Big Chart of Optimum Skills for Fudge
| SKILL | DEFAULT* | DIFFICULTY** |
|---|
| Abacus Use | Nonexistent | Easy |
| Accounting | Terrible | Hard |
| Acrobatics | Terrible | Hard |
| Acting | Poor | Average |
| Acupressure | Nonexistent | Easy |
| Acupuncture | Nonexistent | Average |
| Administration | Poor | Average |
| Advertising | Poor | Average |
| Aerialism | Terrible | Hard |
| Aeronautics | Nonexistent | Hard |
| Agronomy | Poor | Average |
| Aikido | Nonexistent | Hard |
| Alchemy | Nonexistent | Very Hard |
| Ambushing | Poor | Average |
| Animal Handling | Terrible | Hard |
| Animal Husbandry | Poor | Average |
| Anthropology | Terrible | Hard |
| Appraisal | Poor | Average |
| Archaeology | Terrible | Hard |
| Architecture | Terrible | Hard |
| Armorsmithery | Terrible | Hard |
| Armor Use | Poor | Average |
| Artillery | Poor | Average |
| Astrology | Mediocre | Easy |
| Astronautics | Nonexistent | Hard |
| Astronomy | Terrible | Hard |
| Athletics | Poor | Average |
| Atmospheric Sciences | Terrible | Hard |
| Ballooning | Poor | Average |
| Basketry | Mediocre | Easy |
| Begging | Poor | Average |
| Bicycling | Mediocre | Easy |
| Biochemistry | Nonexistent | Very Hard |
| Biology | Terrible | Hard |
| Bionics | Nonexistent | Very Hard |
| Boatbuilding | Nonexistent | Average |
| Boatmanship | Poor | Average |
| Booby-trapping | Nonexistent | Average |
| Bookbinding | Nonexistent | Average |
| Botany | Terrible | Hard |
| Boxing | Nonexistent | Average |
| Brawling | Poor | Average |
| Brewing | Nonexistent | Average |
| Bullfighting | Poor | Average |
| Butchery | Poor | Average |
| Calligraphy | Poor | Average |
| Camouflage | Mediocre | Easy |
| Carousing | Poor | Average |
| Carpentry | Mediocre | Easy |
| Cartography | Poor | Average |
| Cartooning | Mediocre | Easy |
| Chandlery | Poor | Average |
| Chemistry | Terrible | Hard |
| Choreography | Poor | Average |
| Ciphering | Mediocre | Easy |
| Climatology | Nonexistent | Average |
| Climbing | Poor | Average |
| Cobbling | Nonexistent | Average |
| Comedy | Poor | Average |
| Computer Hacking | Nonexistent | Hard |
| Computer Programming | Nonexistent | Average |
| Computer Use | Mediocre | Easy |
| Concealment | Poor | Average |
| Conducting | Poor | Average |
| Connoisseurship | Nonexistent | Average |
| Contortion | Nonexistent | Hard |
| Cooking | Poor | Average |
| Cooperage | Nonexistent | Average |
| Copy Editing | Poor | Average |
| Cosmetology | Mediocre | Easy |
| Counterfeiting | Nonexistent | Very Hard |
| Countersurveillance | Poor | Average |
| Criminology | Poor | Average |
| Cryptanalysis | Terrible | Hard |
| Cryptography | Nonexistent | Hard |
| Cryptozoölogy | Terrible | Hard |
| Current Events | Poor | Average |
| Cyberware Use | Nonexistent | Hard |
| Dancing | Poor | Average |
| Debating | Poor | Average |
| Demolition | Terrible | Hard |
| Diagnosis | Terrible | Hard |
| Diplomacy | Terrible | Hard |
| Directing | Terrible | Hard |
| Disguise | Poor | Average |
| Distilling | Nonexistent | Average |
| Dodging | Poor | Average |
| Dogma | Poor | Average |
| Drama | Poor | Average |
| Draughtsmanship | Poor | Average |
| Drawing | Poor | Average |
| Driving | Poor | Average |
| Dyeing | Poor | Average |
| Earth Sciences | Terrible | Hard |
| Ecology | Terrible | Hard |
| Economics | Terrible | Hard |
| Electronics | Nonexistent | Hard |
| Electronics Use | Poor | Average |
| Embalming | Poor | Average |
| EMS | Nonexistent | Average |
| Engineering | Nonexistent | Hard |
| Environmental Suit Use | Mediocre | Easy |
| Escapology | Terrible | Hard |
| Etiquette | Mediocre | Easy |
| Evasion | Poor | Average |
| Exobiology | Terrible | Hard |
| Exoskeleton Use | Poor | Average |
| Falconry | Poor | Average |
| Fanning | Poor | Average |
| Fast-Talking | Poor | Average |
| Fencing | Nonexistent | Hard |
| Filching | Poor | Average |
| Fine Art | Terrible | Hard |
| Fire Eating | Nonexistent | Average |
| Fire Starting | Mediocre | Easy |
| Fire Walking | Mediocre | Easy |
| First Aid | Mediocre | Easy |
| Fishing | Mediocre | Easy |
| Flight | Poor | Average |
| Flower Arranging | Mediocre | Easy |
| Folklore | Mediocre | Easy |
| Foraging | Mediocre | Easy |
| Forensics | Nonexistent | Hard |
| Forestry | Poor | Average |
| Forgery | Terrible | Hard |
| Fortune Telling | Poor | Average |
| Forward Observation | Poor | Average
|
| Freight Handling | Poor | Average |
| Furriery | Poor | Average |
| Gadgeteering | Nonexistent | Very Hard |
| Gambling | Poor | Average |
| Game | Mediocre | Easy |
| Genetics | Nonexistent | Very Hard |
| Geography | Poor | Average |
| Geology | Poor | Average |
| Glassblowing | Nonexistent | Hard |
| Gravitics | Nonexistent | Very Hard |
| Gunnery | Poor | Average |
| Gunsmithing | Nonexistent | Hard |
| Haggling | Poor | Average |
| Hagiology | Poor | Average |
| Hatmaking | Poor | Average |
| Hawking | Poor | Average |
| Heraldry | Poor | Average |
| Herbalism | Nonexistent | Average |
| Hiding | Poor | Average |
| Hiking | Nonexistent | Average |
| History | Terrible | Hard |
| Hobby | Mediocre | Easy |
| Horticulture | Mediocre | Easy |
| Hydrology | Poor | Average |
| Hypnotism | Nonexistent | Hard |
| Interdimensional Science | Nonexistent | Very Hard |
| Interrogation | Poor | Average |
| Intimidation | Poor | Average |
| Invention | Terrible | Hard |
| Inventory | Poor | Average |
| Investing | Poor | Average |
| Janitorial | Mediocre | Easy |
| Jeweling | Terrible | Hard |
| Journalism | Poor | Average |
| Judo | Nonexistent | Average |
| Juggling | Poor | Average |
| Jujutsu | Nonexistent | Hard |
| Jumping | Poor | Average |
| Kalari Payattu | Nonexistent | Hard |
| Karate | Nonexistent | Hard |
| Kendo | Nonexistent | Hard |
| Kite Flying | Mediocre | Easy |
| Kite Making | Mediocre | Easy |
| Knapping | Poor | Average |
| Knitting | Poor | Average |
| Knot Tying | Poor | Average |
| Kung Fu | Nonexistent | Hard |
| Kyudo | Nonexistent | Hard |
| Language | Nonexistent | Varies |
| Law | Terrible | Hard |
| Leadership | Poor | Average |
| Leatherworking | Mediocre | Easy |
| Library Research | Poor | Average |
| Life Sciences | Terrible | Hard |
| Lip Reading | Poor | Average |
| Literature | Terrible | Hard |
| Lock Picking | Poor | Average |
| Locksmithing | Nonexistent | Average |
| Logistics | Terrible | Hard |
| Lore | Nonexistent | Varies |
| Lyrical Composition | Poor | Average |
| Machinery Use | Mediocre | Easy |
| Mad Magic | Nonexistent | Very Hard |
| Mad Science | Nonexistent | Very Hard |
| Management | Poor | Average |
| Marketing | Poor | Average |
| Masonry | Mediocre | Easy |
| Massage | Mediocre | Easy |
| Mathematics | Terrible | Hard |
| Mechanics | Poor | Average |
| Medicine | Nonexistent | Hard |
| Meditation | Poor | Average |
| Mercantile | Poor | Average |
| Metallurgy | Nonexistent | Average |
| Meteorology | Poor | Average |
| Milling | Poor | Average |
| Mimicry | Terrible | Hard |
| Mineralogy | Nonexistent | Average |
| Mining/Tunnelling | Poor | Average |
| Mixology | Poor | Average |
| Motorcycling | Poor | Average |
| Mountaineering | Poor | Average |
| Muay Thai | Nonexistent | Hard |
| Mummification | Nonexistent | Hard |
| Musical Composition | Terrible | Hard |
| Musical Notation | Nonexistent | Easy |
| Musicianship | Terrible | Hard |
| Navigation | Nonexistent | Hard |
| Netmaking | Poor | Average |
| Ninjitsu | Nonexistent | Hard |
| Nursing | Poor | Average |
| Occultism | Terrible | Hard |
| Oceanography | Nonexistent | Hard |
| Oratory | Poor | Average |
| Orienteering | Poor | Average |
| Origami | Mediocre | Easy |
| Packing | Poor | Average |
| Painting | Poor | Average |
| Paleontology | Terrible | Hard |
| Parachuting | Mediocre | Easy |
| Parapsychology | Poor | Average |
| Pearl Diving | Poor | Average |
| Perfumery | Poor | Average |
| Pharmacy | Terrible | Hard |
| Philosophy | Terrible | Hard |
| Photography | Poor | Average |
| Photonics | Nonexistent | Hard |
| Physical Sciences | Terrible | Hard |
| Physics | Terrible | Hard |
| Piloting | Poor | Average |
| Plant Lore | Nonexistent | Hard |
| Plumbing | Poor | Average |
| Pocket Picking | Terrible | Hard |
| Poison Lore | Nonexistent | Hard |
| Politics | Poor | Average |
| Pottery | Poor | Average |
| Producing | Poor | Average |
| Proselytization | Terrible | Hard |
| Prospecting | Poor | Average |
| Psychology | Terrible | Hard |
| Puppetry | Poor | Average |
| Pyrotechnics | Nonexistent | Hard |
| Quick Drawing | Nonexistent | Easy |
| Quilting | Poor | Average |
| Riding | Poor | Average |
| Ritualism | Nonexistent | Average |
| Robotics | Nonexistent | Hard |
| Running | Poor | Average |
| Safecracking | Nonexistent | Hard |
| Salesmanship | Poor | Average |
| Savate | Nonexistent | Average |
| Scribing | Poor | Average |
| Scripture | Terrible | Hard |
| Scrounging | Mediocre | Easy |
| Scuba Diving | Poor | Average |
| Sculpting | Poor | Average |
| Seamanship | Poor | Average |
| Secretarial | Poor | Average |
| Sewing | Poor | Average
|
| Shadowing | Poor | Average |
| Shield Use | Mediocre | Easy |
| Shipbuilding | Nonexistent | Hard |
| Sign Language | Nonexistent | Average |
| Singing | Poor | Average |
| Skating | Poor | Average |
| Skiing | Poor | Average |
| Sleight of Hand | Terrible | Hard |
| Smithery | Nonexistent | Average |
| Snowshoeing | Mediocre | Easy |
| Social Studies | Terrible | Hard |
| Speed Reading | Nonexistent | Average |
| Spelunking | Poor | Average |
| Spinning | Nonexistent | Average |
| Sports | Poor | Average |
| Sprinting | Poor | Average |
| Stealth | Poor | Average |
| Stewardship | Mediocre | Easy |
| Stonecutting | Poor | Average |
| Storytelling | Poor | Average |
| Strategy | Terrible | Hard |
| Sumo Wrestling | Nonexistent | Average |
| Surfing | Poor | Average |
| Surgery | Terrible | Hard |
| Surveillance | Poor | Average |
| Surveying | Nonexistent | Average |
| Survival | Poor | Average |
| Swimming | Mediocre | Easy |
| Tactics | Terrible | Hard |
| Tae Kwon Do | Nonexistent | Hard |
| Tailing | Poor | Average |
| Tanning | Poor | Average |
| Tattooing | Poor | Average |
| Taxidermy | Poor | Average |
| Tea Ceremony | Poor | Average |
| Teaching | Poor | Average |
| Telegraphy | Nonexistent | Easy |
| Temporal Science | Nonexistent | Very Hard |
| Theology | Terrible | Hard |
| Throwing | Poor | Average |
| Tightrope Walking | Terrible | Hard |
| Tonsorial | Mediocre | Easy |
| Toxicology | Terrible | Hard |
| Tracking | Poor | Average |
| Trapping | Mediocre | Easy |
| Tumbling | Poor | Average |
| Typesetting | Poor | Average |
| Typing | Poor | Average |
| Vaulting | Poor | Average |
| Ventriloquism | Poor | Average |
| Veterinary Medicine | Nonexistent | Hard |
| Vinification | Nonexistent | Average |
| Weaponsmithery | Terrible | Hard |
| Weapon Use | Poor | Average |
| Weaving | Poor | Average |
| Webmastery | Nonexistent | Average |
| Woodcarving | Poor | Average |
| Woodworking | Poor | Average |
| Wrestling | Poor | Average |
| Writing | Poor | Average |
| Xenology | Terrible | Hard |
| Yoga | Nonexistent | Hard |
| Zero Gravity Activity | Poor | Average |
| Zoölogy | Terrible | Hard |
* The default of a skill refers to the level at which the skill is performed if it is attempted by an unskilled character. If the default is Nonexistent, the skill cannot be used by an unskilled character.
** The difficulty of a skill determines the level at which proficiency begins: Easy skills begin at Fair, Average skills begin at Mediocre, Hard skills begin at Poor, and Very Hard skills begin at Terrible.
| INITIAL SKILL LEVELS |
|---|
| SKILL DIFFICULTY | BEGINNING LEVEL |
|---|
| Easy | Fair |
| Average | Mediocre |
| Hard | Poor |
| Very Hard | Terrible |
Compiled by Gordon A. Cooper in 2004-2008.