mediocre to Superb (tailor to specific training received; examples include riding, driving, racing, fighting, and various tricks)
• Faults: Tailor to specific animal (Runaway, bites, kicks, etc.)
• Damage Capacity: Mediocre to Good

Camel:

• Strength: Scale 2 Good to Great
• Endurance: Great to Superb
• Speed: Scale 3 Mediocre to Good
• Skills: Mediocre to Superb (tailor to specific training received; examples include riding, driving, packing)
• Gifts: Desert Survival
• Damage Capacity: Fair to Great

Elephant:

• Strength: Scale 8 Good to Superb
• Agility: Good to Superb
• Skills: Mediocre to Superb (tailor to specific training received; examples include riding, hauling, stacking (logs etc.), tricks)
• Gifts: Exceptional animal intelligence
• Faults: Males subject to Musth (annual madness)
• Damage Capacity: Good to Superb

Falcon:

• Courage: Fair to Superb
• Agility: Good to Superb
• Speed: Scale 5 Fair to Great
• Strength: Scale -6, Fair to Superb (Scale may be from -8 to -4 to reflect sizes from sparrow hawk to eagle)
• Skills: Mediocre to Superb (tailor to specific training received; examples include manning (a measure of the degree of taming), hunting ground mammals, hunting birds, aerial acrobatics, trained to the lure, etc.)
• Gifts: Flight
• Damage Capacity: Fair to Good

Lion:

• Perception: Great
• Melee Combat: Great
• Stalking: Great
• Dodge: Fair
• Strength: Scale 2 Fair to Great
• Fault: Lazy
• Damage Capacity: Fair to Superb

Grizzly Bear:

• Perception: Good
• Melee Combat: Good
• Dodge: Fair
• Strength: Scale 3 Fair to Great
• Fault: Berserker
• Damage Capacity: Fair to Great

Cobra:

• Perception: Good
• Melee Combat: Great
• Dodge: Good
• Supernormal Power: Poison, +4 damage bonus
• Fault: Bad temper
• Damage Capacity: Poor

Skunk:

• Melee Combat: Poor
• Ranged Combat: Good, short range
• Dodge: Poor
• Supernormal Power: Noxious Fluid (blinds, incapacitates, renders foul)
• Damage Capacity: Terrible

Giant Spider:

• Melee Combat: Good
• Dodge: Poor
• Supernormal Powers: Poison (paralyzes), Web (Good Difficulty Level Strength roll to break)
• Damage Capacity: Good

Griffin:

• Perception: Great
• Melee Combat: Great
• Dodge: Good
• Supernormal Powers: Flight, Tough Hide (light armor)
• Strength: Mediocre to Great, Scale 4
• Damage Capacity: Good to Superb

Dragon (customize to taste):

• Melee Combat: Good to Great
• Ranged Combat: Good, short range
• Dodge: Mediocre
• Supernormal Powers: Fire Breath (+2 damage), Flight, Tough Hide (-1 to -3), Charm with Eyes, Magic Potential (some of them)
• Fault: Greedy
• Strength: Scale 3 to Scale 9, Fair to Great
• Damage Capacity: Fair to Great

6.6 Equipment Examples

It's possible to define equipment in FUDGE character terms. This is probably unnecessary, but can be done if desired.

Equipment from any technological level, stone age to science fiction, can be detailed this way. A piece of equipment can be defined by as many FUDGE traits as are needed: attributes, skills, gifts or faults.

For example, an old, battered sword found in a damp dungeon has:

Such a weapon is treated as a club for damage, rather than a sword (no Sharpness bonus). The GM may require a Situational roll every few combat rounds: the sword breaks on a Mediocre or worse result from parrying or being parried. And finally, some people will make fun of anyone carrying such a shoddy-looking weapon.

When the sword was new, however, it had:

In that case, it would indeed merit the +1 for Sharpness (perhaps any Sharpness level of Mediocre to Good gets the +1 Sharpness bonus, while duller blades get no bonus, and better blades might get an additional +1 bonus). It also would never break under ordinary circumstances, and its appearance probably earns its owner a positive reaction from many people.

A bejewelled magic sword found in a dragon's hoard might have:

A different magic sword:

Of course, even if the flaming missile fails, it can still be used as a regular sword, so it's not exactly worthless in such cases.

As a final example, consider a science fiction double-seat fighter spaceship:

Ordinary, every-day equipment should not be detailed out in this manner. There is no need to define a canteen, for example, as anything other than "metal, one quart (liter) capacity." Even for equipment that may have an impact on the game, such as weapons or thieves' tools, you do not need to have any more information than "+2 offensive damage factor" or "+1 to Pick Locks skill."

It's best to restrict defining equipment in FUDGE character terms to the truly extraordinary (such as magic items). Another use is when the equipment's powers may be used in an opposed action: in a car race, for instance, you need to know the relative speeds and handling capabilities of the vehicles as well as the skills of the drivers. A battle between spaceships is another good example.

Equipment with personality, such as sentient magic items or advanced robots, may be treated as full-fledged FUDGE characters if desired.