TEXT: The  N
  N
  N
  NA
  A
  A
  AGG
  G
  GSSSS                                            SSSSO
  O
  O
  OCCCCIIIIEEEETT
  T
  TYYYY
  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.
  
  3
  The  N
  N
  N
  NA
  A
  A
  AGG
  G
  GSSSS                                            SSSSO
  O
  O
  OCCCCIIIIEEEETT
  T
  TYYYY
  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-
  rived from FUDGE, by Steffan O’Sullivan. We include the following dis-
  claimers, as requested:
  About FUDGE
  FUDGE is a role–playing game written by Steffan O’Sullivan, with exten-
  sive input from the Usenet community of rec.games.design. The basic rules
  of FUDGE are available on the internet via anonymous ftp at
  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
  gaming genre. While an individual work derived from FUDGE may specify
  certain attributes and skills, many more are possible with FUDGE. Every
  Game Master using FUDGE is encouraged to add or ignore any character
  traits. Anyone who wishes to distribute such material for free may do so—
  merely include this ABOUT FUDGE notice and disclaimer (complete with
  FUDGE copyright notice). If you wish to charge a fee for such material,
  other than as an article in a magazine or other periodical, you must first
  obtain a royalty–free license from the author of FUDGE, Steffan
  O’Sullivan, P.O. Box 465, Plymouth, NH 03264.
  Disclaimer
  The following materials based on FUDGE, entitled The NAGS SOCIETY
  WORLDBOOK, are created by Scott Larson and made available by circa
  games, and are not authorized or endorsed in any way by Steffan
  O’Sullivan or any publisher of other FUDGE materials. Neither Steffan
  O’Sullivan nor any publisher of other FUDGE material is in any way re-
  sponsible for the content of these materials. Original FUDGE materials ©
  Copyright 1992–1995 Steffan O’Sullivan, All Rights Reserved.
  Illustrations
  As far as I know, all of the illustrations in this Worldbook are either public
  domain or original creations. I found the clip art at the Antique Black and
  White Art collection at     
  www.geocities.com/~ginnis   , JOD’s Old Fashioned
  Black and White Clip Art at   joanod.users.fl.net.au/clip.htm, the Vintage
  Clip Art Collection at     
  www.winchoice.com/vintageclipart   and Art Today at
  www.arttoday.com    .
  
  4
  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
  
  5
  Part I
  THE WORLD OF NAGS
  orbidden maps…mysterious archæological sites…ancient sunken shipwrecks…
  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?
  F
  
  6
  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 National Archæological Geological and Submarine
  Society is a private, non–governmental organization
  (“National” was inserted to make it sound even less
  interesting). The Society has accepted as its sworn duty the
  task of exploring and clarifying terrestrial and marine
  mysteries.
  According to the masthead of
  its Journal, the Society is “dedicated
  to exploring man and his milieu…”
  (“humans and their habitat” in the
  more inclusive description adopted
  ostensibly in 1920) “…as recorded
  by the planet Earth.”
  The Society’s purpose is to
  contribute to the store of human
  knowledge, to ensure that this
  knowledge is accurate, and that it is
  ultimately (although not necessarily
  immediately) accessible to all. Soci-
  ety practice comprises a variety of
  information–gathering techniques:
  verifying maps, clarifying thinking, and uncovering myster-
  ies. Through their work, Nags strive to explore—and yet to
  preserve—the mysteries of the Earth. They become initi-
  ated into the planet’s secrets without revealing them. Some
  knowledge might be forever lost if it were shared too early
  with the public.
  The Society was founded on December 31, 1850, fol-
  lowing a mysterious train wreck in the American west. The
  Society’s founders, known as the Original Three Members,
  were Rebekah Winslow, a young American schoolteacher,
  Captain Jack Efland, a bored English gentleman, and Grey
  Cloud, an inquisitive Navajo boy. The trio became em-
  broiled in an adventure together. The mixed nature of the
  party necessitated discretion on their part—they would have
  offended drawing room morality through their association.
  As they conducted their impromptu investigation, each per-
  son was an equal, contributing her or his unique talents.
  From this humble beginning (which has become legen-
  dary among Nags) the Society has expanded to include peo-
  ple from all classes and nations. The egalitarian nature of
  the Society requires continued discretion by all Members.
  There is an old joke among Nags that by comparison,
  Freemasons and Templars are exhibitionists!
  The Society established its headquarters in Oxford in
  1851. The importance of its work was soon recognized by
  the knowledgeable in all countries—the Society’s scope is
  international and continues to the modern day and into the
  future.
  Requests for Attention (RFA’s)
  come to the Society from individu-
  als, organizations, and national gov-
  ernments (although they never
  admit it publicly) who have prob-
  lems that cannot be resolved
  through conventional means. RFA’s
  are also generated internally—a
  somewhat rare occurrence. The
  NAGS Society is in the business of
  refining and clarifying knowledge
  for the common good rather than
  initiating excursions into the un-
  known.
  WHO ARE THE NAGS?
  Nags are a group of adventurer–scientists whose goal is the
  acquisition of understanding rather than riches or fame.
  They visit the Earth’s exotic and mysterious corners in or-
  der to share in its secrets. Nags often explore sites that
  eventually become household names long before the scien-
  tific establishment “discovers” them.
  Nags bear many similarities to adventurous heroes of
  cinema and fiction—the difference lies in their attitude.
  Nags go about their business with reserved dignity rather
  than flash, almost as though they were adventuring bureau-
  crats. This is not to say that Nags don’t have fun; rather,
  they derive satisfaction from acting off–stage.
  Neither individual Nags nor the Society takes credit for
  their work. Their names are never printed in the newspaper.
  Governments never (officially) thank them. No Nag will
  retire rich and famous. They are an unobtrusive part of the
  weave of society’s fabric. Nags have small, discreet accounts
  
  7
  in conservative banks and they pay income tax. Even the
  name of the Society is nondescript and stodgy–sounding to
  discourage the public interest in their work
  Nags maintain a low profile in a world that is increas-
  ingly dominated by advertising and public relations. Much
  of the knowledge they acquire or clarify is attributed to
  non–Member scientists after the fact. Society work has
  paved the way for many dramatic discoveries. For example,
  several Society Members conducted an infamous (among
  Nags) investigation in Machu Pichu in late 1873—yet this
  mysterious Peruvian ruin was not officially “discovered” by
  the outside world until 1911. And all seasoned Nags stifled
  their snickers when the 1923 press trumpeted that no one
  had seen the inside of Tutankhamen’s tomb for 3000
  years…. With the advent of television and the global inter-
  net, the obscure recesses of the Earth are becoming better
  documented. The mysteries that the Society explores be-
  come more outré and perilous with each passing year.
  Nags usually appear in slightly old–fashioned clothing
  native to the place where they work. They do not stand out
  in any crowd. Skillful Nags are immediately forgotten by the
  general public, but there is often something odd or quirky
  about them. The feeling, but not the individual who inspired
  it, is all that remains in a bystander’s mind.
  Nevertheless, the life of a Nag is anything but uninspir-
  ing. They travel to the Four Corners of the globe to explore,
  uncover, and clarify—all in the name of an increasing store
  of accurate knowledge and a clear record of human possi-
  bilities.
   
  Several personal qualities shared by nearly all Nags dis-
  tinguish them from other heroes and adventurers:
  Discretion Nags do not attract attention to themselves,
  their operations, or the organization. The sign of a success-
  ful NagOperation is the complete absence of any sign at all.
  Poise Nags are required to stand firm in the presence of
  strange and unreconcilable realities. They face the facts that
  perhaps We Are Not Yet Ready to Know. A good Nag
  must be unflappable.
  Dedication to the field Nags are recruited from all fields,
  including academic and practical science, the business
  world, the media, the clergy, academia, and, perhaps most
  importantly, the library. The Society most often waits until
  an individual has accomplished all that he or she can in the
  world of the mundane before proposing Membership.
  Survival skills The Society’s insistence upon accurate in-
  formation puts Nags on the cutting edge of change. Wher-
  ever there is change in the world, danger abides. Nags are
  experts at staying alive under impossible circumstances.
  NAGS OF NOTE
  Throughout this Worldbook we will make note of a variety
  of Society Members and Associates. Most will be unfamiliar
  to non–Nags. Others, however, may surprise the reader.
  The Society makes good use of a Member’s previous noto-
  riety to conduct effective investigations.
  Famous Nags of Note include ace reporter Nellie Bly;
  former military officer, police board head, and president,
  Teddy Roosevelt; and author/adventurer Jack London. One
  finds that when interesting people die early or under myste-
  rious circumstances, they often have a long and rewarding
  “afterlife” in the National Archæological Geological and
  Submarine Society.
  ON BECOMING A NAG
  Prior to recruitment, one Member may have spent countless
  hours embroiled with arcane tomes in an obscure library,
  another may have sought direct knowledge through explora-
  tions in the field, while a third may have stumbled upon
  enlightenment while eking out a humble existence. The
  paths to Society Membership are as varied as the Society‘s
  Members themselves.
  Some players will undoubtedly delight in detailing their
  character’s history, from birth to recruitment. Other players
  might prefer to leave a character’s past a bit murky, filling in
  the details as the campaign develops. What follows is a dis-
  cussion of some of the common backgrounds of many
  Nags. Next, we will describe the process through which one
  may attain Society Membership.
  Preparation
  Society work demands expertise beyond the norm. A pro-
  spective Nag must be an expert in her or his field. Neo-
  phytes would find most RFA’s impossible to execute
  successfully. However, the Society is not composed merely
  of crusty academics or dashing explorers. As we shall dis-
  cuss, the range of applicable experience is broad.
  Academics who increasingly withdraw into their studies
  of arcane and obscure
  realities frequently reach
  a point when their
  expertise attracts the
  Society’s attention.
  Scientists, linguists,
  cartographers, and other academic specialists all find places
  within the Society.
  Although no one keeps such records, it is most likely ac-
  curate to assert that the Society recruits more clerks from
  research libraries than adventurers from the field. Amateur
  genealogists, antiquarians, and investigators are easy recruits
  because of their relative obscurity. Their excitement is pal-
  pable when they are approached by mysterious strangers
  and asked to put their knowledge and expertise to use in
  exotic locales for the good of the planet.
  
  8
  The requisite of expertise does not, however, restrict the
  Society to the ranks of stodgy academic types—Society
  work necessitates a wide range of skills. For
  example, a young urchin who possesses
  detailed information about a particular site
  of importance (perhaps because she has
  used it as a hide–out) would be as valuable
  as any academic. Some of these young
  operatives are employed only for a
  particular RFA, and then they go their own
  way. Others become fascinated by the
  work of the Society and go on to become full–fledged
  (–hoofed?) Nags. Grey Cloud, one of the Original Three,
  was the archetypical urchin. Sherlock Holmes’ “Baker Street
  Irregulars” are also exemplary here.
  Many Nags are recruited from the ranks of the clergy.
  It seems that the contemplative and ascetic life often leads
  to striking insights about earthly matters. The worlds of the
  spiritual and the mundane are not as dissociated as one
  might think—often, the clergy are the best preservers of the
  mysteries they interpret as manifestations of the infinite.
  That is not to say that prospective Nags need to be frequent
  witnesses to miracles—rather, they have the ability to rec-
  ognize the miraculous in the quotidian.
  The upheavals of war engender societal and technologi-
  cal transformations. Many veterans, after valiantly serving
  their country in time of need, find
  themselves displaced and marginalized
  when they try to reenter the
  mainstream. Their experiences afford
  them insight into the bare machinations
  of human desire and its interaction with
  the world. Many excellent Members
  come to the Society after a career in the
  armed forces of one of the world’s nations or following a
  cataclysmic conflict.
  Another possible point of entry is through the field of
  journalism. The Society publishes a periodical containing
  photographs and light stories concerning the latest ar-
  chæological, geographical, and submarine curiosities. How
  does such a publication uphold the Society’s policy of se-
  crecy? The public is unaware of a peculiarity in the Journal’s
  dates of publication—each issue is put to bed ten years be-
  fore it sees print. For example, the number dated December
  1921 actually details the Society’s work in the final month of
  1911. Because of this practice, the Journal is commonly re-
  garded as slightly passé, which suits the Nags’ reputation
  perfectly. The Society, therefore, seeks writers and photog-
  raphers who are willing to go to great extremes to get a
  story, but must then wait ten years for their work to see
  print!
  The Society also welcomes the expertise of various
  professionals. Business people, law enforcement officers,
  authors, correspondents, private investigators, lawyers, doc-
  tors, nurses, social workers, teachers, mechanics, inventors,
  and others can bring their skill to Society operations.
  Finally, we should note that as long as a player can make
  a case for why his character would make a good Nag, any
  type of background could be possible. The Society thrives
  upon variety.
  Recruitment
  Recruitment into the NAGS Society is often a straightfor-
  ward procedure. The Society discretely approaches indi-
  viduals from all walks of life, all fields of study, and
  proposes Membership. All that is necessary is that one pos-
  sess a skill needed by the Society. Many souls have delved
  deep enough into arcane studies that they have already en-
  countered the Society. For many academics and adventur-
  ers, Membership in the Society is the next logical step in
  their quest for understanding. The relative obscurity of the
  lives of most academics (an even many adventurers) insures
  a quick and easy transition from civilian to Society exis-
  tence. The Society has resources for tying up loose ends.
  Not every recruitment proceeds with such clockwork
  ease, however. The Society particularly enjoys its most outré
  method of recruiting prospective Members: societal ex-
  traction. Although the Society’s recruiters keep a close
  watch on all legitimate explorers and academics, occasion-
  ally someone will surprise them with a significant original
  discovery. If the Society deems such an explorer or site im-
  portant enough to warrant an RFA, it intervenes.
  Nags discreetly approach the prospective recruit (often
  in the guise of local laborers hired for the
  excavation) and propose Membership in
  the Society. As incentive, they will often
  bring some artifact or information that is
  crucial to the recruit’s work, but about
  which he or she was unaware. If the recruit
  rebuffs such overtures, the Nags are subse-
  quently “exposed” as charlatans, and they fade away. If, on
  the other hand, the recruit is willing, the Society performs
  an extraction.
  Societal extraction is perhaps the most flamboyant proc-
  ess NAGS Society condones. To the world, the recruit dies
  under accidental or mysterious conditions. In Egypt, for
  example, the Pharaoh’s curse is often blamed. After a short
  period of time during which the furor dies away, the new
  recruit reemerges as a Nag. Fortunately, the faces of explor-
  ers are not well–enough known to risk recognition on sub-
  sequent NagOps—they usually wore a hat.
  As a campaign–opener, the GM might want to have the
  players role–play their character’s recruitment into the Soci-
  ety. The GM and player could run such mini–adventures
  individually as part of the character creation process, espe-
  cially if a player intends to harbor secrets about his charac-
  ter’s past. Alternately, the opening gaming sessions of a
  campaign could be devoted to each character’s recruitment.
  In this way, the entire group can share one another’s initia-
  tion into the Society.
  
  9
  AREAS OF SPECIALTY
  When a new Member is recruited, he or she selects an Area
  of Specialty appropriate to her or his background and expe-
  rience. While an AOS does not restrict a Nag’s actions (a
  preservationist could write an article for the Journal, for ex-
  ample), it does provide the Society with some guidelines in
  assigning Requests for Attention. Notice that some profes-
  sions could be translated into several AOS’. A recruit
  trained as an archæologist, for example, might take several
  paths in the Society—Preservationist, BookWorm, or
  Snoop. Generally, a Nag should consider her or his tem-
  perament and interests when selecting an AOS, as it will
  influence the types of NagOps to which he or she is as-
  signed.
  Many of the AOS’s bear humorous, ironic, or irreverent
  names that arose through the years as part of NagSpeak. All
  Nags attest that each AOS is highly valued within the Soci-
  ety for its contributions.
  In the section concerning Character Creation in Part II,
  you will find guidelines for using Areas of Specialty as tem-
  plates for quick and easy character creation. By using an
  AOS template, you can create a Nag PC in a matter of min-
  utes.
  BookWorm This is the research branch—the backbone of
  the Society. Recruits from any field might specialize in re-
  search. While BookWorms develop prodigious skills in tra-
  ditional methods of information search and retrieval, they
  do not burrow themselves into libraries or archives—they
  are often engaged in active searches for a necessary fact.
  BookWorms can come from any field of study; in addition,
  they will have information management skills appropriate to
  (or rather, slightly ahead of) the time period, and some skills
  for effective research in the field.
  Gadgeteer While one might think that the practitioners of
  NagTechnology are likely to be ensconced in an under-
  ground workshop plying their trade, Gadgeteers are actually
  found in the field as often as other Nags. Their fieldwork is
  a combination of research for future inventions and repair
  of existing creations. In fact, many Nags insist that a de-
  vice’s inventor accompany them—in order to suffer equally
  from malfunctions! A Gadgeteer would have an applied
  science or engineering background, technical expertise, and
  a flexible and creative mind. They must also have thick
  skin—to withstand the “constructive” criticism of their
  colleagues.
  Hack Hacks are journalists—the Society’s public face. They
  write for a periodical with strict deadlines but a publication
  date ten years hence. Hacks possess writing and communi-
  cation skills, investigative techniques, as well as an unflap-
  pable time–sense that enables them to face editors who
  shout (in March of 1908), “I need that story on Aztecs for
  the May 1918 issue yesterday!” The hack’s close cousin is the
  PhotoHack—a photojournalist.
  Hero A sly designation that should be accompanied by a
  wink and a nudge, heroes are the Society’s workhorses (akin
  to the “fighter” in a fantasy campaign). Heroes are not unin-
  telligent, but rather more comfortable with tactics and strat-
  egy than research or diplomacy. Heroes are the grease that
  keeps the Society wheels rolling. They are recruited from
  the military, police, or other military backgrounds.
  Preservationist Preservationists come in two flavors:
  Green and Red. The former emphasize the preservation of
  nature above humans, while the latter reverse these priori-
  ties. The two groups are not in open conflict within the
  Society (although discussions can be heated); rather, they try
  to complement one another like two sides of a coin.
  Green These are the precursors of modern–day
  “greens,” without the theatrics of chaining themselves
  to trees. Green Preservationists are concerned with
  preserving individual flora and fauna, as well as entire
  ecosystems. They have an understanding of “the big
  picture”—how the industrial revolution impacted
  upon the Earth, for example. Greens have a science
  background, with a possible focus on botany, zoology,
  ecology, meteorology. It is also possible to specialize
  in Submarine Preservation. Green Preservationists
  would possess knowledge of their subject matter, sur-
  vival skills for their region, as well as diplomacy or in-
  formation–dissemination techniques. As always, they
  are extremely discreet in their work.
  Red Reds are interested in preserving evidence and ar-
  tifacts of lost cultures, and preserving the way of life
  of those that are extant. Their work involves spending
  time with a culture without influencing it with outside
  ideas. Red preservationists would have a background
  in anthropology or archæology, survival skills in the
  appropriate environments, and communication skills
  for work with existing cultures.
  Snoop Snoops are investigators who specialize in a par-
  ticular field—often biology, archæology, anthropology, me-
  teorology—and pursue research in the field. They differ
  from preservationists in that they account for the “little
  picture,” the minutia, the details that might seem unimpor-
  tant. Snoops differ from Bookworms in that their research
  is with the history yet to be recorded.
  
  10
  Nag Operations (NagOps)
  NAGS Society operations begin with a Request for Attention (RFA). The Society generates a select few requests internally to
  clarify some point of fact or to address a situation. Most RFA’s, however, come from individuals, businesses, groups, or gov-
  ernments. The Society is the embodiment of discretion—Nags are often uninterested in the identity of a request’s originator.
  It is enough for a Nag to do the job well, with dignity, diligence, and discretion.
  TYPES OF NAGOPS
  Each RFA is unique. While there are no formula or stan-
  dard RFA’s, through the years, several genres of requests
  have been identified. We will also mention some examples,
  including some notable fictional adventures (generally con-
  ducted by non–Nags), that represent each archetype. The
  Game Master may refer to the section below concerning the
  NAGS Campaign (page 25) for suggestions about creating
  her own ongoing campaign, as well as an example campaign
  that she might use immediately.
  Cartographic Clarification Nags are often called upon to
  clarify or confirm some anomaly that has arisen during the
  creation or revision of a map. Such requests were more
  common in the Nineteenth and early Twentieth centuries,
  before the invention of satellite photography (the Society
  did not make it to space before the rest of us…or did it?).
  However, time and again, the Society has found that one
  can read between even the simplest geographic lines.
  Extraction or Recovery When discretion is paramount,
  Nags are occasionally employed to locate and recover an
  artifact, object, or individual. Such operations include the
  recruitment and societal extraction of potential Nags. While
  never embodying discretion, the cinematic adventures of
  Indiana Jones are illustrative of extraction and recovery op-
  erations.
  Investigation Some RFA’s involve exploring mysterious or
  inaccessible parts of the Earth. Nags particularly enjoy in-
  vestigating mysterious or anomalous circumstances. Doyle’s
  Professor Challenger conducted an investigation in The Lost
  World, as did Professor Von Hardwigg and his nephew,
  Harry, in Verne’s A Journey to the Center of the Earth. Hodg-
  son’s Carnaki represents an archetypal investigator.
  Miscellany These are the requests that don’t fit into any
  other category—they are often the most enjoyable.
  Preservation Such RFA’s are emblematic of Society Op-
  erations. Green and Red Preservationists specialize in main-
  taining the continued existence of rare or endangered
  ecosystems, creatures, and cultures. Such operations must
  often be performed in complete secrecy to avoid unwanted
  public attention. Some adventures experienced by H.P.
  Lovecraft’s protagonists involve preservation (although
  more often due to abject fear, rather than principle).
  MANNER OF NAGOPS
  All Nags are trained extensively at their home Campus (see
  page 23) following recruitment, and proficiencies are peri-
  odically updated during a Nag’s career. While each instruc-
  tor approaches the task differently, the overall goals of
  training are consistent throughout the Society.
  The first and most important instruction is in investiga-
  tive methods and techniques. Before any Nag charges into
  an operation, he or she will exhaust all available avenues of
  inquiry that might shed light upon a mystery or obviate
  physical confrontation. In fact, entire Areas of Specialty are
  devoted to research, indicating the high regard with which it
  is treated within the Society.
  All Nags become comfortable in civic and private re-
  cord halls, public libraries,
  newspaper morgues. In
  addition, they are
  instructed in effective use
  of Society information
  extraction tools, which are
  usually slightly more
  advanced than those in
  general use (depending
  upon the particulars of a
  campaign—players should
  confer with the GM). In
  the present day, for
  example, the Society would
  use giant networked
  supercomputers to tap into vast databases of information
  publicly (and not so–) available online. Some GM’s might
  like the idea of a steam–powered Babbage engine for infor-
  mation storage and retrieval in Victorian and early Twenti-
  eth century campaigns. Nags are also educated in
  interviewing and other information extraction techniques, in
  order to draw upon individual as well as archival knowledge.
  Many operations require a physical component, and thus
  Nags are well–versed in combat, survival, and extraction
  techniques. Because discretion is vital to NagOps, Society
  members are skilled in the art of tranquilization and inca-
  pacitation, with and without weapons and other tools. For
  example, the Society has conducted extensive research into
  the use of breath weapons such as blowpipes, and the vari-
  ous concoctions that a Nags might administer in order to
  render a person unconscious. Many Nags are trained to syn-
  thesize such compounds with available ingredients in the
  field. Some Nags study in eastern countries to learn
  non–lethal martial arts techniques. In Victorian and
  
  11
  turn–of–the–century campaigns, such training would be
  quite extraordinary, and therefore surprising to witnesses.
  Modern day NagOps often necessitate further refinements
  in combat procedures.
  Because many NagOps require Members to operate in
  the field for extended periods of time with little Society
  support, Nags are trained in survival skills. It is usual within
  a group of Nags to have several different areas of survival
  training represented, so that individuals can share their ex-
  pertise with the group.
  THE WELL–DRESSED NAG
  Personal wealth plays a small role in the World of NAGS.
  Members find all amenities available at Society campuses
  and they receive an expense account for purchases in the
  field. The Society provides individual Nags with all equip-
  ment necessary for a successful operation. In game terms,
  an item’s weight and bulkiness are more critical than its
  value. If a Nag needs to purchase an item in the field, the
  GM should determine a price appropriate to the campaign
  time period.
  There are two philosophies that a GM might adopt con-
  cerning PC equipment, depending upon the type and style
  of campaign. In the realistic mode, the players select their
  complement of equipment and record each item on their
  Character Record. For particular realism, the GM requires
  players to note an item’s weight so that the character’s en-
  cumbrance can be determined. Characters may only use
  items that are listed on the record. The list below includes
  examples of the kind of equipment that Nags might find
  useful.
  Alternately, the GM and players might prefer to play in a
  cinematic/pulp fiction mode. Players could pick out a few
  major items before commencing an adventure, and then
  play begins. In the style of movies and adventure magazines,
  each Nag always seems to possess just the items he or she
  needs—within reason. Creative players will enjoy describing
  the perfect knick–knack that they just happen to have
  tucked in a jacket pocket. The exception to this rule is
  NagTech gadgetry (see the next section). The potency of
  NagTech requires the GM to hold the reins more closely.
  MUNDANE EQUIPMENT
  The following list of equipment is decidedly general and
  vague. Handguns, for example, are described merely as
  small, medium, or large. We leave it to the Game Master
  and players to add details to equipment if desired (specifying
  a particular make and caliber of weapon, for example).
  Many popular RPG’s have extensive and detailed lists of
  weapons and equipment—see the appendix for references.
  We particularly recommend the equipment section of
  Space 1889 for all of its lavish beauty.
  Amenities
  These items, while in some ways superfluous, can make all
  the difference in a successful NagOp. Use of these items
  may afford a positive modifier for some skill rolls, at the
  GM’s discretion.
  Accommodations, portable In order to survive in the
  field in comfort, a Nag requires suitable living quarters and
  amenities. Deluxe quarters include a sizeable tent, cooking
  kit, cot, toiletry items, writing desk, &c. Such quarters pack
  up in several trunks and bundles, requiring a means of
  transport. The Spartan version includes a small tent, essen-
  tial cooking gear, and a sleeping bag, all in a backpack with
  frame.
  Attire, adventurous Nags affect slightly passé fashions in
  order to fade into the background. However, Nags also
  require a quantity of bottomless pockets in order to store all
  of the gewgaws that insure a successful Operation. Such
  outfits might include essential accoutrements such as a pith
  helmet, walking stick or umbrella, riding crops, pince–nez,
  pocket watch and fob, &c.
  Attire, formal During Society Operations, the field does
  not always indicate the untamed portions of the globe.
  Sometimes a crucial clue can only be uncovered at an urban
  cocktail party or during a night at the opera. Nags are
  trained to survive in formal soirees as well as barren wastes.
  Many Nags carry a rucksack that disgorge a variety of ap-
  propriate formal attire, miraculously fresh and unwrinkled.
  
  12
  Desk, portable An elegant and effective piece of furniture
  for conducting correspondence or composing reports in the
  field. Includes a variety of writing implements and station-
  ery, envelopes, sealing wax, string, &c. Generally appears as
  elegant yet solidly constructed box, approximately 36 inches
  wide by 12 inches deep and tall, with a front door that folds
  down to create a writing surface. Interior comprises innu-
  merable pigeon holes, drawers, compartments, shelves, &c.
  Gas mask Nags must occasionally pass into areas in which
  the atmosphere is noxious or otherwise unbreathable. Nags
  will employ gas masks and other protective gear in order to
  ensure their safety. Such masks are often compact, and can
  thus be carried in a concealed compartment until required.
  Gramophone, portable Plays records or (for early models)
  wax cylinders. Employed for entertainment, or possibly to
  perpetrate a ruse—broadcasting a certain sound effect or
  someone’s voice, &c. Must be hand cranked periodically,
  unless some clockwork power source is manufactured.
  Survival kit A kit with items to facilitate survival in various
  hostile environments. Contents of individual kits will vary,
  but often includes dried foods, basic cooking implements
  and sleeping gear, a first aid kit, a small defensive weapon
  (dagger or blowgun), lightweight thermal undergarments, a
  snorkel and goggles, &c. The GM might require the player
  to specify, or the kit could contain a few surprises when
  employed. Possession of such a kit might afford positive
  modifiers to Survival skill rolls.
  Reference
  Society Members refer to several important reference works
  with regularity. Such volumes will be well–thumbed and
  dog–eared. In modern day campaigns, such works might be
  held in a palmtop “reader” rather than a traditional tome.
  Archæological Anomalies by Emil Franklin. The essential
  treatise on strange and mysterious locations throughout the
  globe. Some of the locales detailed within are well–known
  to the world at large, while many are only recognized for
  their true import by the Society.
  Cartography in Crisis by Samovar. A thick tome that new
  recruits must wade through in order to eradicate naïve pre-
  conceptions about how our world has been depicted. The
  Society regards the maps drawn by lay people as crude cari-
  catures scrawled by children. The Society considers cartog-
  raphy as an art form requiring passion and skill, and their
  maps are intricate, nearly inconceivable works of art.
  Geology of Wonder by Constance Pill. The Society itself
  possesses only a rudimentary understanding of the true na-
  ture of the Earth. Some, following Professor Challenger,
  believe that it is, in fact, a complex living organism. Others
  hold that it is honeycombed with hidden depths, and might
  harbor races about whom we surface crawlers yet know
  nothing. Pill explores myriad theories, conventional and
  outré, without herself rendering a definitive verdict.
  Scientific equipment
  Nags will often require a variety of portable yet reliable sci-
  entific apparati in order to execute NagOps effectively. Use
  of these tools would most likely afford positive modifiers to
  appropriate skill rolls.
  Archæologist’s tools A standard issue toolkit would in-
  clude a variety of small picks, brushes, trowels, &c., as well
  as pouches for collecting samples, labels for identification,
  and a notebook for recording critical information about an
  artifact. Such tools have not changed much through the
  years (save for the removal of dynamite from the reper-
  toire).
  Binoculars An invaluable assistant in making that which is
  distant observable without interference. Specially modified
  pairs can be combined with a camera to create a telephoto
  lens.
  Camera When one’s intention involves documentation and
  preservation, a camera is often the most important tool.
  Society Members pioneered the use of photographic tech-
  nology, from the earliest Daguerreotype to modern digital
  equipment. Nags are expert at capturing the moment on
  film and can develop plates in the field when required.
  Standard Society photographic equipment will be slightly
  ahead of the time period in which it is found. See the fol-
  lowing section on NagTechnology for information regard-
  ing the cutting edge.
  Developing lab, portable It is occasionally necessary to
  develop photographic plates in the field. This portable lab
  provides all the necessary chemicals and apparatus for de-
  veloping plates, including tools for touching up and altering
  prints.
  
  13
  Dissecting lab, portable Sometimes the only means of
  preserving a specimen is through gathering information and
  understanding. Kit allows a medically trained Nag in the
  field to perform detailed autopsies on expired organisms.
  Includes tools for the procedure as well as containers for
  collecting and preserving samples and specimens.
  Doctor’s black bag Extremely useful for administering
  medical care to Members in the field. Such a kit allows a
  properly–trained user to stabilize a wounded individual and,
  with time, to restore the soul to health.
  Forensic evidence kit A comprehensive kit for collecting
  evidence in a particular location. Includes devices for col-
  lecting fingerprints, fiber samples, plaster for taking im-
  prints of footprints or tire tracks, &c., &c. When combined
  with a NagTech communications array (a personal Babbage
  engine, for example) the Nag may draw upon a Society da-
  tabase of records.
  Laboratory, portable A general purpose apparatus, the
  portable lab allows the performance of a variety of scientific
  inquiries and explorations while in the field. A user might
  synthesize a chemical, identify a substance, or isolate the
  cause of an event. A standard issue kit does not allow the
  creation of NagTech gadgetry—see the following section.
  Tools
  Nags in the field require a variety of mundane tools. Use of
  such tools will probably afford positive modifiers on appro-
  priate skill rolls.
  Axe A useful implement for cutting wood, clearing brush,
  and, in a pinch, defending one’s self.
  Blowtorch On occasion, only brute
  force will suffice. This compact device
  produces a flame capable of welding
  two pieces of metal or cutting through
  a metal surface. Might be used as a
  close range weapon in a pinch.
  Climbing equipment Necessary gear for ascending or de-
  scending a steep incline. Includes gloves, rope, pitons, grap-
  nel, spikes, &c.
  Compass Useful for determining one’s orientation with
  regard to magnetic North. In the modern day, the simple
  compass yields to the Global Positioning System. Simple
  compass may still be necessary in the event of a technology
  failure.
  Explosives As simple as a stick of dynamite to as high tech
  as explosive paste, demolitions are used as a last resort by
  Nags in the field.
  Lockpick set Enhances a properly trained Nag’s success in
  opening locks on doors and safes. Generally the tools are in
  a small velvet pouch that might be concealed in a coat
  pocket.
  Light source Possibilities include a flashlight or torch, lan-
  tern, miner’s lamp, &c.
  Machete Useful for clearing brush, chopping vines, cleav-
  ing coconuts, and, when necessary, defending one’s self.
  Tool kit Comprises an assortment of useful tools and im-
  plements, including rope, wire, hammer, saw, pliers, screw-
  driver, &c. Can be employed to repair or construct items.
  Gadgeteers will require a special set of tools to repair or
  create NagTechnology.
  Weapons
  While combat is strenuously avoided by Members executing
  NagOperations, prudence dictates that Nags carry some
  form of martial implements for self–defence. Most Nags
  also wield some form of NagTech weapon that tranquilizes
  rather than injures.
  Archaic weapon Nags will sometimes run across an oppo-
  nent wielding (or wield themselves) an archaic weapon such
  as a sword, pole arm, battle axe, &c. Items of recent con-
  struction will function as expected, although the wielder
  probably will not be trained in its use. Antique weapons will
  generally be of inferior quality, resulting in a negative modi-
  fier, and possibly breaking during use.
  Automatic weapon A machine gun, submachine gun, or
  other weapon that fires multiple shots while one holds
  down the trigger. Refer to the section on combat for how to
  determine hits and damage for such weapons. Infrequently
  utilized by Nags.
  Dagger A small, concealable blade that can menace, cut
  bindings, and inflict minor damage.
  Handgun Comes in three varieties—Small, Medium, and
  Large—roughly correlating to .22, .38, and .45 caliber
  weapons. A plethora of manufacturers, calibers, physical
  lengths are possible. Players can specify as completely as
  desired.
  Missile weapon A bow, crossbow, sling, bolos, &c. If an
  antique version, would receive penalty due to inferior qual-
  ity. Refer to the section concerning ranged combat for a
  discussion of using missile weapons.
  Rifle Player can specify the exact model and caliber, if de-
  sired. Might also include a silencer to muffle sound when
  firing.
  Shotgun Player can specify the exact model and bore, if
  desired. Some villains might have sawed of the barrel to
  conceal weapon more effectively. See combat rules for the
  effects of such modification on accuracy.
  Whip Somewhat ineffective yet a classic pulp–heroic
  weapon. Inflicts some damage, might also entangle oppo-
  nent temporarily.
  
  14
  VEHICLES FOR NAGOPS
  Vehicles are typically provided to Nags by the Society for
  use during NagOps. Some Members may have “signature”
  vehicles (in the spirit of Agent 007’s Aston Martin, &c.).
  Other vehicles will only be used for particular operations.
  If the GM intends a vehicle only as a means of convey-
  ance, then she can specify only the bare necessities and it
  can be used by any Nag with appropriate skill. If, however,
  the vehicle is to play a larger role in the adventure, the GM
  will undoubtedly want to specify its nature more completely.
  Vehicles will be described with the following attributes:
  Quality, Speed, Maneuver, and Range. Each attribute is
  rated according to the c.FUDGE scale of Superb… Fair…
  Terrible. Quality refers to the vehicle’s general state, and
  players might roll against quality when no other attribute is
  appropriate. Speed, Maneuver, and Range are all relative
  terms, and the players might be asked to roll against a trait
  when attempting a particular maneuver. Vehicles with high
  attributes might afford their pilots a bonus to a skill roll,
  while those of a shabbier nature may impose penalties. Re-
  fer the following section on NagTech and the c.FUDGE
  system in Part II (beginning on page 31) for complete dis-
  cussions of the game mechanics involved.
  In addition to its attributes, a vehicle might be capable
  of a skill or two independent of its pilot’s abilities. For ex-
  ample, due to their construction, airships are particularly
  stealthy when flown at high altitudes. When a character pi-
  loting a NagDig attempts to pass over a village without
  alerting anyone, the GM might ask the player to make a
  piloting roll, modified by the ship’s great stealth, or the GM
  might simply ask the player to roll against the ship’s stealth
  skill.
  Finally, a vehicle might also possess gifts and fault.
  These would be particular quirks about a vehicle that make
  it special—either a joy to drive, or a nightmare on Earth.
  The players and GM should work together to decide how a
  vehicle’s gifts and faults will affect its performance during
  play.
  We should note again that all of these rules will only
  come into play if the vehicle is going to play some special
  role in the adventure, or if it is more fun for the players and
  GM. To make things simpler, have the player use the ap-
  propriate piloting skill for all rolls—to succeed in a
  loop–the–loop, to fly past a small town unno-
  ticed—whatever the task being attempted.
  It is also possible for the GM to consider vehicles to be
  NagTech items (see the next section). In this case, the GM
  should define the important uses and effects and create a
  Glitch Table for the vehicle.
  For each vehicle, we will begin with some general com-
  ments about the type and its uses by the Society. We will
  then include an example of each vehicle with complete sta-
  tistics. The GM can extrapolate her own variations accord-
  ingly.
  Aeroplanes and Helicopters
  The Society pioneered heavier–than–air travel long before
  the brothers Wright made their historic hop at Kitty Hawk.
  In the early years of the Twentieth century, Society Mem-
  bers regularly employ bi– and triplanes and other, more
  outré contraptions. In the modern day, the Society will pio-
  neer the use of faster–than–sound flight without the ac-
  companying sonic boom.
  THE GLORIA ANN— NIMBLE DAREDEVIL
  The Gloria Ann is a sturdy and nimble triplane intended to
  get Nags in and out of remote locations with a minimum of
  fuss. Unlike similar models adopted by the armed forces,
  which were painted a gaudy red or sporting huge bull’s eyes
  on the wings, the Gloria Ann employs camouflage inspired
  by its avian relations: it is light colored on its ventral side
  and with irregular dark patches painted on its dorsal. The
  internal combustion engine, while robust, is specially con-
  structed to emit as little noise as possible. The Gloria Ann
  has an open cockpit and a seat for a passenger immediately
  behind. Its major weakness is that its light weight precludes
  a sizeable fuel tank—the Gloria Ann must refuel regularly.
  Attributes
  Skills
  Gifts/Faults
  Quality: Good
  Stealth: Good
  Refuel regularly
  Speed: Great
  Acrobatics: Great
  Maneuver : Great
  Range: Fair
  
  15
  Automobiles
  The Society did not invent the horseless carriage, but they
  purchased and modified early versions for NagOperations.
  From the beginning, the Society outfitted automobiles with
  useful contraptions such as smokescreen emitters,
  quick–changing color and accessories, and the ability to
  convert into another type of vehicle.
  THE RODHAM ROADSTER—ELECTRIC WONDER
  The RR was a favorite among Nags during the late ’teens
  and early twenties. Appearing as an upscale touring car, the
  Rodham Roadster was able to accelerate quickly, could main-
  tain a speed of 75 miles per hour, and, most incredibly, ran
  entirely on electricity. The engine compartment held enor-
  mous batteries that recharged themselves through solar
  collecting panels incorporated into the body. The engine
  powered all four wheels when necessary, and the tires had
  retractable spikes to improve off–road traction. Specially
  created pigment capillaries in the body allow Nags to
  change the car’s color in thirty seconds. Every Roadster is
  equipped with a communications array (a wireless transmit-
  ter/receiver and possibly a PBE—see the section concern-
  ing NagTech).
  Attributes
  Skills
  Gifts/Faults
  Quality: Fair
  Change colors
  Speed: Great
  Maneuver: Good
  Range: Superb
  Bicycles and Motorcycles
  Two–wheeled vehicles are frequently utilized by Nags due
  to their maneuverability and concealability. They are often
  modified for particular Operations—one might include a
  retractable hang glider while another folds up into a small
  briefcase. Motorcycles are an extremely exciting technology
  employed by Society Members in the field. A seem-
  ingly–normal appearing cycle heading for a cliff might sud-
  denly sprout wings. A sidecar might detach and head off, an
  independent vehicle. Some cycles are modified for use un-
  derwater as well.
  THE SPENCER—FAST WORKHORSE
  This model resembles the solidly constructed two–wheelers
  popular with school children in the 1950’s. The difference is
  that the Spencer packs a powerful motor concealed within its
  massive frame. From a pedaled speed of 5 MPH the Spencer
  can reach 60 in ten seconds. At such speeds, however, ma-
  neuverability suffers—the rider must take care not to flip
  the bike while cornering. It is best for going straight, but
  fast!
  The rear reflector retracts to reveal a small tube that
  emits a thick mist that obscures the vision of those in pur-
  suit. The light on the front fender is a powerful searchlight.
  Finally, the horn is a simple, long range communications
  device that functions while the rubber bulb is squeezed.
  Attributes
  Skills
  Gifts/Faults
  Quality: Good
  Heavy
  Speed: Great
  Unbreakable
  Maneuver: Mediocre
  Range: Fair
  
  16
  Dirigibles and Balloons
  Airships are utilized extensively by the Society because they
  are virtually noiseless and have a longer range than most
  aircraft. In fact, with Society solar technology, dirigibles can
  have an unlimited range by deriving power from the sun.
  NagDigs are frequently outfitted for extended voyages
  when the Society deems it more efficient for a party of Nags
  to remain in the field rather than to base themselves at a
  specific Campus.
  Because of their popularity in the general public, hot air
  balloons are also commonly employed on NagOps. Such
  vehicles might include a pressurized basket for high–altitude
  comfort as well as paragliders for emergency evacuation.
  THE NAS STALWART—SPACIOUS AND FORMIDABLE
  The NAGS Air Ship Stalwart is an immense craft intended
  for long term independent operation in the field. Nearly 150
  meters in length, the Stalwart contains quarters for a sizeable
  crew, a lab for creating and maintaining NagTech, as well as
  a complement of support vehicles. The Stalwart rarely de-
  scends from its high orbit—Nags generally employ a para-
  glider or balloon to reach the surface.
  The Stalwart is powered by solar–charged batteries, with
  an effectively infinite range. The craft periodically restocks
  and effects repairs and some of the more remote Society
  campuses. The craft is not particularly fast and reacts slowly
  to the helm—evasion is not a strong suit. However, it har-
  bors within the means to attend to any emergency situation,
  as well as facilitating the comfort and civility of its crew.
  Attributes
  Skills
  Gifts/Faults
  Quality: Good
  Well–appointed
  Speed: Fair
  Maneuver: Terrible
  Range Legendary
  Submarines
  Submersible craft are indispensable for extended underwa-
  ter operations. Frequently out of range from the sun for
  lengthy time periods and not possessing enough oxygen to
  maintain combustion, Society solar or steam power are ir-
  relevant. NagSubs are powered by an experimental chemical
  process that separates the hydrogen and oxygen derived
  from seawater. The Society has yet to work the bugs entirely
  out of this arrangement, and some undersea Operations are
  cut short due to power difficulties.
  Large craft are appointed with as much care and fore-
  thought as are NagDigs for extended voyages. Smaller Nag-
  Subs might be intended for short range reconnaissance
  Operations, or to get Nags into and out of sticky situations.
  THE NSS ZEPHYR—DEEP SEA EXPLORER
  The NAGS Submersible Ship Zephyr is a mid–sized craft in-
  tended to execute specific Operations. It is quick and
  stealthy, painted to resemble a killer whale. The Zephyr can
  dive and surface at will, and can, in fact, break the surface in
  a whale–like leap. It is outfitted with powerful, focussed
  search lights as well as sophisticated sonar equipment. The
  bow sports a retractable drilling apparatus that can pierce
  solid rock (or another craft, in desperation). Passengers find
  accommodations aboard the Zephyr tight but comfortable. It
  carries a full complement of deep sea diving gear for the
  crew.
  Attributes
  Skills
  Gifts/Faults
  Quality: Great
  Stealth;: Good
  Experimental
  Speed: Good
  Perception: Great
  power
  Maneuver: Superb
  Drill: Great
  Range: Good
  
  17
  NagTech
  NagTech is a large part of what makes the World of NAGS special. The inspiration for NagTech came from several sources,
  including the Victorian love for complex mechanical devices, the explosion of inventing around the turn of the century, and
  the gadgets employed by pulp fictional adventurers. The type of NagTech devices employed by Nag PC’s and villains will go
  a long way towards establishing the “flavor” of your unique World of Nags.
  WHAT IS NAGTECH?
  NagTech is cutting–edged technology, created by the Soci-
  ety’s Research & Development department as well as gath-
  ered from sources outside the organization. Nags in the
  field are guinea pigs for many items that are subsequently
  released to the world—Society Members work out the kinks
  and suffer from the malfunctions before general release. As
  examples, Nags in the late Nineteenth century employed
  wireless transmitters and receivers to communicate globally,
  used prototypical breathing equipment for undersea explo-
  ration, and pioneered travel air travel long before Count
  Zeppelin and the Wright Brothers.
  Proper NagTech should be useful and serve a specific
  function, but gadgets should be created with the tongue
  slightly in cheek. Although never silly, NagTech gadgets do
  require a sense of humor. The balance of a game can shift
  radically due to an unexpected glitch in function. Unlike
  magic items in fantasy or ultra–technology in the futuristic
  genre, a NagTech gadget’s ever–present possibility of mal-
  function makes Nag PC’s eminently vincible.
  NAGSPEAK: GLITCH
  The Oxford English Dictionary describes the origin of the
  word “glitch” as “20th century slang, origin unknown.” Of
  course, this is yet another example of an important term
  created by the NAGS and yet not circulated widely for
  years. Beginning with the first NagTech gadget in 1852 (the
  T3), Nags used the term “glitch” to describe the unwanted
  or unexpected outcomes of using the products of
  NagTechnology.
  The GM should oversee the distribution of NagTech. In
  fact, we encourage the GM to create a character (perhaps
  based on “Q” in the James Bond stories) who distributes
  NagTech to the PC’s. This figure might sometimes assign a
  PC or NPC technician to accompany the party and maintain
  the item or items.
  Some NagTech is practical, while other items are for
  maintaining civility. The GM should feel free to add or dis-
  allow items of NagTech according to her intentions for the
  campaign. A “realistic” campaign might include only realis-
  tic items in prototypical form, several years before their
  actual invention. Other campaigns might allow idiosyncratic
  gadgets that have no counterpart in reality.
  RECORDING NAGTECH
  Each NagTech item should have its own card to record all
  pertinent information. Although any piece of paper will do,
  we use a format that fits on a 3×5 index card. By using such
  cards, the GM can maintain a neat file of NagTech items.
  When creating an item, the player or GM should record
  the item’s name, its quality, the creator’s name, and the date
  of creation (in campaign time). Next, one should describe
  the item’s intended uses and effects. Also note any special
  information in this section, such as if an item needs to be
  recharged, and any other important information about its
  operation. Finally, the large space is provided for an illustra-
  tion of the item. We will discuss in the following section
  how to use all of this information.
  Uses/Effects:
  Pick Locks
  Set Traps
  Find Traps
  • Must be remagnetized periodically
  • Emits ultrasonic beeps, vibrations
  Great
  London Campus
  Quality:
  Creator:
  Date of Creation:
  4/3/1885
  Skeleton Key
  Record the item’s Glitch Table (see the next section) on
  the back of the card.
  Glitch Table for
  Terrible
  Temporary Failure
  Unexpected
  Unexpected
  Partial Failure
  Partial Failure
  Partial Failure
  Unexpected
  Unexpected
  Sparks, beeps, etc.
  Below Terrible
  Breaks Off in Lock
  Breaks in Half
  Temporary Failure
  Unexpected
  Unexpected
  Unexpected
  Functions 1d6 times
  Continuous Function
  Transmogrifies
  Poor
  Limited Success
  Limited Success
  No Glitch
  No Glitch
  No Glitch
  No Glitch
  No Glitch
  Limited Success
  Limited Success
  –4
  –3
  –2
  –1
  0
  +1
  +2
  +3
  +4
  Skeleton Key
  
  18
  USING NAGTECH
  The following section describes how players and game mas-
  ters can role–play the use of NagTech Gadgets by using the
  c.FUDGE system. Players and GM’s should be familiar with
  the section regarding Action Resolution in the Game Sys-
  tem (Part II) for a description of the mechanics involved.
  For Nags campaigns that employ a different rules system,
  the GM can adapt the necessary rules.
  Operational Rolls
  Each NagTech item has a quality level on the Terrible…
  Fair…Superb scale (see Trait Levels in Part II, The
  c.FUDGE Game System, below). Determine and record an
  item’s quality when it is created. For example, a certain
  Nag’s wireless set is Good, his friend’s NagWriter is Fair,
  &c. Quality generally does not change during an adventure,
  except possibly as the result of a glitch. Extremely
  avant–garde items will probably be of lower quality until the
  Society’s technicians have had a few years to work out the
  bugs. NagTech created by Gadgeteers in the field will most
  likely be of lower quality than an item fashioned in the labs
  of a Society campus, although this is not always the case.
  Whenever a Nag intends to use a gadget, the GM sets a
  difficulty roll for the activity on the Terrible…Fair…Superb
  scale—Terrible for simple tasks, Fair for run–of–the–mill
  activities, and Superb for the incredibly difficult. The diffi-
  culty level should account for various factors such as
  weather conditions, the need for haste, whether or not the
  PC is involved in combat, &c. The GM should never need
  to modify the operational roll with plusses or minuses as the
  difficulty level accounts for all modifications.
  The player then makes an Operational Roll with four
  FUDGE dice (4dF). The player rolls against the item’s
  quality level and tries to match or surpass the Difficulty
  Level set by the GM (see the section concerning Unop-
  posed Actions for a complete discussion). The result of the
  roll determines the action. In some cases, the player need
  only equal or exceed the difficulty level to achieve success.
  In other instances, the better the roll, the better the results;
  the worse the roll, the worse the problems.
  For some items of NagTech, the use is obvious—the
  TTT serves afternoon tea. Other gadgets operate as though
  they employed a standard skill or skills that might be pos-
  sessed by a player character. Some items may, in fact, pos-
  sess several skills. Occasionally, one or more of an item’s
  uses may function below the item’s general level of quality.
  Such uses should be clearly recorded (Pick locks [fair] on a
  Good quality skeleton key, for example).
  The Game Master will determine the result of successful
  rolls by referring to the item’s intended Uses/Effects re-
  corded on its NagTech card. Items will have only the uses
  and effects clearly described on their card. If the player can
  justify a novel use, the GM can take this into account.
  Cecil Bigglesworth, Nag extraordinaire, is stuck in an inacces-
  sible spot in the Himalayas, desperately trying to raise a col-
  league on his Fair quality wireless set . The GM determines
  that using the set in this situation is of Fair difficulty. Because
  the set’s quality is Fair, Cecil need only  roll 0 or better for
  success. On his first try, he rolls a +1: Good. The set has worked
  better than usual, and the GM asserts that the message went
  through clearly.
  Glitches
  Because of its experimental nature, NagTech functions er-
  ratically—sometimes comically so. A potential Nag’s quali-
  fications must include unflappability in the face of
  catastrophic equipment failure.
  Poor or worse results indicate that a glitch has occurred,
  requiring the player to consult the item’s Glitch Table. The
  player should roll 4dF again and consult the appropriate
  column of the item’s Glitch Table. The Standard Glitch
  Table provides generic results that the GM can specify
  when the glitch occurs. The GM or gadgeteering player can
  also create a unique table for specialized items. The GM will
  determine the exact nature of the glitch based upon the
  result of the player’s roll. Note that for rare items of Poor
  or Terrible quality, the player will have to roll positive re-
  sults to avoid suffering a glitch with each use!
  The Standard Glitch Table
  Terrible
  Temporary Failure
  Unexpected
  Unexpected
  Partial Failure
  Partial Failure
  Partial Failure
  Unexpected
  Unexpected
  Sparks, beeps, etc.
  Below Terrible
  Explodes
  Permanent Failure
  Temporary Failure
  Unexpected
  Unexpected
  Unexpected
  Functions 1d6 times
  Continuous Function
  Transmogrifies
  Poor
  Limited Success
  Limited Success
  No Glitch
  No Glitch
  No Glitch
  No Glitch
  No Glitch
  Limited Success
  Limited Success
  –4
  –3
  –2
  –1
  0
  +1
  +2
  +3
  +4
  
  19
  The following descriptions are guidelines for determin-
  ing and describing an item’s glitches. Players are encouraged
  to contribute ideas about equipment failure, but the final
  effects are the GM’s prerogative.
  Limited Success “The glass half full.” The item functions
  more or less normally, with only a slight reduction in effect:.
  A weapon will cause less damage, a wireless will transmit
  less accurately, a TTT brews tea for half the party, &c.
  Partial failure “The glass half empty.” The item functions,
  but just barely. A weapon merely stings, a wireless transmits
  with static, tea is cold with floating leaves.
  Unexpected result The item has an unexpected, if benign
  result. The results should be logical to the item’s function-
  ing—a weapon projects light and heat but does no damage,
  a wireless garbles the message so that it is misunderstood,
  the tea tray brews the scones and butters the tea.
  Temporary failure The item has does not function for this
  application, but might work upon subsequent attempts.
  Sparks, beeps, smoke The item emits sparks, beeps, and
  smoke, without functioning. In certain circumstances, such
  effects might draw attention to the user or even start a fire!
  Permanent failure The item ceases functioning and will
  not work upon subsequent attempts until repaired.
  Functions 1d6 times Items functions normally, but 1d6
  times more than the user intended—a weapon fires 4 shots
  instead of one, the radio repeats a message twice, the T
  3
  prepares tea for 8 instead of four, &c.
  Continuous function The item becomes “stuck.” Continu-
  ous functioning will deplete a power source, and will require
  the operator to damage the item to stop it.
  Explodes The item overloads and explodes, causing dam-
  age to the user and those nearby her or him. The item is
  completely destroyed beyond repair.
  Transmogrifies The item overloads, but instead of ex-
  ploding, it transmogrifies into some other type of gadget.
  The TTT shoots an energy beam, the wireless brews tea,
  &c. This should be a source for humor and whimsy, and
  does not need to be scientifically plausible. The experimen-
  tal nature of NagTech allows for such anomalous behaviors.
  Rejoining our friend Cecil on the mountain, the GM rules that
  the Nag’s next use of his wireless set will again be Fairly diffi-
  cult. Cecil’s unfortunate player rolls –2: Poor! The player must
  now roll again and consult the set’s Glitch Table to determine
  what has happened.
  Cecil’s unlucky player rolls –3. Recalling the Poor Opera-
  tional Roll , a quick look at the appropriate column of the Stan-
  dard Glitch Table reveals that the wireless set has achieved
  Limited Success. The GM decides that an important incoming
  message is garbled, and Cecil can only make out every other
  word. Let’s hope Cecil can interpret his colleague’s message
  before  freezing to death!
  DEVELOPING NAGTECH
  Players and Game Masters should keep several factors in
  mind while developing original NagTech gadgets. First of
  all, in order to find a proper place in the World of Nags,
  gadgets should be slightly outlandish, unpredictable, and
  humorous. Even the simplest processes should require
  complex machinations to complete. Examples include vari-
  ous clockwork gadgets of the Victorian period, as well as
  items used by fictional adventurers.
  In order to maintain game balance, Players and Game
  Masters should explicitly describe a gadget’s intended func-
  tions. Generally speaking, an item should do one or possibly
  two things well, and might also perform a small auxiliary
  function or two. A NagTech gadget can perform a standard
  skill that might be possessed by a PC. An example is a skele-
  ton key, which picks locks and sets keyhole traps. Other
  items, such as the bat, perform unique functions.
  For the Game Master, creating NagTech is as simple as
  coming up with a concept, deciding upon the item’s quality,
  creator, date of creation, and intended uses and effects. All
  of this information can be recorded on a NagTech gadget
  card (see section above on Recording NagTech and the
  Appendices for printable forms). Finally, the GM should
  decide if the item will use the Standard Glitch Table or if
  she will create a new Glitch Table specifically for the item.
  Players desiring to create original NagTech must un-
  dergo a more rigorous process. First of all, the PC must
  possess the Gadgeteer skill. Characters who do not possess
  the skill themselves could communicate their ideas to the
  Research and Development department at a Society Cam-
  pus. The GM will then determine how long the item will
  require to produce.
  For the do–it–yourself crowd, the GM will require the
  player to outline the gadget’s specifications, including the
  item’s intended uses and effects, possible malfunctions, and,
  for strict GM’s, a description of the “scientific” processes
  involved. If the character is attempting to produce an item
  that replicates a skill (such as picking locks), then he or she
  either needs to possess the skill at the item’s desired level of
  quality or better, or consult closely with someone who does.
  The GM will then determine the difficulty level of pro-
  duction, how long the item will take to produce, and how
  frequently the player should make Production rolls against
  the appropriate skill. The GM will want to account for the
  complexity of the device, its similarity to existing technology
  or NagTechnology, the completeness of the player’s de-
  scription of the item, and the desired quality of the item.
  Low quality items will be easier to produce than the good
  stuff. The GM should also note if the Gadgeteer is creating
  the item in the field or is taking advantage of a
  well–appointed Society lab.
  If the Gadgeteer continually fails Production rolls, he or
  she may elect to lower the quality of the item. For example,
  the GM may inform a player that he must make six Great
  Gadgeteering rolls at one week intervals in order to produce
  a particular item. If the inventor gets stuck, missing his rolls
  
  20
  for several weeks in a row, he may elect to lower the item’s
  quality to Good or Fair. The GM may then shorten the
  production time, and the Gadgeteer should have a better
  chance to complete the item successfully.
  The GM may also decree that production has failed if
  the Gadgeteer successively fails too many rolls. Perhaps she
  will require the PC or NPC to wait for a certain period of
  time before attempting the particular item again. Creative
  GM’s and players could turn NagTech creation itself into a
  mini–adventure!
  With the perfect idea bouncing around in his head, Neville
  consults a colleague, McTeague, generally known as a Good
  Gadgeteer. Neville’s brainstorm is to create a walking stick
  that doubles as a blowgun for propelling tranquilizer
  darts—something to help him out of  difficult situations with
  discrete style.
  Neville’s player presents the GM with a complete descrip-
  tion of the item’s specifications. It appears as an ornately–
  carved walking stick with gold handle. By pressing a certain
  gemstone, both ends spring open, revealing a finely–honed
  firing barrel. The handle contains a cache of feathered darts
  coated with a powerful tranquilizer. The Player would like
  McTeague to produce a Great quality item.
  As possible glitches, the player suggests that the stick not
  open, the barrel is bent (requiring a more difficult skill roll to
  succeed), the tranquilizer has evaporated and is ineffective,
  and finally, that the dart misfires and tranquilizes the shooter!
  Mulling over this information, the GM decides that this item
  is not particularly complex or difficult to produce. She thinks
  that four weeks of production time should be sufficient, and
  she requires that McTeague make a Fair Gadgeteering roll
  each week in order to achieve success.
  EXAMPLES OF NAGTECH
  Following are some examples of NagTech gadgets, grouped
  according to time period. Many NagTech items can be
  found in successive eras in altered form—generally smaller,
  sleeker, and more efficient—unless they have been “discov-
  ered” by the general public.
  The following list is just a beginning. Many more
  NagTech items are possible and will be detailed on the
  circa games web site. We invite players to send in their
  own creations to share with others.
  Victorian and Edwardian NagTech
  Victorian and Edwardian NagTech was inspired by the vari-
  ety of devices, both useful and absurd, created by inventors
  of the late Nineteenth and early Twentieth centuries. Ex-
  amples can be found in steampunk fiction and role–playing
  games, historical journals, and adventure novels (such as
  those of Jules Verne and H.G. Wells, among others).
  Hallmarks of Victorian and Edwardian NagTech include
  ridiculously complex machinations to perform even the
  simplest function. The GM and Players decide just how silly
  or serious these devices will be.
  Bat A portable radar/sonar device for determining what is
  behind a wall or other impenetrable or inaccessible location.
  It functions by emitting and receiving high–pitched (inaudi-
  ble to normal humans) sounds, and recording the results on
  a series of cards (like a dot–matrix printer). The device con-
  sists of an emitter/receiver array that resembles an enor-
  mous pair of bat’s ears, and the processor/printer unit in
  the form of a box with various cables, gears, &c. Glitches:
  Reads the opposite of what is there, reads what the Nags
  want to be there (rather than what is there—possibly by
  picking up brainwaves and incorporating them into the
  scan, &c.), emits an audible high–pitched shriek, attracts a
  swarm of actual bats.
  Dragonfly A highly–manoeverable paraglider that expands
  on demand from a backpack. When open, resembles a pair
  of translucent double wings, as those on the insect. Some
  experimental models might include a small motor for pow-
  ered flight. Glitches: doesn’t open, “pulls” to the left or
  right, turns continual loops, wings vibrate and produce a
  high–pitched whining/buzzing sound, as with the name-
  sake.
  Gadgeteer’s Toolkit Not a NagTech gadget per se, but es-
  sential for Nags who desire to create gadgetry on the go.
  Toolkits vary in composition according to the style of the
  inventor, but will generally include a number of standard
  and strange tools, wires, gears, dials, springs, and possibly
  beakers, Bunsen burners, Jacob’s ladders, &c. Toolkits do
  not themselves suffer from glitches—rather, they are re-
  sponsible for the glitches that afflict the gadgetry they cre-
  ate.
  Goggles Designed for a variety of functions, goggles might
  be constructed to enhance night or peripheral vision, to
  function as binoculars or microscope, to act as x–ray specs
  (q.v.), or to combine several functions. Goggles can adjust
  to magnify tiny objects or resolve objects at extreme dis-
  tance. Appear as a complex implement that the user dons as
  eyewear, consisting of a variety of lenses that protrude from
  leather headbands. Eyepieces whir and move in and out as
  they adjust to the proper resolution. Cannot be disguised as
  normal eyeglasses. Glitches: Distorts image, becomes near-
  sighted or farsighted (only useful up close or at a distance),
  lens cracks, &c.
  
  21
  NagWriter A kind of portable
  typewriter designed for journalists
  to take notes or to write in the field.
  The item records text as patterns of
  tiny dots on cards that are fed later
  into a typing machine that prints out a hard copy. Each
  stack of NagWriter cards can hold 100 pages of text. Higher
  quality NagWriters can be remotely connected to a Society
  engine via telegraph wires or a wireless set, in which case it
  can act as a Pocket Babbage Engine (see below) and is often
  called a Personal Engine (PE). Glitches: Garbles text,
  doesn’t record text, records text in random order, substi-
  tutes text for that which is intended.
  Needler A pistol or rifle that fires a needle using com-
  pressed air. Nearly silent and without recoil. Ideal for ad-
  ministering tranquilizer doses. Early and lower quality items
  must be reloaded following each firing. Glitches: Misfire,
  makes inordinately loud sound, hits unintended target, tran-
  quilizer acts as poison, has no effect at all, or unintended
  effect (acts as stimulant, &c.).
  Pocket Babbage Engine Used as a personal computing
  device or as a terminal to connect remotely to Society’s en-
  gine on campus. Used to solve
  mathematical or logic problems, and
  other applications can be defined by
  player and GM. Functions through
  clockwork mechanism, involves input
  of data through numerical strings only (no speech or direct
  alphabetic input). If being used remotely, must be con-
  nected to telegraph wires or to wireless transmitter to con-
  nect to main engine. PBE’s take many forms, but often
  resemble a pocket watch. When NagWriters are used as
  PE’s, alphabetic input is, of course, possible. Glitches:
  Gives incorrect response, gives opposite response, connects
  to wrong engine, overloads and self–destructs, keeps bad
  time, alarm sounds at inopportune moment.
  Skeleton Key One of those spooky–looking keys that
  seems to open every lock in a scary locale. This NagTech
  gadget can pick locks as well as find and set simple keyhole
  traps. It must be magnetized periodically to function, and
  works through vibrations and a series of ultrasonic beeps
  and whistles (which might be detected by inhuman ears).
  Glitches: Breaks in lock, fails to find trap, sets trap that
  affects user, gets stuck in lock.
  Spy Camera Obscura A miniature photographic device
  that can be hidden in clothing or an everyday object. Might
  involve some clockwork mechanisms to function (see the
  Example of Play in the Forgotten Futures rulebook by Mar-
  cus Rowland for a good example of a spycam hidden in a
  Victorian woman’s hat.). Plates can be developed in the field
  by Nag with appropriate skill and a field developing lab.
  Glitches: Spycam is obvious while functioning, gets stuck in
  “out” position, captures distorted image, photographs the
  photographer.
  Traveling Tea Tray No self–respecting Nag travels without
  a TTT, or T
  3. It folds up small, opens to reveal tea set and
  food that has been vacuum stored. Stoke up a steam fire
  and the T
  3 brews and dispenses perfect tea. It hisses when
  opened (breaking the vacuum seal) and while operating
  (steam pressure). An antecedent to vending machines.
  Glitches: Brews iced tea or tea with lemon, the cucumber
  sandwiches are wilted.
  Tranquilizer Weapons Most Society operations demand
  discretion; wounding or killing draw attention and raise sus-
  picion. Therefore, the NAGS Society pioneered the use of
  specially modified weapons to propel tranquilizer darts.
  Such modifications do not affect the appearance of weap-
  ons, but restrict the weapon to one firing before reloading.
  In addition, many Nags train in the art of traditional tran-
  quilizing weapons such as blowpipes. Tranquilizing weap-
  ons require characters to achieve a hit as with standard
  weapons. While scratches have no effect at all, hits causing
  wounds of “Hurt” or worse require the wounded party to
  make a Great roll against Vigor to avoid falling asleep. A
  critical success indicates that the tranquilized soul will re-
  main so for twice the standard period. A critical failure
  means that the target is immune to the tranquilizer; subse-
  quent hits by the same weapon will be ineffective. Examples
  of NagTech tranquilizer weapons take a variety of forms,
  including firearms (see Needler), writing quills, walking
  sticks or umbrellas that double as blowpipes, bolos with
  weighted balls containing sleeping gas, &c. Glitches should
  be appropriate to the type of tranquilizer delivery system
  being employed. Glitches: Misfire, fires standard round
  (normal damage), makes inordinately loud sound, hits unin-
  tended target, tranquilizer acts as poison, has no effect at all,
  or unintended effect (acts as stimulant, &c.).
  Wireless Transmitter/Receiver Set A reasonably small
  unit that sends and receives wireless NAGS code transmis-
  sions. After 1900, such transmitters were
  modified to carry spoken words as well as
  code (i.e., two–way radio). Also plays and
  records messages on wax cylinders. Re-
  sembles a victorola, with speaker doubling
  as antenna. Glitches: Garbles message,
  transmits to unintended party, transmis-
  sion reflected (you hear yourself), substi-
  tutes random message.
  X–ray Camera Obscura Combines nascent photographic
  and x–ray technologies. The x–cam captures images that
  penetrate solid objects. Plates can be developed in the field
  by Nag with appropriate skill. Glows an unearthly green
  while functioning. The type or thickness of material to be
  penetrated determines difficulty level. Degree of success
  determines clarity of image. Glitches: Records misleading
  image, cannot penetrate surface, interference in image,
  x–rays combine with surface material for strange side effect.
  
  22
  Deco NagTech
  “Deco” NagTech refers to items employed by Nags be-
  tween the World Wars—the heyday of supernatural investi-
  gative and pulp adventure fiction. The inspiration for this
  gadgetry is often drawn from classic comic books, pulp fic-
  tion, and Saturday morning cartoons. In order to be true
  decoware, gadgets should be designed with an eye to the
  æsthetic, sporting solid yet stylish curves and flourishes.
  Fashion by Savage A reference to the intrepid adventurer,
  Doc Savage. The Man of Bronze had clothing infested with
  useful devices: a tie lined with thermite, rings with radios or
  spring–loaded knives, tiny electromagnets used to open
  locks, &c. Sometimes he combined several compo-
  nents—buttons, hidden chemicals in a shirt lining—to cre-
  ate a crucial compound. According to the style of the
  campaign, the GM could ask the player to specify such de-
  vices, or sit back and smile as the player describes the per-
  fect gizmo for the situation at hand. Glitches: Nag loses
  article of clothing (and therefore, the gadget), thermite is in
  the red tie, device begins to operate while still hidden, &c.
  Jet Pack A staple of adventure fiction technology, and the
  NAGS Worldbook would be remiss to omit it. The jet pack
  is a hefty apparatus worn like backpack, with small rocket
  engines that propels a character through the air. Would
  probably have a built–in parachute. Glitches: Steering or
  acceleration mechanism fails, shoulder straps begin to break,
  pulls to left or right, turns loops, explodes.
  Utility Belt Inspired by that worn by Batman. A belt filled
  with extraordinary gadgets, usually of a small but useful
  nature. Examples include a grappling hook and cord, pow-
  erful adhesive, lock picks, &c. The player or GM might
  specify the exact gadgets included, or allow the player to
  announce them on the fly. Glitches: Unlatches in inoppor-
  tune moment, PC grabs wrong item, item has unexpected
  use, item breaks.
  Wristwatch Communicator Culled from the world of
  Dick Tracy comics, of course. The wristwatch communica-
  tor allows radio communication among wearers. Some
  GM’s might also allow it to transmit visual images as well.
  Glitches: Garbles message, transmits to unintended party,
  transmission reflected (you hear yourself), substitutes ran-
  dom message, becomes sentient and attempts to control
  wearer.
  X–ray Specs Advertised in any reputable comic book, x–ray
  specs allow the wearer to see through solid objects (as ad-
  vertised, intended for prurient purposes). Appear as unflat-
  tering spectacles. Glow an unearthly green while
  functioning. The type or thickness of material to be pene-
  trated determines difficulty level. Degree of success deter-
  mines clarity of image. Glitches: Reveal misleading image,
  cannot penetrate surface, interference in image, x–rays
  combine with surface material for strange side effect, pick
  up on users brain waves to reveal what user wants to see.
  Modern NagTech
  Modern NagTech is perhaps the most difficult to create in
  the spirit of the World of NAGS because modern technol-
  ogy is getting wilder each day. Characteristics of modern
  NagTech might include disguising gadgets as everyday
  items. One immediately thinks of the gadgets employed by
  Agent 007—extremely useful, slightly absurd, yet always just
  what he needs! For a slightly over–the–edge feel, Inspector
  Gadget might also be relevant.
  Breathing Apparatus A tiny device that fits inside a Nag’s
  nose, intended to allow breathing in inhospitable environ-
  ments, such as noxious gas or underwater. Functions by
  filtering ambient atmosphere or extracting oxygen from
  water, but must be combined with compact oxygen tanks to
  allow extended use. Glitches: Begins to create another,
  non–lethal gas (nitrous oxide, soporific gas, stimulant gas,
  &c.); falls out of nose; becomes lodged and cannot be re-
  moved without medical assistance.
  Palmtop The preponderance of handheld computing de-
  vices these days puts one in mind of the tricorder or the
  Star Trek universe. Players and GM’s could devise a multi-
  tude of functions for a simple handheld device: communica-
  tions; recording sound, video, or text (by dictation);
  projecting images (to perpetrate a ruse or convey informa-
  tion); to function as a modern Bat (q.v.), &c. Glitches:
  Would be appropriate to the type of functions (see wrist-
  watch computer, Bat, &c.)
  Ring Rings could contain a potpourri of useful items: pow-
  erful electromagnets that can disrupt computer or commu-
  nication technology, hold a falling Nag to the outside of a
  steel vehicle, or possibly attract and stop projectiles; tran-
  quilizing compounds such as dust or paste; computers or
  communicators (as wristwatch computer, q.v.); a laser; an
  explosive; &c., &c. Glitches: Ring is turned around on fin-
  ger and affects the wearer; needs frequent recharging; emits
  sparks, amplified voice, or siren; magnet pins Nag to some
  large piece of metal.
  Wristwatch Computer A powerful computer that PC’s can
  wear on their wrist. Perhaps possesses information input,
  processing, and
  networking capabilities
  like a Star Trek tri-
  corder. Glitches: Loses
  contact with main
  computer, displays
  anomalous results,
  transmits to
  unintended party,
  suffers from a virus,
  yields unexpected
  results, becomes
  sentient and attempts
  to control wearer.
  
  23
  Running the NAGS Society
  Role–playing the National Archæological Geographical and Submarine Society is the Game Master’s responsibility. This sec-
  tion provides the GM with some ideas for guiding and supporting Nag PC’s during adventures.
  THE SOCIETY’S ROLE
  The Society is a benevolent organization, supporting the
  work of its members to the best of its abilities. The GM
  should strike a balance between facilitating the independent
  work of PC’s and doing the job for them. Nag PC’s might
  call upon the Society for assistance when they are in dire
  straits, but they should not expect to be bailed out of every
  precarious situation. The discreet nature of the work often
  precludes the Society from acknowledging its Members at
  all.
  The GM can use the Society as a means of providing
  clues that might assist PC’s during an investigation. For
  example, if a party of Nags has reached a dead end during
  an inquiry, the GM might introduce an NPC from the Soci-
  ety who has unearthed a particular clue, or who points the
  PC’s in the right direction to find one. One can rest assured
  that in whatever time period a campaign is set, the NAGS
  Society places advanced information–gathering, –storing,
  and –disseminating technology at its Members’ disposal.
  This does not mean that all research can be completed at a
  Society campus; but when other avenues of inquiry are ex-
  hausted, the Society might provide the means for unearthing
  a necessary clue.
  During an adventure that has gone awry, the GM could
  introduce a Society representative to refocus the PC’s or to
  bail them out completely. In such cases, the Society might
  even choose to reassign the Nags until they have acquired
  further experience. Characters who rely too often on the
  Society’s assistance could find themselves out of communi-
  cations range for a time. On the other hand, hard working
  Nags who catch a bad break on a die–roll might deserve a
  helpful Society intervention. The GM should operate the
  deus ex machina as she sees fit.
  The Society also serves as the GM’s gateway for distrib-
  uting NagTech. Player characters in the World of NAGS
  should not run across gadgetry like so many +2 swords in a
  fantasy campaign. The usual method for acquiring NagTech
  is through assignment from the Society. In this manner, the
  GM can maintain some control over game balance—an
  overly powerful item might be unexpectedly recalled by the
  Society for its annual safety inspection, for example. The
  GM will probably outfit the PC’s with small NagTech items
  for their early adventures, reserving the “big guns” until the
  campaign develops. During the course of an adventure, the
  PC’s might also recover an enemy’s technology, or save
  some “rogue” NagTech that has been captured and modi-
  fied by some nefarious villain. This could, of course, pro-
  vide an excellent starting point for a campaign—to recover
  the disintegrator/reintegrator pistol that has fallen into the
  wrong hands!
  POLICIES AND PROTOCOLS
  Because of the NAGS Society’s requirement for discretion
  and tact while executing NagOps, a body of policies and
  protocols has been drafted to give members guidance. The
  most important guideline (similar in spirit to a certain Prime
  Directive) is to leave everything as you found it. The
  sensitive nature of most operations require Nags to employ
  stealth, excellent judgment, and often, a well–aimed tran-
  quilizer dart. For this reason, gaming in the World of Nags
  should be less bloody than in many RPG milieux—players
  should strive to find creative ways to achieve their goals
  without attracting attention.
  Unlike the television show with that certain Prime Di-
  rective, NAGS Society policies and protocols will generally
  not be the focus of an adventure. Society Members are not
  swashbuckling egoists who need to push the envelope of
  what is acceptable to the organization. Players in the World
  of NAGS will most often have already “bought” the con-
  cept of discreet heroism, and therefore will not frequently
  need to be reminded of protocol. However, the GM could
  create interesting scenarios in which the PC’s are sent to
  remind NPC Members of the rules of comportment, or to
  mop up the results of a lapse.
  SOCIETY CAMPUSES
  The NAGS Society maintains offices in a variety of locales
  throughout the world. The Society often purchases old col-
  leges, monasteries, or even industrial parks to refit as local
  Society Campuses (as each branch office is known). The
  Home Campus is located in a former college at Oxford
  University.
  In order to maintain discretion in Society Operations,
  each campus continues to maintain a “front” operation. The
  
  24
  Roosevelt Island Campus in New York City is a good ex-
  ample—it appears to function as a hospital.
  Despite the variety of histories behind Society cam-
  puses, the internal organization of each is consistent. The
  Society divides operations into separate Colleges. Each Area
  of Specialty has its own College, and there is one for
  NagTech research and development and one for Central
  Information Processing. Individual campuses might have
  Colleges unique to their location.
  Each Campus maintains Society Members in comfort.
  In between adventures, injured Nags will be restored to
  health. Nags may also spend time at a Campus to pursue
  further training for development or improvement of skills.
  A wise GM might assign a PC to develop a certain skill that
  might be valuable on an upcoming RFA, or to bolster a
  weakness that has been evident on previous adventures. The
  GM should probably not have each campus of the Society
  provide a smorgasbord of skills for the taking. Perhaps the
  PC will have to travel to another campus—in Siberia—to
  cultivate a particular talent. Or perhaps the GM could
  role–play a training session as a one–shot adventure (akin to
  the opening sequences of the James Bond movies).
  The affairs of the NAGS Society are not conducted as a
  military organization, but an effective, if informal, protocol
  exists. The Membership determines its leadership at ten year
  intervals through an open vote (Nags have a long view and
  nothing to hide). The most important charges of the leaders
  are to facilitate Requests for Attention, to ensure that the
  Society continues the vision of the Original Three, and to
  prod a conservative organization into the future.
  This is not to assert that Society Campuses are bastions
  of tranquility. Like other aggregates of individuals, Cam-
  puses harbor intrigues, professional rivalries, intellectual
  squabbles, and friendly competition. As a rule, however,
  most disagreements never come to blows.
  Most of the world’s major cities host a Society cam-
  pus—the following list describes several of the more
  prominent Campuses:
  Oxford
  The home campus of the NAGS Society is located in Ox-
  ford, England. Because the University comprises numerous
  individual colleges (“Where can I find the University?” is a
  question asked only by tourists), no one notices unusual
  activities at the old Cædmon College.
  The newly–formed Society bought the buildings in
  1851. In order to maintain a functioning appearance, the
  Society periodically sponsors lectures attended by students
  from other colleges. Some of the more perceptive youth
  appreciate the esoteric quality of the presentations of-
  fered—“Cartography in Crisis,” “Geology of Wonder,” and
  “A Brief Introduction to Certain Archæological Anomalies.”
  The Oxford campus includes colleges for all Areas of
  Specialty, the NagTech Research and Development head-
  quarters, as well as the Home Office for Central Admini-
  stration. In all ways, the Oxford campus is the Society’s
  home.
  New York
  Rivaling the home campus in Oxford, a major campus lo-
  cated in several buildings on Roosevelt (née Hog, then,
  Blackwell, then Welfare) Island, nestled in the East River,
  between Manhattan and Queens. Privately, the Society
  dubbed it Roosevelt Island in the 1890’s, in honor of Presi-
  dent Theodore Roosevelt, a Society associate while he was
  head of the New York City Police Board. (When the name
  became public in the ’60’s, it was mistakenly attributed to
  his less–interesting relative—Franklin Roosevelt.).
  The north building was briefly the New York City Luna-
  tic Asylum (built in 1839, the Society added its famous
  dome in 1880) and the south was the Smallpox Hospital
  (built in 1856). Both facilities were acquired by the Society
  in 1880 and their original operations maintained as cover
  according to standard Society practice.
  The New York Campus comprises all of the Colleges.
  Its NagTech research and development College is particu-
  larly active, coming out with some of the more outré gadg-
  ets employed by Society Members worldwide.
  The Roosevelt Island Campus has an interesting story—
  the Society’s existence was almost exposed. Crusading re-
  porter Nellie Bly became suspicious about the goings on in
  the Lunatic Asylum, and had herself committed. The Soci-
  ety immediately recognized a potential Hack, and proposed
  Membership. Bly went on to write a scathing article, thus
  prompting a government investigation (that is, a bureau-
  cratic avalanche) that would effectively maintain the Soci-
  ety’s cover in the midst of a bustling metropolis.
  Because the Society has recently moved to more discreet
  quarters, visitors to New York today can take the subway or
  an aerial tram to Roosevelt Island and see the ruins of the
  Campus for themselves. The shells of the facilities are con-
  sidered “maintained ruins” by the Parks Department, dra-
  matically lit by night while being slowly reclaimed by the
  surrounding vegetation.
  NAGS OF NOTE—NELLIE BLY
  Nellie Bly (pen name of Elizabeth Cochran, 1867–1922) is
  the archetypical female investigative reporter, writing about
  such “unfeminine” (yet crucial to women) topics as divorce
  and life in the slums. Bly came to the Society’s attention in
  1887 when she affected insanity and was committed to the
  Lunatic Asylum—a front for the Roosevelt Island Campus.
  Bly is perhaps unique among Members in that she main-
  tained an extremely high public profile in order to cover for
  her NagOperations. For example, while her 1879–1890 trip
  around the world in 72 days (on which she stopped in Paris
  to see Verne) seemed a publicity stunt, Bly in fact investi-
  gated a number of critical RFA’s on her whirlwind tour.
  Bly’s notoriety insures the anonymity of her work.
  
  25
  The NAGS Campaign
  The Game Master wields a great deal of control over the tenor of her NAGS campaign. In this section, we describe several
  possible variations that the GM might explore while fashioning her own World of NAGS.
  CAMPAIGN TYPES
  A love for historical mysteries was one of the primary inspi-
  rations for the World of NAGS. The GM could run her
  campaign in a strictly historical fashion, based upon verifi-
  able events that preclude supernatural occurrences. Nags
  could investigate actual locations, perhaps before their “dis-
  covery.” The GM could design adventures to investigate the
  historical components of myth of Atlantis, the fate of the
  original dwellers of Machu Pichu or Teotihuacan, or to ex-
  plore other historical mysteries. Ken Hite’s “Suppressed
  Transmission” column for Pyramid magazine and the collec-
  tion of the same name (published by Steve Jackson Games)
  provide indispensable inspiration for historically based mys-
  teries.
  A possible permutation of such a realistic campaign is
  the “Scooby–Doo” variety, in which events that might ini-
  tially seem supernatural are revealed to be hoaxes engi-
  neered to disguise some other nefarious operation. Such
  campaigns may or may not be humorous.
  Other GM’s might wish to include just a touch of the
  supernatural (as in the current television series, The X–Files.)
  We call such a campaign type “expanded reality,” where the
  lines between reality and fantasy are mutable.
  A GM might create a classic pulp campaign in which the
  villains twist their mustaches and cackle, where NagTech is
  outlandish, and the horrific is all too real—a combination of
  Doc Savage and “Call of Cthulhu.” Finally, a NAGS cam-
  paign could also be run in a mana–rich world of magic in
  which the Nags play a calming or steadying role.
  The GM will want to establish her campaign’s atmos-
  phere immediately, to indicate to the players what kind of
  gadgets will be available, how deadly weapons will be, and
  whether the PC’s should look for natural or supernatural
  causes in their investigations. It is always exciting, however,
  when the GM bends the rules slightly and introduces novel
  elements or explanations—the World of NAGS should be a
  mysterious and compelling place.
  CAMPAIGN FORMATS
  There are a variety of formats that the GM can use to struc-
  ture a campaign set in the World of NAGS. The GM might
  select one of these formats at the beginning of a campaign
  and then evolve it into another format through the course
  of play.
  The simplest structure is to choose a particular campus
  for the PC’s base of operations. In this way, the Society will
  always be at hand for support and insight (affording the
  GM a means to dispense clues that the players have missed).
  GM’s may find it easy to begin a campaign in this manner,
  running adventures as a television show might unfold, be-
  ginning and ending at a campus sitting room. The cam-
  pus–based campaign is well–suited for urban adventures.
  A related format would involve basing the PC’s at a par-
  ticular campus, but having them travel to a new exotic lo-
  cale for each new adventure. We have in mind here the
  exploits of James Bond, Doc Savage, or Indiana Jones (who
  taught at a university between adventures). Nags could draw
  upon Society resources at other campuses, but they would
  eventually return to their own “turf” for training and recu-
  peration.
  Some GM’s and players, however, might not relish the
  idea of being tied down—the picaresque campaign is an-
  other possibility. Drawing inspiration from the voyages of a
  certain starship or the undersea explorations of a certain
  submersible, the picaresque campaign bases the PC’s in
  some form of transportation—balloon, dirigible, or subma-
  rine come immediately to mind, and even the Mystery Ma-
  chine piloted by “those meddling kids” is appropriate—and
  follows their travels from mystery to mystery. The PC’s
  might rest at Society campuses as sailors come to port, but
  in essence, the campaign is portable. This format will appeal
  to self–reliant vagabonds who prefer to rely upon their own
  skills and the resources provided by their vehicle.
  Finally, a single adventurer or a small group could wan-
  der the Earth, encountering mystery wherever they roam.
  Such adventurers might check in periodically at  Society
  Campuses to update NagTech and to train. We have in
  mind cinematic heroes such as Indiana Jones, the Lone
  Ranger, Zorro, the Shadow, and perhaps Batman.
  
  26
  NAGS CAMPAIGN CROSSOVERS
  GM’s can run a pure NAGS campaign based entirely upon
  the NAGS Society, its members, and their investigations.
  Refer to the section Writing Adventures for the World of
  NAGS in Part III for a discussion of the variety of adven-
  tures the GM can create. However, it would also be possible
  and interesting to drop the Society into an existing cam-
  paign in another genre.
  Nags can be found pursuing investigations anywhere in
  the world after the Society’s founding in 1850. They could
  easily fit into an ongoing historical campaign set in the
  American West, colonialist Africa, revolutionary South
  America, Victorian London, 1930’s India, or a modern day
  espionage setting. With a little work, and perhaps an “illu-
  minated” feel, PC’s in a early history or time travel setting
  might discover that there were Nags who predated the
  Original Three—perhaps some greater force was at work to
  bring this particular trio together in 1850.
  The Resources and Inspiration section in the Appendix
  provides a number of literary and RPG resources that the
  GM can draw upon for adapting her NAGS campaign to
  other genres. We offer here some suggestions for importing
  the World of NAGS into other popular gaming genres:
  AlterNags Nags could exist in Alternate Earth campaigns.
  In fact, inspiration for the NAGS Society came while read-
  ing The Difference Engine—a “steampunk” vision of the Vic-
  torian era. The Nags could, for example, unearth mysteries
  in a victorious Confederate States of America. One possible
  alternate Earth permutation is the “illuminated” campaign,
  in which Nags strive to unravel the skein of connections
  underlying society.
  CartooNags If the GM emphasizes outlandish NagTech,
  ala Inspector Gadget, she could, theoretically, play a NAGS
  campaign for laughs. Such a campaign would probably util-
  ize the tried and true “Scooby–Doo plot,” where the ghosts
  seem real until they are unmasked, at which point the Nags
  explain the plan and the criminals add “…and I would have
  done it, too, if it wasn’t for those meddling Nags!”
  CyberNags Nags are bastions of order within an anarchic
  and chaotic world—they bring structure to the disparate. In
  this regard, Nags would be interesting addition to a dark
  future or apocalyptic campaign. As the cyberpunks prowl,
  Nags are busy ensuring the accuracy of maps, checking out
  historical details, and readying the world for future genera-
  tions. NagTech might include cybernetic enhancements,
  accompanied by their customary glitches.
  EspioNags Society methods of operation share commonal-
  ties with those of intelligence agents. Nags and spies might
  find themselves working together on an investigation, or
  they might be at cross–purposes. Perhaps a party of Nags is
  trying to uncover something that a particular country would
  prefer to remain hidden—they might assign counterspies to
  thwart the Nags’ work.
  Modern Day Nags In a modern day campaign, think The
  X–files in which the mysteries are terrestrial, historical, and
  psychological, rather than extra–terrestrial.
  Nags in Space The NAGS Society could be adapted easily
  to a space campaign, from space opera (Flash Gordon or
  the Traveller Imperium) to hard science. Space is, in fact,
  the ultimate milieu for a NAGS campaign—it contains infi-
  nite mysteries waiting to be solved. Our favorite Star Trek:
  The Next Generation episodes involved archæological investi-
  gations.
  Nags in Time With time travel possible, Nags have an in-
  valuable tool for ensuring historical accuracy. Not all tem-
  poral travelers will be as discrete as the Society, however.
  There will undoubtedly be numerous messes to clean up.
  SuperNags This permutation of the Society is not as
  far–fetched as it might seem. Somehow, Batman seems to
  us to embody the principles of the NAGS Society, complete
  with a belt full of cool gadgets. We can envision a
  less–flambouant “Hall of Justice” in which the heroes ex-
  plore the mysterious and maintain the cosmic balance.
  
  27
  CAMPAIGN EXAMPLE—TO GO BOLDLY…
  In this section we describe a sample campaign set in the
  World of NAGS. We include this example so that the GM
  can get a NAGS campaign up and running almost immedi-
  ately. We give an overview of the campaign, detailing the
  qualities and assumptions that make it unique. We will in-
  clude capsule descriptions of prominent NPC’s (who could
  be used as PC’s if the players do not have their own). We
  include NagTech items and other relevant equipment. Fi-
  nally, we will note several possible adventure seeds that the
  GM can develop to begin play. Refer to the circa games
  website (    www.circagames.com   ) for other campaign exam-
  ples.
  Introduction
  To go boldly… (note, that despite grammatical acceptability,
  no Nag would ever split an infinitive) is an AlterNags cam-
  paign, set in a slightly–steampunk fin–de–siecle world. The
  outside world exists more or less as it did from 1890 to
  1920. The Society will, of course, possess outlandish,
  steam– powered and clockwork technology. Mysteries will
  be based in reality, but with another dark side always peek-
  ing its head through. Nags will never see a traditional ghost
  or any such nonsense, but they will experience the full won-
  der of that which humans do not understand.
  To go boldly… is a picaresque campaign, in which we find
  a party of Nags assigned to the NAS Legend—an immense
  dirigible outfitted for an extended voyage. Its ongoing mis-
  sion: to explore anomalies, to clarify cartography, and to
  preserve mystery, to go boldly where no Nag has gone before….
  The Setting
  The Legend serves as the setting for the campaign. Because
  its appearance would raise innumerable questions for the
  public, the airship has been appointed for extremely long
  voyages and spends much of its time in high altitude flight.
  At nearly 200 meters, the rigid dirigible is not longer than
  some of the craft constructed by Zeppelin, but it has a fu-
  turistic quality that sets it apart from typical airships.
  We include the bare statistics below, but the GM should
  feel free to modify and expand our descriptions as the cam-
  paign develops. While To go boldly… will undoubtedly focus
  upon anomalous circumstances in exotic locales, we intend
  for the craft itself to be expansive enough to allow for mys-
  tery and intrigue right on board.
  The Legend is a top of the line vessel. It shares with oth-
  ers of its kind a propensity for inertia: when cruising at its
  slow, steady pace, it is difficult to change course. Most of
  the functions on board will be performed by crewmembers,
  and thus the airship does not possess its own skills, per se.
  However, its immense size and lack of maneuverability ne-
  cessitate a lower than average concealment. Therefore, the
  Legend will typically keep itself aloof from the action.
  The Legend — Resourceful leviathan
  Attributes
  Skills
  Gifts/Faults
  Quality: Superb
  Stealth: Mediocre
  Well–appointed
  Speed:  Mediocre
  Maneuver: Terrible
  Range:  Legendary
  The Legend’s two decks (main deck and gondola) include
  a bridge of operations, quarters for all of her crew, common
  rooms, a lab for constructing NagTech, hangers for auxiliary
  craft (such as paragliders, balloons, a biplane, and a variety
  of ground transport), as well as an agricultural section to
  grow food for the crew. Powered by solar panels integrated
  into its rigid covering, the Legend could circle the globe in-
  definitely if need be, sending its crewmembers quietly to
  earth and receiving them again at day’s end.
  NAS Legend
  
  28
  The Crew
  As with the Society itself, airships are not run as military
  vessels. The crew adheres to protocol facilitated by senior
  officers. These officers are not permanent ranks for most
  Nags—they are voted into office at the end of each tour of
  duty. Service with distinction, discretion, and dependability
  will often result in the approbation of ones peers and a
  chance to lead the crew for the next critical NagOp. While
  open discussion is welcome during NagOperations, the de-
  cisions of the senior officers, and especially the captain, are
  final.
  While preparing to run To go boldly…, the GM and play-
  ers should decide together upon the role of the PC’s. Will
  they be the Legend’s senior staff, voted into office at the
  close of the previous tour of duty? In this case, they will be
  responsible for the running of the ship, the functioning of
  the crew, as well as taking part in NagOps. At least some of
  the characters should have piloting, engineering, and possi-
  bly command skills. If the players are less interested in the
  fine points of airship piloting, they could instead be a group
  of highly trained NagOperatives who are transported from
  mission to mission aboard the Legend. In this case, the NPC
  senior crew would serve a support role, and the Legend
  would be a mobile Campus—healing wounds, providing
  NagTech, offering advice when required.
  Following are brief descriptions of three possible Nag
  crew members. If the GM and players would like to begin
  gaming expeditiously, these characters are ready to play as
  is. If the players have created characters from scratch, the
  GM might use these three as NPC’s, either as support or as
  the Legend’s senior crew members.
  Joshua Rutherford — Experienced Administrator
  Rutherford an experienced and
  accomplished Nag. He has extensive
  experience in the field, and has more
  recently become interested in an
  administrative role within the Society.
  Rutherford was recruited from the
  military—he has chosen the path of a
  Red Preservationist for his AOS to
  atone for the destruction of other
  cultures wrought by imperialism at the close of the Victo-
  rian era.
  Rutherford has a collected and calculating manner. He is
  an expert strategist, and delights in playing all types of
  games, such as cards, chess, &c. He is fond of making
  analogies to such games, and it is a particular pet peeve
  when others refer to them as “games of chance.” Ruther-
  ford will taker pains to explain that all games are, in fact,
  precise mathematical problems without “chance” at all. If
  one were to know all the initial conditions, then one could
  readily extrapolate the outcome. Colleagues note that per-
  haps because of his hobby horse, Rutherford is somewhat
  deterministic in his outlook, and does not account for the
  more spiritual side of reality, even when it is staring him in
  the face.
  Although he does deign to play games for money with
  shipmates, he is not, as one might conclude, a “sharp,” as he
  becomes too preoccupied with accounting for all of the
  variables to succeed as often as he would like. He is a gra-
  cious loser, often nodding knowingly and exclaiming, “Ah
  ha… hmmm…excellent,” &c.) To his credit, Rutherford is
  fair and dependable. He is expert at delegating tasks to
  competent and resourceful peers, and he does wish to con-
  tinue to learn from others, despite his didacticism.
  Rutherford appears as a vigorous man of indeterminate
  age—he could be a mature 36 or a spry 70. People feel
  comfortable around him, and, in fact, he commands atten-
  tion. Rutherford would make an excellent captain for the
  Legend, or perhaps a first officer or another efficient, ad-
  vice–giving officer, if the big chair is filled by a PC.
  Strength: Good
  Gift: Contacts in military
  Perception: Great
  Fault: Pedantic
  Dexterity: Mediocre
  Vigor: Fair
  Balance: Good
  Diplomacy: Fair
  Pilot (Airship): Great
  Language (German): Fair
  Pilot (Aeroplane): Good
  Specialty (Games): Great 
  Gambling: Good
  Pistol: Great
  Rifle: Fair
  Profession (Military): Great
  Unarmed Combat: Good
  Survival (Wilderness): Good
  Off. Dam. Factors: (Str. +1, Med. handgun +3) = +4
  Def. Dam Factors: nil
  Equipment: .38 military–issue pistol, adventurous attire,
  cards, dice, pocket chess set
  
  29
  Calvert “Tinker” Williams — Obsessive Genius
  Calvert “Tinker” Williams is a
  strange but likeable fellow. He is
  a gadgeteer, assigned to the
  Legend to create and maintain
  NagTechnology for the crew. He
  is always referred to
  (affectionately) as Tinker—many
  people are not aware of his given
  name. He appears unkempt,
  distracted, and somewhat unhealthy—a man on the edge.
  Tinker is effective but unorthodox in his work, even
  among Gadgeteers (who are, as a whole, a strange lot).
  Tinker turns out work of innovative beauty, but he takes
  almost no notice. He throws away brilliant creations as
  though they were trifles. Tinker’s creations are well
  known—they function magnificently and suffer from spec-
  tacular glitches.
  Tinker possesses a remarkable idee fixe. He seeks to cre-
  ate a “clockwork person”—an artificial life form that is
  adaptive, creative, and eventually, sentient. Tinker has a
  mechanistic view of the world; he views everything as a
  process, interaction, or relationship among causes. But
  Tinker does allow for the supernatural in his world view
  because he knows that there are processes that humans do
  not understand…yet. Williams has other interests as well.
  He is an accomplished sculptor, and he is teaching himself
  to play a variety of instruments.
  Tinker has little need for companions, although he does
  periodically “come out of his fog” and interface with the
  crew. If anyone shows an interest and demonstrates a modi-
  cum of understanding about his interests in artificial life,
  Tinker can be an interesting conversationalist. He has little
  patience with those who only want to talk business (that is,
  the current RFA) or who want to congratulate him on his
  NagTech. Tinker gets on famously with Rutherford, as they
  share some of the same passions. If the party of Nags al-
  ready includes a gadgeteer, Tinker could be assigned to the
  Legend as a colleague—perhaps a rival, although he has no
  competitive spirit outside his obsession. He could also be
  played as an absent–minded assistant.
  Strength: Fair
  Gift: Mathematical wizard
  Perception: Superb
  Fault: Obsession
  Dexterity: Great
  Vigor: Mediocre
  Balance: Poor
  Research: Good
  Swimming: Terrible
  Gadgeteer: Superb
  Pilot: Mediocre
  Mechanic: Superb
  Code: Fair
  Science (Biology): Good
  Pistol: Fair
  Art (Sculpture): Good
  Art (Music): Good
  Off. Dam. Factors: (Derringer +1) = +1
  Def. Dam Factors: nil
  Equipment: Derringer, some extremely efficacious NagTech
  item he uses without thinking
  Calliope Johnson — Knowledgeable and Curious
  Calliope is one of those
  larger–than–life Victorian women
  who did not play the role given to
  most contemporary females.
  Daughter of the landed gentry,
  Calliope was brought up with all of
  her needs accounted for and,
  generally, met. She and her siblings
  enjoyed staging productions of
  Shakespeare’s plays and those she
  wrote herself. She created a detailed
  “history” of a country she created,
  fueled with exotic touches gleaned from letters from her
  brother in the army in India.
  Calliope was an autodidact with a strong desire for
  knowledge. Her parents provided her with private tutors
  who attempted to instruct her in traditional feminine arts.
  Calliope, therefore, had to work twice as hard, learning the
  meager fare offered by the tutors, and then “unlearning” it
  on her own. She has made close studies of history, philoso-
  phy, economics, natural science, psychology, and literature,
  and she can speak intelligently on any topic. While growing
  up, Calliope learned that most people, while feigning inter-
  est in and knowledge about such topics, are in fact incapable
  of substantive conversation—especially with a young
  woman. She learned to ask questions in a round–about
  manner, and to seek out intellectual equals discreetly.
  Upon a family tour of Europe and the Indian subconti-
  nent, where her brother was stationed, Calliope, to her great
  satisfaction, encountered the NAGS Society. The Nags she
  met recommended immediate recruitment. The Society,
  therefore, performed a societal extraction—Calliope was
  mysteriously kidnapped during a rebellion against English
  rule. Calliope hopes someday to let her family know that she
  is alive and thriving, but the time is not yet right.
  Calliope used her training time at several Asian cam-
  puses to refine her inchoate skills. She learned disguise to
  complement her acting abilities in order to move freely in
  English society. Calliope followed her writer’s muse, elect-
  ing to write for the Society’s Journal.
  Strength: Fair
  Gift:  Privileged upbringing,
  Perception: Superb
  Autodidact
  Dexterity: Fair
  Fault: Curious
  Vigor: Good
  Balance: Great
  Acting: Great
  Etiquette;: Fair
  Diplomacy: Fair
  Disguise: Good
  Domestic skills: Fair
  Riding: Great
  Writing: Good 
  Pistol: Poor
  Academic Specialty (All subjects): Good
  Ancient Languages (Latin, Greek, Sanskrit): Good
  Off. Dam. Factors: (Derringer +1) = +1
  Def. Dam Factors: nil
  Equipment: Derringer, NagWriter, overnight bag with makeup
  and a variety of disguises
  
  30
  The Goodies
  The Legend is an extremely well–appointed vessel, large
  enough to store whatever supplies and equipment the Nags
  might need to execute their operations. If Tinker is aboard,
  he will manufacture custom NagTech (at his own pace,
  however). If the players desire a particular piece of equip-
  ment, as long as the GM thinks it is appropriate, she should
  feel confident that it will be stowed in a closet somewhere
  aboard the Legend.
  Like most airships, the Legend is equipped with a variety
  of auxiliary craft. Her aft hanger includes the Gloria Ann (see
  page 14), a Rodham Roadster (see page 15), and a Spencer bicy-
  cle (see page 15). The Legend will also be equipped with a
  large hot air balloon for transporting groups of people and
  equipment to the surface.
  HOT AIR BALLOON
  Hot air balloons have been used by the Society since its first
  days—they are quiet, have an extraordinary range, pack up
  small, and are little noticed due to their popularity with the
  general public. Balloons come in a variety of sizes according
  to their intended use. Large, long range craft may have an
  enclosed gondola to afford comfort at high altitude. Small,
  tender–type craft may only be used to ferry passengers from
  a dirigible to the ground.
  Balloonists can control altitude by adjusting the amount
  of hot air in the balloon. While they are generally at the
  mercy of air currents for propulsion and direction or travel,
  some fancy models use small propeller motors for more
  precise trim.
  Typical Hot air balloon
  Attributes
  Skills
  Gifts/Faults
  Quality: Fair
  Stealth: Good
  Quiet, easily
  Speed: Mediocre
  concealed when
  Maneuver: Poor
  deflated
  Range Superb
  Slow
  The Legend is also equipped with variations on NagTech
  gadgetry for the control systems, defenses, and sensing
  equipment. For example, the ship has an enormous Bab-
  bage engine to process information, plot courses, and navi-
  gate the ship. Throughout the ship, one might find
  terminals (that appear as NagWriters) to access the central
  difference engine. The Legend also utilizes a large, powerful
  telescope and a listening device similar to a Bat as
  long–range sensing equipment.
  Finally, the Legend is outfitted with a supply of useful
  gadgetry for NagOperations on the surface. Equipment
  lockers contain tranquilizer weapons, goggles, x–cams,
  wireless sets, and of course, several Travelling Tea Trays.
  Refer to the section on NagTech (beginning on page 17) for
  a complete discussion of all gadgetry mentioned here.
  …Its Continuing Mission: The Adventures
  In this section, we will suggest two possible adventures that
  might befall the NAS Legend and its intrepid crew. These are
  only teasers—it will be up to the Game Master to flesh
  them out for play. Refer to Part III (beginning on page 65)
  for a complete adventure and some advice for creating for
  the World of NAGS.
  Shakedown Cruise
  This adventure would make a suitable campaign opener.
  After all of the PC’s have been assigned to their positions
  aboard the newly–commisioned Legend, the captain will as-
  semble the crew and announce their first Operation: the
  Legend will head out for a round–the–world shakedown
  cruise, to work the bugs out of the systems and learn to
  work together as a team.
  The GM should put together a variety of challenges,
  glitches, and strange occurrences for the crew to face during
  this initial voyage. Examples would include equipment fail-
  ure, anomalies in the functioning of the Legend itself, and
  missing or substituted equipment. Perhaps a green Nag (ei-
  ther PC or NPC) could take the Gloria Ann out for a spin,
  suffer a spectacular glitch, and potentially expose the Legend
  to a group of Sunday afternoon picnickers. On another day,
  the Babbage engine might begin spitting out cryptic pro-
  nouncements—“You must meet the Hand at the corner bar
  and get the Siamese screwdriver” and “The saber inherits
  the vibrant boat” (courtesy of the fnorder at
  www.sjgames.com/misc/fnord.html) . Are they coded
  communiqués from the Oxford campus? Has the Engine
  gone mad? Or do these messages play some crucial role in
  an upcoming RFA?
  The Ghost in the Machine
  The PC’s are startled one day while sitting in the common
  room—with a cacophony of clinking, steamy wheezes, a
  mechanical man ambles to the counter, pours a cup of tea,
  and brings it to its metal lips. Unfortunately, his hand does
  not stop precisely, and the china is smashed against the steel
  visage. Shouts of “Eureka!” can be heard from stem to
  stern, and Tinker bursts into the common room, covered
  with grease and steam burns. “Allow me to introduce
  Adam—the first of a new kind of being. As you can see, I
  have successfully created a clockwork person!”
  What will be the implications of this discovery? We have
  not included statistics for Tinker’s creation in order to allow
  the GM to make some important decisions. Will Adam be
  stable, learning from his creator and surroundings, slowly
  becoming sentient? Can the machine function as a mortal,
  but with superhuman traits, perhaps someday joining the
  crew as a Nag? Will Adam instead be captured by some
  nefarious soul who has been watching the progress of
  Tinker’s work? Or—will Adam himself become evil, sabo-
  taging the work of the Nags and turning against his creator?
  In this case, will Tinker be forced to destroy his work, or
  will Adam escape, thus becoming an ongoing villain for the
  Nags to face?
  
  31
  Part II
  THE C.FUDGE GAME SYSTEM
  he NAGS SOCIETY WORLDBOOK employs c.FUDGE—a customized version FUDGE by Steffan
  O’Sullivan (see About Fudge and Disclaimer on the title page). All rules necessary for play in
  the world of NAGS are included in this Worldbook—no other sources are required. We
  strongly encourage all Game Masters and players to read the original FUDGE rules available from the
  Grey Ghost Games website at      
  www.fugerpg.com      . We chose FUDGE because we consider it flexible and
  unobtrusive. In FUDGE, role–playing is more important than die–rolling. We also hope that the World of
  NAGS is sufficiently rich to allow the game master to integrate the NAGS Society into a game system of
  her choice.
  In the sections that follow, the small, parenthetical numbers in the headings refer to the corre-
  sponding sections in the original FUDGE rules. Please note that the sections in the NAGS SOCIETY
  WORLDBOOK are not necessarily in the same order as in the FUDGE rules and not every section from the
  original is represented. Section headings without a FUDGE reference are original to this Worldbook.
  T
  
  32
  Character Creation (1)
  This chapter contains all the information that the Game Master and players will need in order to create characters in the
  World of NAGS.
  CHARACTER CREATION TERMS (1.1)
  Attributes are traits that every character in the game world
  possesses to some degree. See the section concerning Char-
  acter Traits (below) for a discussion of the attributes in the
  World of NAGS. On a scale of Terrible…Fair…Superb, the
  average human’s attributes will be Fair.
  Faults are innate traits that limit a character’s actions or
  earn her or him a bad reaction from others. Some faults are
  “positive,” such as a code of honor.
  Gifts are innate traits that benefit a character but cannot be
  quantified by the Terrible…Fair…Superb scale. Gifts gen-
  erally supplement a character’s attributes and skills.
  Level is used in the rules in several senses. Traits are meas-
  ured in levels from Terrible to Superb. In addition, players
  are granted free levels for use during the character creation
  process. In this case, one level is required to raise a trait to
  the next better adjective.
  Skills are traits acquired through experience and improved
  through practice. A PC’s skills are quantified on a scale of
  Terrible to Superb. The default level for an unlisted skill is
  usually Poor, although this varies according to the skill’s
  difficulty.
  Supernormal Powers are mentioned for optional inclu-
  sion in the World of NAGS.
  Traits are terms used to describe a character. Traits in
  c.FUDGE include attributes, skills, gifts, faults, and (option-
  ally) supernormal powers. The GM is the ultimate authority
  on how a particular trait is classified.
  BACKGROUND STORY
  We encourage each player to write a brief description of the
  character he intends to create, describing the PC’s back-
  ground, profession, strengths, shortcomings, interesting
  facts, and any other notes of interest. If the player has al-
  ready thought about the circumstances of the PC’s recruit-
  ment, he might include that as well.
  The purpose of a background story is twofold: to guide
  the player when allocating the PC’s traits (attributes, gifts,
  faults, and skills), and to give the GM some direction when
  developing the campaign. For example, if all of the PC’s are
  academic–types, she might want to emphasize research and
  exploration in adventures rather than dropping the PC’s
  into a pit of vipers (although, unexpected challenges can
  keep things fresh).
  As an example, we will create a NAGS Player Character
  from scratch. We decide to call him Cecil Bigglesworth, a
  name that conjures up an English academic of the old
  school, but who might stretch his mind and Victorian sensi-
  bility through his membership in the National Archæologi-
  cal, Geographic, and Submarine Society.
  Cecil was born in 1850 and grew up on a country estate in
  England’s beautiful Cotswold region, near Oxford. He is the
  second son of a landed baronet, Sir Horace. (Cecil’s privileged
  upbringing will not give his character undue advantage during
  play, because, following recruitment, “all Nags are created
  equal”). Cecil’s elder bother, Harry, will of course succeed to
  the baronetcy upon his father’s death. His younger brother,
  Thomas, chose a popular career path for younger
  sons—military service. Cecil’s was another story.
  As a young boy, Cecil delighted in exploring the ancient
  Roman remains in
  London and
  monastic ruins near
  the family estate.
  When he came of
  age, he decided to
  pursue clerical
  studies at University
  in Oxford. He
  became fascinated
  by the study of
  antiquities,
  particularly
  Egyptian. Cecil
  pursued his studies
  fervently, and
  made a trip to Egypt
  in 1875.
  He took time
  from his studies to
  visit his brother Thomas, who was part of the Imperial Army in
  India. Such visits were uncommon, giving us insight into Ce-
  cil’s adventuring sprit. At some point during this visit, Cecil was
  initiated into some Indian secrets that we will leave to the GM
  to develop later. We will note, however, that Cecil’s adven-
  tures left him lost for nearly a week in the jungle.
  Cecil discontinued his studies at his father’s urging, took
  clerical vows, and settled into a comfortable yet constricting
  Cotswold vicarage.
  As a final note, we decide that Cecil’s recruitment will have
  to be through Societal Extraction—a welcome change from
  Cecil’s sleepy fate.
  In the sections that follow, we will describe the process
  for creating a NAGS Player Character based upon Cecil’s
  character story. We will then follow Cecil upon a NagOp or
  two to illustrate some of the finer points of the rules.
  
  33
  Superb
  Great
  Good
  Fair
  Mediocre
  Poor
  Terrible
  TRAIT LEVELS (1.2 )
  The c.FUDGE system uses ordinary
  words to describe various traits of a
  player character. We suggest using
  these terms in a seven–level
  sequence (from best to worst).
  The GM may alter this list in
  any way she desires, by expanding
  or shrinking it or substituting other
  terms. The NAGS Society Worldbook will use these seven
  terms in the rules, however, for clarity.
  To remember the order, compare adjacent words. If, as
  a beginner, your eventual goal is to become an excellent
  game player, ask yourself if you’d rather be called a Fair
  game player or a Mediocre game player, for example.
  There is an additional level beyond Superb that will be
  used occasionally in c.FUDGE: Legendary. A character pos-
  sessing Legendary Strength, for example, is in the 99.9th
  percentile, and her or his name can be found in any book of
  world records.
  Please note that not every GM will allow Nag PC’s to
  become Legendary. Even in games that do include the Leg-
  endary level, it is not recommended that any character be
  allowed to start the game as such. Superb represents the
  98th to 99.9th percentile of any given trait, which should be
  enough for any beginning Nag PC. Of course, if a player
  character gets a bit overconfident, meeting a Legendary
  NPC adversary can be a grounding experience….
  CHARACTER TRAITS (1.3)
  Character traits are brief descriptive terms that describe a
  character’s physical, mental, educational, and professional
  aspects. Traits serve as a guide for role–playing, and they
  have an important function in the mechanics of game play.
  However, we emphasize that the player’s imagination is a
  character’s most important trait—one that cannot be quan-
  tified by any game system.
  Traits are divided into several categories: Attributes,
  Gifts, Faults, Skills, and, in some NAGS campaigns, Super-
  normal Powers. Not every GM will have all five types of
  traits in her game. The original FUDGE rules make clear
  that the GM should determine which traits she will allow
  for characters in her campaign. In keeping with this spirit,
  we urge GM’s to evaluate the rule suggestions that follow
  and to make any changes she deems appropriate.
  Attributes (1.31)
  Attributes are fundamental traits that describe all of the
  characters (PC’s and NPC’s) who populate the World of
  NAGS. The five attributes are: Strength, Perception, Dex-
  terity, Vigor, and Balance. Attributes are quantified on the
  Terrible…Fair…Superb scale. All attributes begin at the
  default level of Fair until the player raises or lowers them.
  Strength is a representation of the character’s physical
  prowess. It determines her or his success at tasks involving
  a physical element. The GM might ask the player to make a
  Strength roll when attempting to lift a stone, bend a bar, or
  hold on for dear life.
  Perception represents a character’s mental ability. It began
  as “Intelligence” but was changed to broaden its range of
  applicability. The GM will ask for Perception rolls to deter-
  mine if a character noticed a detail, understood the signifi-
  cance of an event, or pulled a scrap of knowledge from
  memory.
  Dexterity represents the character’s agility, quickness of
  motion, poise, and grace. It contributes to success while
  picking a lock, shooting a firearm, or setting a trap. If the
  player does not select a Dodge skill for a PC, the GM will
  refer to the character’s Dexterity attribute during combat.
  Vigor describes the state of a character’s health, her or his
  ability to withstand difficult circumstances, and Vigor af-
  fects the amount of damage character can take before ex-
  piring. The GM will also call for Vigor rolls when a
  character is attempting to withstand physical discomfort.
  Balance is a flexible attribute that measures a character’s
  spiritual wellness—one’s personal karma as well as one’s
  place in the cosmic balance. See the section Using Balance
  on page 47 for more details
  Players are allowed two free attribute levels at char-
  acter creation. (The GM may
  adjust this allocation at her discre-
  tion.) Refer to the table to the
  right for the cost of raising or
  lowering an attribute. Note that
  with only two free levels, a player
  cannot immediately raise an at-
  tribute to Superb. When the two
  free attribute levels have been exhausted, a player can raise
  an attribute further by lowering another attribute by an
  equal amount (see also Trading Traits, below).
  Each of these broad terms represent abstract and un-
  quantifiable qualities of human beings—they are included
  for gaming purposes, and are not intended to be realistic.
  The GM is the final arbiter, as always, about which attribute
  governs a particular task or skill. We chose these five attrib-
  utes specifically to describe the most basic aspects of a
  character, while still allowing the player to express his
  imagination and creativity in role-playing. It is our hope that
  a NAGS campaign will draw upon the player’s own inspira-
  tion and resourcefulness to overcome challenges, rather
  than consisting of a series of successful dice rolls against a
  high trait. Therefore, most of the attributes describe physi-
  cal aspects of the character—characteristics that are impor-
  tant for role-playing but cannot be represented by the player
  himself.
  Superb
  +3
  Great
  +2
  Good
  +1
  Fair
  0
  Mediocre
  –1
  Poor
  –2
  Terrible
  –3
  
  34
  All of Cecil Bigglesworth’s attributes begin at the default level
  of Fair. We now have two free levels with which to customize
  Cecil’s attributes. We decide to leave his Strength at default—
  he has spent a considerable amount of time out of doors, but
  he is at heart an academic, not an athlete. Next, we expend
  one free level to raise Cecil’s Perception to Good. We leave
  Cecil’s Dexterity at the default level of Fair. We expend his sec-
  ond free attribute level to raise Cecil’s Vigor to Good—his sur-
  vival in the jungle demonstrates a healthy constitution.
  Finally, we must his Balance at the default level of Fair.
  We decide we would like Cecil to possess a high level of
  Perception (a particularly valuable skill while conducting in-
  vestigations). With free levels exhausted, our only option for
  increasing the attribute is to lower another. We elect to sacri-
  fice the new Nag’s agility for wisdom—we lower his Dexterity
  to Mediocre and raise Perception to Great. In the end, Cecil’s
  attributes are as follows: Strength: Fair, Perception: Great,
  Dexterity: Mediocre, Vigor: Good, and Balance: Fair. We are
  now ready to customize Cecil further by choosing his gifts and
  faults.
  Gifts and Faults (1.33 and 1.34)
  Gifts and Faults in the World of NAGS are perhaps less
  extreme than in most game worlds, reflecting the steady and
  true sensibilities of the Nags themselves. GM’s may intro-
  duce new gifts and faults at will, of course, and players may
  suggest their own (subject to GM approval). Due to the
  nature of the NAGS Society and the game’s atmosphere, it
  should be a rare Nag who suffers from Bloodlust, Addic-
  tion, or Lechery—although their adversaries are another
  matter.
  Gifts are positive traits that don’t seem to fit the Terrible…
  Fair…Superb scale utilized with attributes and skills. Gifts
  often represent physical or mental abilities, such as Acute
  Vision or Damage Resistance, or situational (for want of a
  better term), such as Contacts or Luck. Gifts are innate like
  Attributes, but they are not possessed by all characters.
  Gifts are the traits of a PC that differentiate her or him
  from other characters—not all characters should share the
  same gifts. In fact, it is beneficial to the robustness of a
  group of Nags if each member is gifted uniquely.
  Faults make life more difficult for a character. The primary
  faults are those that restrict a character’s actions or earn him
  a bad reaction from chance–met NPC’s. Various attitudes,
  neuroses and phobias are faults, as are physical disabilities
  and social stigmas. There are heroic faults, too: a code of
  honor or inability to tell a lie restrict a character’s actions
  significantly, but are not signs of flawed personality.
  A player may select two free gifts for his PC during
  character creation. Subsequent gifts must be balanced by
  selecting a fault as well. A player may also gain extra trait
  levels by taking GM–approved faults at the following rate:
  1 fault
  1 gift
  1 fault
  2 attribute levels
  1 fault
  6 skill levels
  The GM may rule that a particular fault is not serious
  enough to be worth two attribute levels, but may be worth
  one attribute level or three skill levels. On the other hand,
  severe faults may be worth more attribute levels. The GM is
  the final arbiter.
  Gifts and faults default to Non–existent—that is, a PC
  only possesses the particular gifts and faults specified at
  character creation. Gifts and faults are generally not added
  or removed during an adventure, except under special cir-
  cumstances determined or approved by the GM.
  The GM should work closely with the player while se-
  lecting Gifts and Faults for a PC. Play can quickly become
  unbalanced if players incur numerous faults in order to re-
  ceive free levels of other traits. In addition, role–playing can
  be restricted and stilted if a character becomes saddled with
  too many quirky faults (or gifts, for that matter).
  The lists of gifts and faults that follow are entitled “Se-
  lected” as they represent only some of the many possibili-
  ties. The GM will undoubtedly amplify or cull down this list
  according to the nature of the campaign. Players may have
  favorites that can be added (with GM approval) to the list.
  The GM is the final arbiter of additional gifts and faults.
  Selected Gifts
  Absolute Direction The Nag is able to orient his body in
  space (with a small margin of error) while he or she is out-
  doors, indoors, below ground, or underwater. Exceptional
  circumstances might require a difficulty roll for the Nag to
  maintain her or his bearings. A useful gift for cartographers.
  Acute Sense The player should decide at character creation
  which of his Nag’s senses is heightened. This gift allows
  bonuses to Perception rolls involving the acute sense.
  Alertness The character is unusually alert; he is rarely sur-
  prised, and might receive bonuses for perceiving details
  during a situation.
  Animal Empathy The character enjoys a strong psycho-
  logical bond with animals, both wild and tame.
  Attractive The character is attractive according to the stan-
  dards of her or his culture. The player and GM should de-
  termine if this beauty extends to foreign perception as well.
  This gift might afford the character bonuses to NPC reac-
  tion rolls.
  Charisma Irrespective of her or his physical appearance, a
  character possessing this gift can influence others. The GM
  should work with the players to determine how this gift will
  be played among the PC’s; the GM should take this gift into
  account when determining NPC reactions to the gifted
  character.
  Combat Reflexes The character is particularly adept at the
  art of combat. Refer to the section below regarding Combat
  to see how this gift is used.
  
  35
  Contacts The gifted character has acquired a contact out-
  side of the Society that provides her or him with useful in-
  formation. The player might not want to specify the nature
  of the contact initially, to allow the GM to work her or him
  into the campaign.
  Damage Resistance The character is particularly resistant
  to damage and wounding. The PC’s Damage Capacity im-
  proves by one level—note that this gift does not affect the
  PC’s Vigor.
  Knack The PC is particularly adept at some activity. The
  knack should not be as useful as a skill—uttering witty epi-
  grams or identifying wine vintages might be examples.
  Luck The player and GM should work out the details of this
  gift. Perhaps the player will be able to fudge a die roll once
  per game session; or, the GM might slip the character some
  crucial information at just the right time.
  Magical Aptitude (Optional) Magic and the supernatural
  are completely optional in the World of NAGS. The game
  world is intended to emphasize the mysterious and fantastic
  aspects of reality, but such emphasis does not preclude the
  possibility of the unexplained. With explicit GM approval
  only, a character gifted with Magical Aptitude possesses the
  ability to cast spells or otherwise wield magical forces. The
  GM should work closely with the player to determine the
  nature of such abilities.
  Privileged Upbringing The character belongs to a privi-
  leged economic or social class, and therefore possesses a
  variety of bonuses and perks afforded to such individuals.
  Stalwart Bravery The PC remains unaffected by the vari-
  ety of weirdness often encountered by Nags on an investiga-
  tion. The PC never contemplates avoiding a difficult
  situation.
  Selected Faults
  Addiction The character is addicted to some substance or
  situation. This fault will be uncommon, but not completely
  absent among Nags.
  Combat Paralysis The character is particularly inept at the
  art of combat. Refer to the section below regarding combat
  to see how this fault is used.
  Cowardice The character is subject to fits of fear and cow-
  ardice. The player should determine if such fits occur in
  certain situations (combat, heights), or if they always plague
  the PC.
  Curious The character is extremely curious, to the point of
  disregarding safety in order to search for a problem’s solu-
  tion.
  Dependent The Nag is responsible for another person’s (or
  animal’s) care and feeding. This “fault” is generally ac-
  quired—the NAGS Society would generally make arrange-
  ments for a Member’s dependents before recruitment. The
  player and GM should work out the details of the depend-
  ent and how it affects the PC.
  Enemy This fault could be acquired or the PC might retain
  an enemy from before recruitment. The GM and player
  should work out the details of the enemy—or perhaps, the
  player could select this fault and leave the details to the GM!
  Obsession The Nag has a particular idee fixe that often con-
  sumes his mind. The obsession should affect the Nag’s
  work, but not so much that he or she is dismissed by the
  Society.
  Phobia The Nag has a particular fear of something. The
  phobia should affect the Nag’s work, but not so much that
  he or she is dismissed by the Society.
  Physical Challenge The PC has a physical challenge—
  blindness, one hand, uses wheel chair—that must be con-
  sidered. If the challenge is profound, the GM might award
  twice the normal value (it’s worth two gifts, and could be
  traded for 12 skill 4 attribute levels; see Trading Traits, be-
  low). Alternately, the PC may employ NagTech gadgets to
  offset a physical challenge.
  Show–off The Nag needs to impress others with her or his
  skill. Despite the best efforts of Society trainers, show–offs
  can often jeopardize discretion during a NagOp.
  Stubborn Once the Nag has formed an opinion, he or she
  remains steadfast, despite apparent contradictions.
  Unattractive The Nag is remarkably unattractive. He or she
  might evoke negative reactions from NPC’s.
  Unlucky The PC is naturally unlucky. If something can go
  wrong for this Nag, it will. Such instances of misfortune
  cannot be immediately nullified with FUDGE points, al-
  though the effects can be so mitigated later.
  Vain The Nag has a high opinion of her– or himself. This
  fault might affect relations within an investigative party.
  Cecil’s story did not give us many insights into areas in which
  he might be gifted. The only apparent gift was Privileged Up-
  bringing. This is a minor gift because wealth means so little to
  PC’s in the world of NAGS. It will, however, afford him entree
  into the realm of wealth and society, should it become neces-
  sary. W e decide to save his other gift for now—perhaps we’ll
  trade it for something later.
  We do not necessarily need to choose a fault for Cecil, es-
  pecially as we have one gift remaining. However, to give Cecil
  an interesting life, we decide that he must have some disad-
  vantage. Looking back at his story, we decide that Cecil is ex-
  tremely Curious. One might say worse things about a person,
  but it could get him into trouble some day. We remember that
  curiosity has already left Cecil alone in the jungle for a week—
  but also in possession of some mysterious secrets! Referring
  to the table above, Cecil’s fault can be balanced by another
  gift, two attribute levels, or six skill levels. We’ll choose pres-
  ently.
  
  36
  Skills (1.32 )
  Skills are traits that PC’s acquire through experience and
  training. Characters begin with skills resulting from their
  background, and develop new ones through their work with
  the Society. Skills are described with the Terrible…Fair…
  Superb scale. Skills default to Poor—if you don’t have the
  training, a task is really hard to do! At the GM’s option, a
  particular skill may default to Mediocre or better if the char-
  acter has a related skill or attribute.
  Each player begins 15 free levels with which to se-
  lect skills at character
  creation. Refer to the table
  at right for the cost of a skill
  at a particular level of exper-
  tise. Note that the number
  of skill levels that the player
  uses will fluctuate during
  character creation through
  exchanges, such as trading a
  gift or taking a fault.
  The availability of skills differs depending upon the era
  in which the Nags campaign is set. For example, Driving
  (automobile) will not be available in 1850. Most skills can be
  adapted, however, especially when one takes into account
  NagTech gadgets. For example, Computer Science would
  not be available, per se, in 1895. The player could logically
  adapt the skill to Babbage Engine if the GM allows the PC’s
  access to a Society–constructed difference engine to handle
  specific computing chores. According to the rules of
  NagTech, Nags will have access to many technologies in
  prototypical form long before they became widely available
  to the public. For example, a Nag might be trained in the
  Pilot (Prop plane) skill in the early years of the Twentieth
  century, as Nags often employed experimental aircraft to
  reach inaccessible locales years before such aircraft achieved
  success in the military. The GM should work with the PC
  during character creation to ensure that the skills he selects
  are appropriate to the time period and campaign flavor.
  PC’s may acquire or improve upon skills during cam-
  paign time, often through training between adventures. It
  would be extremely unlikely that a PC would improve upon
  a skill during a typical adventure, unless the adventure tran-
  spires over a long period of time.
  Game Masters may elect to allow PC’s to select three to
  five skills at the Fair level that reflect a PC’s common
  knowledge due to her or his upbringing. This allows the
  player to concentrate upon more expensive skills, while still
  possessing those simple talents that could make an impor-
  tant difference during an adventure. For example, the vast
  majority of adults in late Twentieth Century America would
  possess Driving (Car): Fair as a matter of course. Awarding
  of skills in this fashion is optional, and must be approved by
  the Game Master.
  All Nags are assumed to have learned to speak English,
  the Society’s lingua franca. Characters who have a different
  birth language get that language at the Great level at no
  cost.
  Once the free levels have been expended, a player may
  select a skill and then drop it one level beneath default
  (from Poor to Terrible) in order to select or raise another
  skill. This process takes particular care, and should be over-
  seen by the GM—a player could choose to lower useless or
  irrelevant skills in order to receive free levels. The other
  option is to trade traits (refer to the next section).
  NAGS player characters begin perhaps slightly less en-
  dowed with skills than some games. One reason is to allow
  for subsequent character development—if PC’s begin with
  everything they want, they have little reason to push on-
  wards. Another reason is the existence of NagTech. The
  GM can adjust the PC’s potency through the assignment of
  various pieces of equipment. We also hope that Nag Player
  Characters will work together, complementing one another
  and strengthening one another’s weaknesses. Finally, we
  intend for players in the World of NAGS to rely upon their
  own wits, ingenuity, and a relationship of trust with the
  Game Master.
  The following list of skills is not intended to be exhaus-
  tive. A player may request a skill not on the list for his char-
  acter with the GM’s approval. For skills followed by a term
  in parentheses, the player should chose a specific skill be-
  fore the campaign commences. For example, the player who
  initially chooses Driving (Land vehicle) should then specify
  a vehicle for his character: Driving (Car).
  Each skill description includes some examples of tasks
  at three difficulty levels: Terrible, Fair, and Superb. The GM
  can extrapolate for herself the gradations of task difficulty.
  Note that task requiring only a Terrible roll to succeed are
  still quite challenging by any other standards—Nags and the
  villains in their world are highly trained professionals.
  Athletic and Outdoor Skills
  Acrobatics The ability to perform acrobatic maneuvers,
  both with and without equipment. Terrible: Performing a
  standard routine under typical circus conditions (i.e., work-
  ing with a net). Fair: Attempting to swing in the rigging
  from boat to boat while fencing. Superb: Triple forward roll
  off a skyscraper, stabilizing fall by twirling around flagpoles,
  landing safely on awning, sliding to the street on the run.
  Boating Use and maintenance of small craft such as row-
  boats, canoes, and small sailing vessels. The character could
  attempt to construct a boat at one skill level below his
  boating skill. Terrible: Negotiating a run–of–the–mill
  treacherous rapids in a good vessel. Fair: Righting a cap-
  sized boat in a whirlpool and recovering supplies. Superb:
  Taking boat and passengers over a waterfall.
  Climbing This skill allows the PC to climb sheer surfaces
  indoors and outdoors, with and without equipment. The use
  of equipment increases the chance of success. Terrible:
  Scaling a typical face with some equipment. Fair: Climbing
  Levels
  Terrible
  –1
  Poor
  0
  Mediocre
  1
  Fair
  2
  Good
  3
  Great
  4
  Superb
  5
  
  37
  a sheer face without equipment while being shot at. Superb:
  Tackling Everest in a sport coat in the winter.
  Diving The PC is skilled with NagTech breathing equip-
  ment appropriate to the time period, and knows how to
  handle her– or himself underwater. Terrible: Exploring a
  sunken wreck in 100 meters. Fair: But then your light goes
  out and a shark appears. Superb: And then the wreck slides
  off its undersea shelf, sinking into unplumbed depths.
  Survival (Region) The character possesses the necessary
  knowledge and skills for survival in a specific region (each
  region is a different skill, although survival knowledge of
  one region might give a bonus for survival in another, at the
  GM’s discretion). Regions include: Arctic, Desert, Sea,
  Tropics, Urban, Wilderness. Terrible: Survive for a day.
  Fair: Survive for a week. Superb: Survive for a long time.
  Swimming The character can swim on the surface of water
  for extended periods of time. Knows how to manage
  breathing and to conserve strength. Terrible: Descend
  twenty–five feet without equipment, swim for two hours on
  the surface, or engage in brief underwater combat. Fair:
  Descend fifty feet without equipment, swim for eight hours
  on the surface, or engage in extended underwater combat.
  Superb: Descend deep, swim long, fight hard.
  Tracking Ability to follow individual or groups of animals
  or people. Terrible: Typical tiger, typical jungle, night. Fair:
  Stalking a large, dangerous animal at night after a heavy rain
  Superb: Stalking the Most Dangerous Game.
  Combat Skills
  The difficulty levels for combat skills are most often deter-
  mined by the range and amount of cover of the target. Gen-
  erally, short and medium range require a Terrible shot, long
  range requires a Fair one, and shooting down a jet with a .22
  pistol requires a Legendary shot. Other factors might make
  such shots more difficult.
  Archery Ability to use and maintain (and construct, with
  appropriate time and materials) a bow and arrows or cross-
  bow.
  Artillery Ability to load, aim, and fire long range weapons
  such as howitzers, bazookas, or cannons. Under most situa-
  tions, possession of this skill necessitates military experi-
  ence.
  Breath Weapon Ability to use breath–powered weapons,
  such as the blowgun, to propel tranquilizing darts. PC will
  usually be trained by a native master of the art.
  Dodge The ability to avoid being hit during combat situa-
  tions.
  Firearm (Specific) The player should select a specific cate-
  gory of fire arm, such as pistol, rifle, automatic weapon, &c.
  Martial Arts The character knows a form of martial arts.
  (See section on Stun, Knockout, and Pulling Punches).
  Thrown Weapon Ability to throw accurately small weap-
  ons such as knives, hatchets, shurikins, &c.
  Unarmed Combat Character is skilled at one or more
  forms of unarmed combat, such as boxing, brawling, wres-
  tling, street fighting, &c.
  Craft & Trade Skills
  Animal Handling Allows a character to care for and handle
  animals. Terrible: Ride an unwilling horse on a treacherous
  mountain pass. Fair: Stay on a bucking bronco. Superb:
  Take an elephant across a tiny bridge made of vines and
  rotting boards.
  Animal Training Allows a character to train an animal
  (over time) for a specific task or purpose. Terrible: Train a
  dog to retrieve an object by smell. Fair: Train a bird to fly
  into a tiny crevasse and retrieve an ancient broach. Superb:
  Train an animal to follow one everywhere, to use its skills to
  help one in a pinch, and generally to act as one’s side–kick.
  Craftsman The character is able to plan and construct
  items from wood, stone, metal, or other building materials
  (choose one for a specialty). Level of success rolled indi-
  cates quality of a particular piece constructed. Terrible:
  Fashion a simple piece of furniture or structure. Fair:  Fake
  a well–known item or structure. Superb: Fashion just what
  you need with no tools and nothing at hand.
  Mechanic Can repair and maintain mechanical devices. If
  the skill is Great or better, the character can make or repair
  NagTech Gadgets. Terrible: Repair a typical device during
  downtime. Fair: Repair catastrophic damage during down-
  time or typical damage during a stressful situation. Superb:
  Building a hang glider out of junk while falling from an air-
  plane.
  Entertainment & Artistic Skills
  Art (Specific) The player should choose a specific artistic
  talent for his PC. Examples include acting, dancing, draw-
  ing, music, painting, potting, &c. Level of success rolled
  indicates quality of a particular piece constructed. Terrible:
  Create a work of art during downtime. Fair: Fake a
  well–known piece of art. Superb: Create or fake a work of
  art under stressful or difficult circumstances.
  Gambling Ability to play a variety of games of chance. Ter-
  rible: Win a few hands in Vegas. Fair: Beat the house. Su-
  perb: Make an arch–villain look bad in front of his
  significant other and minions.
  Magic Ability to perform magic tricks, with or without
  props. Does not confer any actual magical aptitude, which
  may or may not be included in the Nags campaign as a
  
  38
  separate skill or gift. Terrible: Rabbit out of a hat. Fair:
  Houdini–like escape. Superb: Make Mt. Everest disappear.
  Photography Ability to use a variety of cameras and other
  photographic equipment, including knowledge of film de-
  veloping. This skill includes creating special photographic
  effects and detecting altered photos. Terrible: Get or fake
  the shot. Fair: Photographing the Lost Sachem of the Mo-
  tocs. Superb: Fashioning a camera from items at hand, and
  then taking and developing the picture that saves the day.
  Knowledge & Lore Skills
  Academic Specialty (Subject) Knowledge of an academic
  subject on the level of a published scholar. Specific subjects
  include economics, literature, mathematics, political theory,
  &c. Terrible: Come up with the right fact at the right time.
  Fair: Knowledge of cutting–edge theories or studies. Su-
  perb: Formulate an original theory.
  Cartography Knowledge of maps and their making. PC
  could identify origin of particular map, find errors, detect
  forgeries. PC could also make new maps through observa-
  tion of geological terrain. Terrible: Draw a rough map of an
  area through a simple observation. Fair: Spot a forgery or
  hidden detail on a map. Superb: Reconstruct the map of the
  Lost Sachem of the Motocs from oblique references in an
  ancient text.
  Familiarity (Subject) Deep knowledge of a particular sub-
  ject, such as fine china or cigars. Does not include fields of
  study detailed separately as skills. Familiarity (Antique
  Weapons), for example, does not confer ability to use them
  in combat. Terrible: Pull out a tidbit about a common item.
  Fair: Recall a crucial tidbit about an obscure item. Superb:
  Recall a crucial detail about an obscure item that somehow
  makes an arch–villain look bad in front of her significant
  other and minions.
  Gadgeteer The ability to plan, construct, and repair devices
  that do not yet exist. Must be taken at Great or better level
  or better to invent NagTech. Terrible: Knock off a stan-
  dard knick–knack of Fair quality. Fair: Coming up with
  something original, of Good quality, in a reasonable amount
  of time. Superb: Constructing a glider from canvas and
  pieces of fuselage in a burning biplane as it hurtles towards
  Mt. Everest..
  History, Religion, and Mythology [HRM] (Specialty)
  Knowledge of a human culture’s history, or a culture’s
  mythological and religious practices. Player should choose a
  specific time period or culture of focus, but PC would have
  general historical, mythological, or religious knowledge at
  one level lower than this skill. Terrible: Recall an obscure
  fact about a typical ancient culture. Fair: Use this knowl-
  edge to blend into a “lost civilization.” Superb: Understand
  a newly discovered ancient culture.
  Lab Knowledge of how to use a standard scientific labora-
  tory to pursue experiments. Player should probably select a
  specialty, such as physics or chemistry, but familiarity with
  one type of experiments would help with conducting inves-
  tigations in another area. Terrible: Whip up a standard con-
  coction. Fair: Synthesize a rare formula. Superb: Eureka!
  Profession (Specialty) Character was a member of a spe-
  cific profession before recruitment. Player should specify
  the profession, and choose related skills if applicable. Ex-
  amples include architect, clergy, police, &c. Terrible:
  Knows the ropes. Fair: Can swim with the sharks. Superb:
  A mogul of international proportions.
  Research Ability to use available resources to research a
  topic. This skill affords abilities appropriate to the time pe-
  riod—that is, knowledge of libraries at any time, computer
  research in modern times, &c. Terrible: Find an obscure
  fact with research aids. Fair: Find an obscure fact in a short
  period of time. Superb: Locate obscure clues to the exis-
  tence Lost Sachem of the Motocs in a moldering book in
  the basement of the Peoria Public Library.
  Science (Specialty) Completed study in a particular field of
  science. Possession of this skill confers a body of knowl-
  edge about a subject. If player wishes his character to be a
  scientist, he must also purchase inquiry skills such as re-
  search, lab, &c., depending upon the particular science.
  Terrible: Investigate standard phenomena. Fair: Discover
  a new phenomenon Superb: Eureka!
  Linguistics Skills
  Code Ability to understand coded (not encrypted) messages
  (Morse, Semaphore, &c.). Terrible: Send or receive a
  run–of–the mill message. Fair: Crack a professional code.
  Superb: Crack a fiendishly clever code.
  Language, Ancient (Specific) Ability to speak and read an
  ancient culture’s language. Includes knowledge of great
  works of literature in the tongue. PC has familiarity with
  other ancient languages at one level lower than this skill.
  Terrible: Read an ancient author in the original. Fair: Re-
  construct a lost masterpiece through references in extant
  works. Superb: Uncover and translate a lost language
  through indirect references in ancient writers.
  
  39
  Language, Modern (Specific) Ability to speak and read a
  modern culture’s language. Includes knowledge of great
  works of literature in the tongue. Includes spoken or written
  languages, Braille, sign language, &c. PC has familiarity with
  other similar modern languages at one level lower than this
  skill. Terrible: Speak at skill level under normal circum-
  stances. Fair: Communicate in a dialect when in a hurry.
  Superb: Puzzle out a text in the ancient forerunners of a
  modern language.
  Medical Skills
  First Aid Ability to stabilize and care for people who have
  been wounded. Terrible:
  Treat a broken bone.
  Fair: Treat a gunshot or
  knife wound. Superb:
  Treat someone mauled
  by the Lost Beast of the
  Motocs.
  Physician Ability to
  diagnose and heal sick or
  injured people. Terrible:
  Diagnose and treat an ill-
  ness. Fair: Treat and
  heal a serious wound. Superb: Retrieve someone from
  Death’s doorstep.
  Traditional Medicine The possessor of this skill has been
  trained in the art of traditional medicine, outside society’s
  medical establishment. The GM can determine how effec-
  tive such treatment will be, and what special qualities this
  healing might possess. Terrible: Diagnose and treat an ill-
  ness. Fair: Treat and heal a serious wound. Superb: Re-
  trieve someone from Death’s doorstep.
  Outré Skills
  Conspiracy Theory An understanding of the invisible
  threads that weave together seemingly disconnected events.
  Because the nature of NagOps is to understand connections
  among disparate events without considering them to be
  conspiratorial, this skill could be considered the “dark side
  of the Force.” Terrible: Ascertain the identity of the Sec-
  ond Gunman. Fair: Solve a typical “X–File.” Superb: To
  Understand
  Dark Magic Knowledge of witchcraft and magic. In some
  campaigns, such knowledge might include the ability to cast
  spells (Skill taken at Great or better level, if allowed). Terri-
  ble: Use a voodoo doll. Fair: Raise a zombie. Superb:
  Summon an Elder God.
  Hypnotism Ability to induce a trance–state in others. Such
  trances can then be used to elicit information or influence
  later behavior. Terrible: Hypnotize a layperson or typical
  henchman with quiet voice and pocket watch. Fair: Hypno-
  tize “name” NPC to uncover vital clue. Superb: Induce a
  trance in maniacal super–genious using the distant ticking of
  Big Ben.
  Meditation The character can enter and maintain a
  trance–state, the nature of which should be determined at
  character creation. Possible trances might include healing,
  insight, or, in some campaigns, astroprojection (skill taken
  at Great or better level, if allowed). Terrible: Turn within to
  find a crucial clue from childhood. Fair: Receive guidance
  from spirits of the elders. Superb: Visit the lost land of the
  Motocs without ever leaving home.
  Occult Knowledge Knowledge of the occult religions and
  practices. In some campaigns, such knowledge might in-
  clude the ability to cast spells (skill taken at Great or better
  level, if allowed). Terrible: Recall an obscure fact about the
  bizarre practices of an obscure South American people.
  Fair: Successfully participate in a ritual. Superb: Invoke the
  supernatural.
  Thanatology The study of death rites and practices in hu-
  man cultures throughout time. Cross–cultural knowledge of
  practices concerning death, preparation of the body, dis-
  posal of the body, and beliefs concerning the afterlife. A
  specialized skill that includes aspects of Archæology, An-
  cient Religion, and possibly, Occult Knowledge. Terrible:
  Recall an obscure fact about an Egyptian death ritual. Fair:
  Divine the secrets of the unbelievably ancient and obscure
  Motoc death ritual. Superb: Raise the dead.
  Social Skills
  Bargaining Ability to negotiate financial or social transac-
  tions. Also known as fast–talk or haggling. Terrible: Get-
  ting the best price for a spark plug in Istanbul. Fair:
  Getting the best price for a pinch of Spirit Dust or a missile
  launcher. Superb: Getting HRH Queen Victoria to lend you
  the crown jewels, no questions asked, for one week.
  Diplomacy Ability to reconcile individuals with disparate or
  opposing viewpoints, or to represent one’s own position
  effectively. Terrible: Convincing someone to concede a
  point. Fair: Facilitating a compromise between an eager
  photographer and a suspicious indigenous leader. Superb:
  Averting a large scale conflict between sworn enemies.
  Etiquette Knows the rules and customs of society; enables
  the character to blend comfortably into formal social situa-
  tions. Terrible: Mingle effortlessly in an elegant New York
  cocktail party. Fair: Recover brilliantly from a faux pas
  committed during a Bedouin marriage feast. Superb: Divine
  the traditional social customs of the Lost Motoc culture.
  Persuade Ability to convince another person of the validity
  of a point of view, to perform a specific task, or to question
  another person with the goal of obtaining information. Ter-
  rible: Get the facts from the man on the street. Fair: Ex-
  tract information from an evil henchman. Superb:
  
  40
  Convincing the Lost Sachem of the Motocs to give you
  access to the Forbidden Codex of Lal.
  Transportation Skills
  Driving (Land Vehicle) Examples of land vehicles include:
  automobile, truck, motorcycle, bicycle, locomotive, elevated
  or subway train, and street trolley. Terrible: Tipping the
  General Lee on two wheels at full speed to pass through a
  narrow alley. Fair: Jumping your bike from rooftop to roof-
  top, forty stories up. Superb: Taking your vehicle Where
  No One has Gone Before, at top speed, with eyes closed
  and fingers crossed.
  Parachuting/Paragliding Ability to operate a parachute or
  paraglider. Terrible: Successfully bailing out of a disabled
  aircraft and floating safely to terra firma while under attack.
  Fair: Repairing a damaged paraglider at 5,000 feet in ma-
  chinegun fire. Superb: Constructing a glider from canvas
  and pieces of fuselage in a burning biplane as it hurtles to-
  wards Mt. Everest..
  Pilot (Air Vehicle or Water Vehicle) Examples of vehicles
  include: airplane (prop or jet), balloon, dirigible, boat (sail or
  motor), diving bell, hovercraft, ship (sail or motor), subma-
  rine. Terrible: Piloting a vessel under heavy attack. Fair:
  Executing a double loop while firing and binding a com-
  rade’s wounded leg. Superb: Taking your ship where no one
  has gone before, at top speed, with eyes closed and fingers
  crossed.
  Unusual Skills
  Cryptography Ability to encrypt or decrypt messages using
  time period–appropriate technology. Terrible: Make or
  break a standard code Fair: Make or break a code devised
  by an acknowledged world expert or a 13–year–old
  hacker–genious. Superb: Make or break a code to foil the
  plans of an evil genius.
  Demolitions Ability to use explosives on a small and large
  scale, from opening a door or safe to demolishing a build-
  ing. Includes the ability to locate and deactivate bombs. The
  GM will divide larger jobs into a number of individual tasks
  that must each be rolled successfully for the entire job to be
  successful. Terrible: Blow something up. Fair: Blow some-
  thing up carefully. Superb: Obliterate an immense structure
  without a perceptible “boom.”
  Disguise The ability to conceal one’s identity through dis-
  guise. The GM should adjust the difficulty of the roll ac-
  cording to the amount of time and accessories available to
  the character; i.e.: five minutes and a banana might result in
  a hard roll while an hour and a makeup trailer might be
  automatic. Terrible: Fool a stranger. Fair: Fool a friend or
  a typical henchman. Superb: Fool your mother or a diaboli-
  cal super–genius.
  Escape Artistry The ability to extricate oneself from cap-
  tivity. Does not include lock picking. Terrible: Escape from
  handcuffs and duct tape. Fair: Escape from a chained cof-
  fin slowly sinking to the bottom of the ocean. Superb: Es-
  cape from a variety of slow–acting yet deadly traps devised
  by the criminally–insane; such as being chained to a log
  moving towards a huge saw as the mill burns and the river is
  being diverted into the building, &c., &c.
  Find, Set, Remove Traps Ability to locate, set, or deacti-
  vate hidden traps. The player can improvise traps with ma-
  terials at hand—the GM should insist upon a plausible
  description of the intended trap by the player. Terrible:
  Snare a typical animal or evil retainer. Fair: Trap a slippery
  villain. Superb: Bag the evil mastermind behind it all.
  Forgery Ability to create documents and mimic handwrit-
  ing and (in the proper time setting) electronic or printed
  text. Terrible: Fool a lay–person. Fair: Fool an expert or a
  typical henchman. Superb: Fool your mother or a diabolical
  super–genius.
  Lock Picking Ability to open locks without key or combina-
  tion. The job is significantly easier by using appropriate
  tools. Fair: Standard lock Terrible: Super lock Superb:
  Fiendishly difficult lock.
  Stealth Ability to move indoors or outdoors without being
  observed and the ability to make oneself unseen in a variety
  of environments. Might also be used to pick pockets, palm a
  small object, &c. Terrible: Avoid a typical bystander Fair:
  Avoid a typical henchman Superb: Avoid a diabolical gen-
  ius.
  Surveillance Ability to observe another person without
  being observed. Includes knowledge of time–appropriate
  surveillance equipment.. Terrible: Stake–out or tail a typical
  Joe. Fair: Stake–out or tail a typical henchman. Superb:
  Stake–out or tail a diabolical genius.
  
  41
  Recalling the character background story we developed, Cecil
  is an inquisitive archæologist and clergyman. We shall select
  his skills accordingly.
  We decide that he is Great at his scientific skill. Consulting
  the Cost of Skills table, we determine that we expend 4 of Ce-
  cil’s 15 levels for Archæology: Great. He is only Fair at his pro-
  fessional skill (his heart isn’t in it), which costs 2 levels. We
  have spent 6 levels thus far, leaving us 9 with which to round
  him out.
  We decide that Cecil’s interests and study afforded him the
  skill of Cartography at the Good level (which costs 3 levels).
  Remembering his sojourn in the jungle, we give Cecil Jungle
  Survival at the Good level (cost=3). This leaves us with 3 more
  levels. Just to be safe, we buy Cecil Dodge at the Mediocre
  level, which costs 1 level. We decide that he learned to be a
  Fair shot with a pistol along the way, costing Cecil 2 levels.
  Cecil  now has expended all of his initial levels.
  We recall that Cecil still needs to balance his fault. We de-
  cide to balance his fault with six additional skill levels. To add a
  new facet to Cecil’s personality, we select Photography (Great)
  (cost: 4 levels). Cecil augmented his archæological investiga-
  tions with photographic documentation. Then, we choose
  Research (Fair), expending the last two levels.
  The GM awards Cecil Etiquette, Animal Handling, and Rifle
  as a result of his upbringing as an upper class English gentle-
  man in the Nineteenth Century. He can ride a horse, assist
  dogs in chasing a fox, and point a weapon at said fox. The GM
  will be aware that such a skill would not allow him to handle a
  rampaging rogue elephant automatically, but it might give
  him a useful insight that others might not possess.
  Trading Traits 1.64
  This is an optional rule that might not be allowed by all
  GM’s. During character creation, free levels may be traded
  (in either direction) at the following rate:
  1 attribute level = 3 skill levels
  1 gift = 6 skill levels
  1 gift = 2 attribute levels.
  Cecil still has one gift left. We decide to trade it for 6 skill levels.
  We add Occult Knowledge (India): Good, a skill that costs 3
  levels. We add the Ancient Egyptian language at the Mediocre
  level, costing 1 level. Finally, we add Persuade: Fair, a result of
  his clerical training.
  Uncommitted Traits (1.7)
  This is an optional rule that the GM might include to allow
  for unforeseen developments at the beginning of a cam-
  paign. Each character has some free uncommitted traits
  (perhaps two or three). At some point in the game, a player
  will realize that he forgot something about the character
  that should have been mentioned. He may request to stop
  the action, and define a previously undefined trait, subject
  to the GM’s approval. A sympathetic GM will allow this to
  happen, even during combat.
  Minimizing Abuse (1.9)
  Obviously, character creation with the c.FUDGE rules sys-
  tem can be abused. There are many methods that the GM
  can use to balance a PC’s unfair advantages.
  The GM can require that the character take another
  fault or two to balance the power. (“Okay I’ll allow you to
  have all that…but you need a challenge. Take on another
  weakness—maybe some secret vice, or be unable to tell a
  believable lie, or anything that fits the character concept that
  I can use to test you now and then.”)
  The GM can veto any trait (or raised/lowered combina-
  tion) that she feels is abusive. (“I see you raised Research in
  exchange for lowering Needlepoint. Hmmm.”) This allows
  the GM to customize the power level of a game. For
  high–powered games, allow most anything; for less cine-
  matic campaigns, make Players trade equally useful trait for
  trait.
  The GM can note the character’s weaknesses, and intro-
  duce a situation into every adventure where at least one of
  them is significant to the mission. (“You’ll be sent as an
  emissary to the Wanduzi tribe—they value fine Needlepoint
  work above all other skills, by the way….”)
  She can use the “disturbance in the force” technique of
  making sure that more powerful characters attract more
  serious problems. (“The bruiser enters the bar with a ma-
  niacal look in his eye. He scans the room for a few seconds,
  then begins to stare intently at you.”) The player might then
  choose to make revisions in his character before the cam-
  paign proceeds much further.
  As we have mentioned, our goal is for players and the
  GM to work together during character creation to come up
  with PC’s that will be interesting to play, match the “power
  level” of the campaign, and include some interesting hooks
  upon which the GM can hang adventure ideas.
  
  42
  THE NAGS CHARACTER RECORD
  Players can easily record all of the pertinent information
  about their PC on any piece of paper—no special forms are
  required. To make things easier, however, we have included
  a NAGS Character Record for maintaining pertinent PC
  information (see page 91 of the Appendices).
  We have filled out a NAGS Character Record for our hero,
  Cecil Bigglesworth, using the information that we deter-
  mined during the character creation process. The sections
  for recording wounds and combat factors will be discussed
  in the chapter devoted to Combat (see page49). All that
  remains for Cecil is to select his equipment and weaponry.
  
  43
  Action Resolution (3)
  Adventures in the World of Nags encourage players to discuss, inquire, guess among and for themselves. We hope that play-
  ers will have a smattering of knowledge about the skills and gifts that they have chosen for their PC’s, or at least have the
  ability to fake it passably. It falls to the GM to design adventures with enough clues and possible avenues of inquiry to engage
  the players.
  Some actions, especially those that involve physical activity, will require a roll of the dice. This chapter describes the game
  mechanics involved in resolving actions attempted by player characters.
  c.FUDGE employs commonly used adjectives to describe a character’s proficiency at a task  and the results of her or his
  attempts. A character who is Great at research (that is, she possesses the skill research at the Great level) will not automati-
  cally achieve great results each time she attempts to find a fact. This chapter explains how the players and GM will use
  FUDGE dice to resolve the characters’ actions.
  ACTION RESOLUTION TERMS (3.1)
  Actions are what the characters do during an adventure.
  Some are merely described by GM or players, while others
  have a random component that must be resolved through a
  roll of the dice.
  Below Terrible There are rolled degrees (q.v.) from Terri-
  ble –1 down to Terrible –4. No Difficulty Level (q.v.)
  should be set this low, however; anything requiring a Terri-
  ble Difficulty Level or worse should be automatic for most
  characters—no roll needed.
  Beyond Superb It is possible to achieve a level of rolled
  degree that is beyond Superb. Rolled degrees (q.v.) from
  Superb +1 to Superb +4 are possible. These levels are only
  reachable on rare occasions by human beings. No trait may
  be taken at (or raised to) a level beyond Superb (unless the
  GM is allowing a PC to be at Legendary, which is the same
  as Superb +1—see Character Development, below). For
  example, the American baseball player Willie Mays was a
  Superb outfielder. His most famous catch, often shown on
  television, is a Superb +4 rolled degree. It isn’t possible for
  a human to have that level of excellence as a routine skill
  level, however: even Willie was “just” a Superb outfielder,
  who could sometimes do even better. A GM may set a Dif-
  ficulty Level beyond Superb for nearly impossible actions.
  Dice Various options for dice are given: players may use
  either three or four six–sided dice (3d6 or 4d6), or two
  ten–sided dice as percentile dice (d%), or four FUDGE dice
  (4dF), as described in the text. It is also possible to play
  FUDGE diceless (see the appendices of the original
  FUDGE rules for a discussion of diceless FUDGE).
  Difficulty Level The GM will set a Difficulty Level when a
  character tries an Unopposed Action. Usually it will be Fair,
  but some tasks are easier or harder. Note that because Nags
  and their nemeses are highly trained individuals, tasks that
  are of Fair difficulty for them would be much more trying
  for the average person–on–the–street.
  Opposed Action Actions are Opposed when other people
  (or animals or forces, &c.) may have an effect on the out-
  come of the action. In this case, each contestant rolls a set
  of dice, comparing the results to determine the outcome.
  Examples include combat, attempts to influence behavior,
  haggling, tug–of–war, &c.
  Relative Degree refers to how well a character did com-
  pared to another participant in an Opposed Action (q.v.).
  Unlike a Rolled Degree (q.v.), relative degree is expressed as
  a number of levels. For example, if a PC gets a rolled degree
  result of Good in a fight, and his NPC foe gets a rolled de-
  gree result of Mediocre, he beat her by two levels—the rela-
  tive degree is +2 from his perspective, –2 from hers.
  Rolled Degree refers to how well a character does at a par-
  ticular task. If someone is Good at Climbing in general, but
  the die–roll shows a Great result on a particular attempt,
  then the rolled degree is Great.
  Situational Roll The GM may occasionally want a die roll
  that is not based on a character’s trait, but on the overall
  situation or outside circumstances. This Situational roll is
  simply a normal FUDGE die roll, but not based on any
  trait. That is, a result of 0 is a Fair result, +1 a Good result,
  –1 a Mediocre result, and so on. This is most commonly
  used with Reaction and damage rolls, but can be used else-
  where as needed. For example, the players ask the GM if
  there are any passersby on the street at the moment—
  they’re worried about witnesses. The GM decides there are
  none if a Situational roll gives a Good or better result, and
  rolls the dice.
  Unopposed Action Some actions are Unopposed, as when
  a character is trying to perform an action which is not influ-
  enced by anyone else. Examples of unopposed actions in-
  clude jumping a wide chasm, climbing a cliff, performing a
  chemistry experiment, &c. The player simply rolls the dice
  and reads the result.
  
  44
  ROLLING THE DICE (3.2)
  There is no need to roll the dice when a character performs
  an action that is so easy as to be automatic. Likewise, an
  action so difficult that it has no chance to succeed requires
  no roll, either—it simply can’t be done. Use dice solely in
  the middle ground, where the outcome of an action is un-
  certain.
  You’ll notice in the suggestions for setting difficulty of
  skill tests that the tasks requiring a Terrible roll are more
  difficult than most mere mortals could perform. The World
  of NAGS is one of daring and adventure, not repetitious
  dice–rolling!
  For any action the player character wishes to perform,
  the Game Master must determine which trait is tested. (This
  will usually be a skill or an attribute.) If the action is Unop-
  posed, the GM also determines the Difficulty Level of the
  task—usually Fair. (See also Opposed Actions.)
  Reading the Dice (3.21)
  Of the four dice techniques presented in c.FUDGE, this one
  is recommended. It gives results from –4 to +4 quickly and
  easily, without intruding into role–playing or requiring com-
  plex math or a table.
  FUDGE dice are six–sided dice with two sides marked
  +1, two sides marked –1, and two sides marked 0. They are
  commercially available from Grey Ghost Games
  (   www.fudgerpg.com
       ).
  MAKING FUDGE DICE
  You can make your own FUDGE dice easily enough. Sim-
  ply get four normal white d6’s. Using a permanent marker,
  color two sides of each die green, two sides red, and leave
  the other two sides white. When the ink has dried, spray the
  dice lightly with clear matte finish to prevent the ink from
  staining your hands. You now have 4dF: the green sides=
  +1, the red sides= –1, and the white sides= 0.
  To use FUDGE dice, simply roll four of them, and total
  the amount. Since a +1 and a –1 cancel each other, remove
  +1 and –1 pairs from the table, and the remaining dice are
  easy to read no matter what they are. For example, if you
  roll +1, +1, 0, –1, remove the –1 and one of the +1s, as
  together they equal 0. The remaining two dice, +1 and 0, are
  easily added to +1. If there is no opposing pair of +1 and
  –1 dice, remove any 0s and the remaining dice are again easy
  to read.
  The result of a die roll is a number
  between –4 and +4. Refer to the sim-
  ple chart of the attribute levels on the
  NAGS PC Record sheet. To determine
  the result of an action, simply put your
  finger on your trait level, then move it
  up (for positive results) or down (for
  negative results).
  Cecil, who possesses a Fair Research skill, is tracking down a
  clue concerning an abandoned London building. He repairs to
  the City Records office. The player rolls 4dF, using the proce-
  dure described above. If he rolls a 0, he gets a result equal to
  Cecil’s skill: Fair, in this case. If he rolls a +1, however, he gets
  a Good result, since Good is one level higher than his Fair re-
  search skill. If he rolls a –3, resulting in a Terrible result, un-
  lucky Cecil has arrived at closing time.
  Note that if the character’s trait is high or low enough, it
  is possible to roll Beyond Superb or Below Terrible. Simply
  note the exact level (Terrible –3 or Superb +1, for example)
  and play as usual. The GM will want to specify the exact
  results of such extreme rolls.
  It is not always necessary to figure the exact rolled de-
  gree. If you only need to know whether or not a character
  succeeded at something, it is usually sufficient for the player
  simply to announce the appropriate trait level and the die
  roll result. The game goes much faster this way.
  A player wants his character, Mr. Wallop, to fly his biplane
  between two mountain peaks that are close together. The GM
  says this requires a Great Difficulty Level Piloting roll, and asks
  the player to roll the dice. The player looks up Mr. Wallop’s
  Piloting skill, which is Great, and rolls a +2 result. He simply
  announces “Great+2” as the result. This answer is suffi-
  cient—the GM knows that Mr. Wallop not only succeeded at the
  task, he didn’t even come close to damaging his craft.
  Of course, there are many times when you want to
  know exactly how well the character did, even if it’s not a
  matter of being close. If the character is composing a poem,
  for example, and his Poetry skill is Fair, you will want to
  figure out what “Fair+2” means: he just wrote a Great
  poem! There are many other instances where the degree of
  success is more important than merely knowing successor
  failure.
  Other Dice Techniques (3.22)
  For those who don’t want to make or buy FUDGE dice,
  three different options are available:
  4d6 This method requires 2d6 of one color or size and 2d6
  of another color or size. First declare which two dice are the
  positive dice, and which two the negative, then roll all four
  dice. Do not add the dice in this system. Instead, remove
  from the table all but the lowest die (or dice, if more than
  one has the same lowest number showing). If the only dice
  left on the table are the same color, that is the result: a posi-
  tive die with a “1” showing is a +1, for example. If there are
  still dice of both colors showing, the result is “0”.
  Examples (p = positive die, n = negative die): you roll p4, p3,
  n3, n3. The lowest number is a 3, so the p4 is removed, leav-
  ing p3, n3 and n3. Since there are both positive and negative
  dice remaining, the result is 0. On another roll, you get p1, p1,
  Superb
  Great
  Good
  Fair
  Mediocre
  Poor
  Terrible
  
  45
  n2, n4. Remove the highest numbers, n2 and n4. This leaves
  only positive dice, so the result is +1, since a “1” is showing on
  a positive die, and there are no negative dice on the table.
  3d6 Roll 3 six–sided dice. Add the numbers and look up
  the results on the table below. This table is small enough to
  fit easily on a character sheet. Example: a roll of 3, 3, 6 is a
  sum of 12. Looking up 12 on the table yields a result of +1.
  Rolled: 3–4
  5
  6–7
  8–9
  10–11
  12–13
  14–15
  16
  17–18
  Result: –4
  –3
  -2
  –1
  0
  +1
  +2
  +3
  +4
  d% Roll two ten–sided dice, having first declared which will
  be the “tens” digit. Read the tens die and the ones die as a
  number from 1 to 100 (01 = 1, but 00 = 100), and consult
  the table below, which should be printed on the character
  sheet:
  Rolled:
  1
  2–6
  7–18 19–38 39–62 63–82
  83–94
  95–99
  00
  Result: –4
  –3
  -2
  –1
  0
  +1
  +2
  +3
  +4
  Of course, the GM may customize this table as she
  wishes. These numbers were chosen to match 4dF, which
  the author feels is an ideal spread for c.FUDGE .
  ACTION MODIFIERS (3.3)
  There may be modifiers for any given action, which can
  affect the odds referred to in the preceding section. Modifi-
  ers temporarily improve or reduce a character’s traits. Play-
  ers can suggest appropriate modifiers when attempting an
  action; the GM will impose others according to the circum-
  stances.
  Joe, Good with a blowpipe, is Hurt (–1 to all actions). He is thus
  only Fair with his weapon until he’s healed. Jill has Mediocre
  Lock picking skills, but an exceptionally fine set of lock picks
  gives her a Fair Lock picking skill while she’s using them.
  If a character has a secondary trait that could contribute
  significantly to a task, the GM may allow a +1 bonus if the
  trait is Good or better.
  Verne is at the library, researching an obscure South Ameri-
  can Indian ritual. He uses his Research skill of Good, but he
  also has a Good Anthropology skill. The GM decides this is sig-
  nificant enough to give Verne a Great Research skill for this
  occasion. If his Anthropology skill were Superb, the GM could
  simply let Verne use that instead of Research: you don’t get to
  be Superb in Anthropology without having done a lot of re-
  search.
  Other conditions may grant a +/–1 to any trait. In
  c.FUDGE, +/–2 is a large modifier; +/–3 is the maximum
  that should ever be granted except under extreme condi-
  tions.
  Generally speaking, the GM can account for modifiers
  to Unopposed Actions by adjusting the Difficulty Level of
  the task. If, for example, finding an obscure fact typically
  requires a Superb effort in your campaign, simply inform
  the player that, because his character is an anthropologist,
  it’s only a Great task for him. This is effectively the same as
  giving him a +1, and avoids the confusion of remembering
  modifiers. Action modifiers play a larger role in Opposed
  Actions (see below), because the “difficulty level” is the
  opponent’s skill, and thus cannot be easily adjusted.
  UNOPPOSED ACTIONS (3.4)
  For each Unopposed action, the GM sets a Difficulty Level
  (Fair is the most common) and announces which trait
  should be rolled against. If no Skill seems relevant, choose
  the most appropriate Attribute. If there is a relevant Skill,
  but the character is untrained in it, then use the de-
  fault—usually Poor. If a high attribute could logically help
  an untrained skill, set the default at Mediocre.
  For example, a character wishes to palm some coins without
  being observed. The GM says to use Sleight of Hand skill, but
  the character is untrained in Sleight of Hand. The player points
  out that his character’s Dexterity attribute is Superb, so the GM
  allows a default of Mediocre Sleight of Hand for this attempt.
  The player then rolls against the character’s trait level,
  and tries to match or surpass the Difficulty Level set by the
  GM. In cases where Degrees of Success are important, the
  better the roll, the better the character did; the worse the
  roll, the worse the character did.
  In setting the Difficulty Level of a task, the GM should
  remember that Poor is the default for most skills. The aver-
  age trained climber can climb a Fair cliff most of the time,
  but the average untrained climber will usually get a Poor
  result.
  Two PCs (Mickey and Arnold) and an NPC guide (Parri) come to
  a cliff the guide tells them they have to climb. The GM an-
  nounces this is a difficult, but not impossible, cliff: a Good Dif-
  ficulty Level roll is required to scale it with no delays or
  complications. Checking the character sheets, they find that
  Parri’s Climbing skill is Great and Mickey’s is Good. Arnold’s
  character sheet doesn’t list Climbing, so his skill level is at de-
  fault: Poor. Parri and Mickey decide to climb it, then lower a
  rope for Arnold.
  Parri rolls a +1 result: a rolled degree of Superb. She gets
  up the cliff without difficulty, and much more quickly than ex-
  pected. Mickey rolls a –1, however, for a rolled degree of Fair.
  Since this is one level lower than the Difficulty Level, he’s
  having problems. Had Mickey done Poorly or even Mediocre,
  he would perhaps have fallen—or not even been able to start.
  Since his rolled degree is only slightly below the Difficulty
  Level, though, the GM simply rules he is stuck half way up, and
  can’t figure out how to go on. Parri ties a rope to a tree at the
  top of the cliff, and lowers it for Mickey. The GM says it is now
  Difficulty Level: Poor to climb the cliff with the rope in place,
  and Mickey makes this easily on another roll.
  Arnold would also need a Poor rolled degree to climb the
  cliff with the rope, but since his skill is Poor, they decide not to
  risk it. Mickey and Parri have Arnold loop the rope under his
  
  46
  arms, and pull him up as he grabs handholds along the way in
  case they slip. No roll is needed in this case, unless they are
  suddenly attacked when Arnold is only half way up the cliff….
  Note that this whole situation was merely described as an
  example of setting Difficulty levels. In actual game play, the
  GM should describe the cliff, and ask the players how the
  characters intend to get up it. If they came up with the idea of
  Parri climbing the cliff and lowering a rope, no rolls would be
  needed at all. Unless, possibly, time was a critical factor, or
  there were hidden difficulties the GM chose not to reveal be-
  cause they couldn’t have been perceived from the bottom of
  the cliff.
  Occasionally, the GM will roll in secret for the PC.
  There are times when even a failed roll would give the
  player knowledge he wouldn’t otherwise have. These are
  usually information rolls. For example, if the GM asks the
  player to make a roll against Find Traps and the player fails,
  the character doesn’t notice anything out of the ordinary.
  But the player now knows that there is something out of the
  ordinary that his character didn’t notice…. Far better for
  the GM to make the roll in secret, and only mention it on a
  successful result.
  OPPOSED ACTIONS (3.5)
  To resolve an Opposed action between two characters, each
  side rolls two dice against the appropriate trait and an-
  nounces the result. Note that the traits rolled against are not
  necessarily the same.
  A disguise attempt would be rolled against the Disguise skill
  for the active participant and against Perception for the re-
  sisting participant. There may be modifiers: a character who
  works with disguises himself might get +2 to his Perception
  roll, while someone with a Gullible fault would have a penalty.
  The Game Master compares the rolled degrees to de-
  termine a Relative Degree.
  Lisa is trying to flimflam Joe into thinking she’s from the FBI
  and rolls a Great result. This is not automatic success, how-
  ever. If Joe also rolls a Great result on his trait to avoid being
  flimflammed (Criminology, Perception, &c.—whatever the GM
  decides is appropriate), then the relative degree is 0: the status
  quo is maintained. In this case, Joe remains unconvinced that
  Lisa is legitimate. If Joe rolled a Superb result, Lisa’s Great
  result would have actually earned her a relative degree of –1:
  Joe is not going to be fooled this encounter, and will probably
  even have a bad reaction to Lisa.
  The Opposed action mechanism can be used to resolve
  almost any conflict between two characters. Are two people
  both grabbing the same item at the same time? This is an
  Opposed action based on the Dexterity attribute—the win-
  ner gets the item. Is one character trying to shove another
  one down? Roll Strength vs. Strength (or Unarmed Combat
  skill) to see who goes down. Someone trying to hide from a
  search party? Perception attribute (or Find Hidden skill) vs.
  Stealth. Trying to out–drink a rival? Vigor vs. Vigor (or Ca-
  rousing, &c.). And so on.
  Some Opposed actions have a minimum level needed
  for success. For example, an attempt to control a person’s
  mind with a Hypnotism skill might require at least a Fair
  result. If the hypnotist only gets a Mediocre result, it doesn’t
  matter if the intended victim rolls a Poor resistance: the
  attempt fails. Most combat falls into this category.
  For an example of Opposed actions involving more
  than two characters, see Multiple Combatants in Melee.
  An Opposed action can also be handled as an Unop-
  posed action. When a PC is opposing an NPC, have only
  the player roll and simply let the NPC’s trait level be the
  Difficulty Level. This method assumes the NPC will always
  roll a 0. This emphasizes the PC’s performance, and reduces
  the possibility of an NPC’s lucky roll deciding the game.
  As a slight variation on the above, the GM rolls 1dF or
  2dF when rolling for an NPC in an opposed action. This
  allows some variation in the NPC’s ability, but still puts the
  emphasis on the PCs’ actions.
  CRITICAL RESULTS (3.6)
  Critical results are an optional c.FUDGE rule. A natural
  rolled result of +4 can be considered a Critical Success—the
  character has done exceptionally well, and the GM may
  grant some special bonus to the action. Likewise, a natural
  result of –4 is a Critical Failure, and the character has done
  as poorly as he possibly can in the given situation.
  Note that achieving +/–4 with die modifiers does not
  count as a critical result, though the character has done ex-
  ceptionally well or poorly. When a natural critical result is
  rolled, the GM may ignore what the rolled degree would be,
  and treat it as an automatic Beyond Superb or Below Terri-
  ble result. Optionally, if a character gets a rolled degree four
  or more levels better than the Difficulty Level, he has got-
  ten a critical success. Likewise, four levels below a Difficulty
  Level is a critical failure.
  The Game Master might include notes for handling
  critical results when designing encounters during adven-
  tures; she will most often invent appropriate results on the
  spot. Some GM’s may even wish to make tables, such as
  these sample melee critical results:
  Sample Critical Failure Table
  2
  Blinded—no defense or offense for next round
  3
  Fall down—skill at –2 for one round
  4
  Armor damaged—no armor value rest of fight!
  5
  Weapon finds chink—do not subtract for armor
  6
  Knocked off balance—skill at –1 next round
  7
  Drop Weapon—still within reach
  8
  Weapon breaks, but still useful: –1 to damage
  9
  Slip—skill at –1 next round
  10
  Knocked to one knee—skill at –1
  11
  Disarmed by opponent—weapon out of reach
  12
  Weapon breaks—now useless
  
  47
  Sample Critical Success Table
  2
  Blind opponent—no defense or offense next round
  3
  Knock opponent down—skill at +2 next round
  4
  Damage oppt.’s armor—no armor value rest of fight
  5
  Weapon finds chink—do not subtract for armor
  6
  Knock opponent off balance—skill at +1 next turn
  7
  Make opponent drop Weapon—still within reach
  8
  Break oppt.’s weapon, still useful: –1 to damage
  9
  Cause opponent to slip—skill at +1 next round
  10
  Knock opponent to one knee—skill at +1
  11
  Disarm opponent—weapon out of reach
  12
  Break opponent’s weapon—now useless
  Note that, generally speaking, the minuses on the critical
  failure table refer to the character who suffered the failure,
  while the plusses on the success table refer to the character
  who enjoyed success. (This is not always the case, however;
  if you break an opponent’s weapon, he or she suffers –1 to
  damage, not you!) GM’s should feel free to design tables
  that are more creative than these.
  NPC REACTIONS (3.7)
  Sometimes a non–player character has a set reaction to the
  PC’s—perhaps she’s automatically their enemy, or perhaps
  the party has rescued her and earned her gratitude. But
  there will be many NPC’s that don’t have a pre–determined
  reaction. When the PCs request information or aid, it might
  go smoothly or it might not go well at all. Negotiation with
  a stranger is always an unknown quantity to the players—it
  may be so for the GM, too.
  SITUATIONAL ROLL
  A Situational Roll a die roll that is not based on a character’s
  trait, but on the overall situation or outside circumstances.
  In this case, the GM uses a normal FUDGE die roll, but
  not based on any trait. That is, a result of 0 is a Fair result,
  +1 a Good result, –1 a Mediocre result, and so on.
  When in doubt, the GM should secretly make a Situ-
  ational roll. If the PC in question has a trait that can affect a
  stranger’s reaction, this
  should grant a +/–1 (or
  more) to the result. Examples
  include Appearance, Cha-
  risma, and such habits as
  nose–picking or vulgar lan-
  guage. The Reaction roll can
  also be modified up or down
  by circumstances: bribes, sus-
  picious or friendly nature of
  the NPC, proximity of the
  NPC’s boss, observed PC
  behavior, &c.
  The higher the Reaction
  roll result, the better the reac-
  tion. On a Fair result, for example, the NPC will be mildly
  helpful, but only if it’s not too much effort. She won’t be
  helpful at all on Mediocre or worse results, but will react
  well on a Good result or better.
  Cecil needs some information about that mysterious piece of
  property in central London. He observes that people in the
  neighborhood are reticent about #24 Gallagher Lane. Cecil
  decides to approach a garrulous cockney at a local pub. Cecil
  has no appearance or charisma modifiers, but the GM rules
  that his Privileged Upbringing will earn him a –1 reaction in
  this setting. Cecil makes small talk for awhile, buys a round,
  and then slips the building into conversation. The GM decides
  that the player role–played all of this so skillfully that it count-
  ers the penalty; Cecil is back to zero. The GM then rolls in secret
  and gets a Fair result. The cockney slips out a useful piece of
  information in spite of himself. At this point he clams up, and
  Cecil casually changes the subject to the weather, dispelling
  his suspicions. Cecil finishes his pint and tries his luck else-
  where.
  USING BALANCE
  Balance is a flexible trait that the Game Master and players
  can employ in a somewhat different manner than other at-
  tributes. As a description of the character’s spiritual wellness
  and place in the cosmos, Balance quantifies both a charac-
  ter’s sanity and karma. A high or low Balance attribute can
  contribute to role–playing as a gift or fault.
  Due to the sensitive nature of its Operations, the Society
  will probably insist that Nags maintain at least a Mediocre
  or better Balance. For an interesting role–playing challenge,
  a player might play a Nag with Poor or Terrible Balance by
  emphasizing her or his other strengths. Perhaps in crisis
  situations, he must go into a “trance” (conveniently, in an-
  other room) in order to “access his superior investigative
  skills,” and thus disguising the fact that he might become
  dangerously unbalanced.
  In its most simple use, the GM can call for a Balance
  roll during a situation in which spiritual strength is impor-
  tant. The result of the roll will simply determine success or
  failure for the particular action.
  Let’s say the Lost Sachem of he Motocs is conducting a cere-
  mony to bring the Nags to their spirit guides. The GM might
  require  a Balance roll  of Great difficulty for a PC to encounter
  her or his guide in a vision. Cecil is Fairly Balanced. In this
  case, he must  roll a +1 or better for a successful vision.
  Balance can also be used as a quantitative and qualitative
  measure of mental health. Whenever the character is faced
  with a horrific or disturbing reality, the GM can call for a
  Balance roll at a particular level of difficulty, depending
  upon the situation. The character must make a successful
  role to maintain composure. If the roll is negative, the char-
  acter might suffer adverse effects, or even become unbal-
  anced. The GM could use the following table, or create her
  own.
  
  48
  Rolled Level
  Effect
  Fair
  PC maintains composure
  Mediocre
  PC loses composure
  Poor
  PC must flee situation
  Terrible
  Temp. lower Balance 1 Level
  Below Terrible
  Perm. lower Balance 1 Level
  In such a case, a player who is not well–Balanced to be-
  gin with will have to make some difficult rolls in order to
  maintain some semblance of mental harmony. The Game
  Master could describe the effects of a low Balance Roll to
  the player, or, better yet, the player could role–play his char-
  acter’s Unbalanced state.
  FUDGE POINTS (1.36)
  Fudge Points are meta–game gifts that may be used to buy
  “luck” during a game—they let the players fudge a game
  result. These are “meta–game” gifts because they operate at
  the player–GM level, not character–character level. Not
  every GM will allow Fudge Points—those who prefer realis-
  tic games should probably not use them.
  The GM sets the starting number of Fudge Points. The
  recommended range is from one to five. Unused Fudge
  Points are saved up for the next gaming session. Each
  player may get an additional number each gaming session.
  (This is also set by the GM, and may or may not equal the
  starting level.) Alternately, the GM may simply allow Expe-
  rience Points (EP) to be traded for Fudge Points at a rate
  appropriate for the campaign: three EP = one Fudge Point,
  down to one EP = one Fudge Point.
  Fudge Points can be used in many ways, depending on
  what level on the realistic–legendary scale the game is played
  at. Here are some suggested ways to use them—the GM can
  create her own uses, of course. A GM may allow as few or
  many of these options as she wishes—the players should
  ask her before assuming they can do something with Fudge
  Points.
  Spending a Fudge Point may accomplish an Unopposed
  action automatically and with panache—good for impress-
  ing members of the appropriate sex, and possibly avoiding
  injury in the case of dangerous actions. The GM may veto
  this use of Fudge Points for actions with a Difficulty Level
  of Beyond Superb. The GM may disallow this option for an
  Opposed action, such as combat.
  A player may spend one Fudge Point to alter a die roll
  one level, up or down as desired. The die roll can be either
  one the player makes, or one the GM makes that directly
  concerns the player’s character.
  A player may spend one Fudge Point to declare that
  wounds aren’t as bad as they first looked. This reduces the
  intensity of each wound by one or two levels (a Hurt result
  becomes a Scratch, for example, or even a Very Hurt be-
  comes a Scratch). Or it can mean that any one wound (or
  more), regardless of level, is just a Scratch. This latter option
  may cost more than one Fudge point. The GM can restrict
  this to outside of combat time.
  A player may spend one (or more) Fudge Points to get
  an automatic +4 result, without having to roll the dice. This
  use is available in Opposed actions, if allowed.
  For appropriately legendary games, a GM–set number
  of Fudge Points can be spent to ensure a favorable coinci-
  dence. (This is always subject to GM veto, of course.) For
  example, if the PC’s are in a maximum security prison, per-
  haps one of the guards turns out to be the cousin of one of
  the PC’s—and lets them escape! Or the captain of the fish-
  ing boat rescuing the PC’s turns out to be someone who
  owes a favor to one of them, and is willing to take them out
  of his way to help them out…and so on. This option should
  cost a lot of Fudge Points, except in certain genres where
  bizarre coincidences are the norm.
  Another possible way for a player to use Fudge points is
  for players to purchase abstinence from a character’s fault.
  For example, our friend Cecil Bigglesworth, curious to a
  fault, might expend one Fudge point to avoid exploring a
  scary basement at an inopportune moment. If the player
  abstains from his disadvantages too often, the GM might
  decide to penalize him for poor role–playing. However, if
  he comes back to it later, even though it is inconvenient, the
  GM may decide to reward Cecil’s player by restoring the
  point.
  NAGS OF NOTE—JACK LONDON
  London (1876–1916 [recruited in 1916]) was a noted author,
  journalist, and political activist. He joined the Society via
  societal extraction in 1916. Although he would seem an
  obvious hack, London’s love for the environment prompted
  him to became an ardent Green Preservationist. London
  was outré even by Society standards—he came to believe
  that humans did not belong in the Earth’s more primitive
  locales unless they could persevere on Nature’s terms. He
  will seldom be found on any Campus, but might conduct
  field training for Nags who can withstand the rigor.
  
  49
  Combat (4)
  Combat should be tangential to most Requests for Attention. As in the “real world,” humans in the World of NAGS are
  delicate organisms who suffer greatly from wounds. They are not regularly riddled with bullets and then ready next week for
  another adventure.
  Nags receive intensive training in order to execute operations with the least amount of interference in the normal course
  of events. Nag PC’s might, for example, tranquilize a guard from a distance, and then leave an empty whisky bottle nearby to
  deceive bystanders. Such tricks of the trade are regularly taught at Society Campuses.
  The NAGS Society Worldbook describes a combat system that is intended to be complete but streamlined to keep the ac-
  tion going. Please refer to the original FUDGE rules if you are unsatisfied with our decisions—FUDGE encourages modifi-
  cation according to taste!
  COMBAT TERMS (4.1)
  Combat Rounds are set by the GM. Three seconds seems
  reasonable to some people, while that seems grossly short
  or absurdly long to others. A given GM’s combat round
  may vary in length, depending on the situation. Generally,
  when each character involved has made an action, a given
  round is over.
  Defensive damage factors are those which contribute to
  reducing the severity of a received blow: armor, possibly
  Damage Capacity, &c.
  Melee is any combat that involves striking the opponent
  with a fist or hand–held weapon. Any attack from further
  away is a Ranged attack.
  Offensive damage factors are those which contribute to
  damaging an opponent: Strength (if using a Strength–
  driven weapon), deadliness of weapon, &c.
  Story Elements are distinct segments of the story line in
  the game. In combat, the interval between story elements
  can be a practical place for a die roll.
  Total damage factor (or simply Damage factor) is the at-
  tacker’s offensive damage factor minus the defender’s de-
  fensive damage factor.
  RANGED COMBAT (4.4)
  Because Nags are trained to incapacitate opponents from a
  distance, we will consider Ranged Combat first. Ranged
  combat occurs when one or more combatant employs a
  missile weapon (such as a firearm or bow) or throws a me-
  lee weapon (such as an ax). Ranged combat may or may not
  be an Opposed action.
  Target Unaware
  If the target is unaware of the assault, the attacker makes an
  Unopposed action roll to see if he hits his target. The GM
  sets the Difficulty Level based on distance, lighting, cover,
  and other relevant factors. Do not modify the attacker’s skill
  for range, partial cover, or other circumstances—that’s in-
  cluded in the Difficulty Level. Equipment such as a laser
  sighting scope can modify the attacker’s skill, though.
  The GM can rely upon her good sense to establish a dif-
  ficulty level by assessing all the environmental factors and
  setting an appropriate level. If the GM would like guidance,
  she can refer to the following suggestions when setting dif-
  ficulty level. Note that pluses make a shot easier (a Fair
  rather than Great shot is needed, for example) while mi-
  nuses make a shot more difficult. The range will depend
  upon the particular weapon—long range for a bow will be
  closer than long range for a high–powered rifle.
   ASSESSING DIFFICULTY LEVEL FOR RANGED COMBAT:
  Point blank or target immobile
  Terrible
  Short
  Poor
  Short to Medium
  Mediocre
  Medium
  Fair
  Medium to Long
  Good
  Long to Very long
  Great
  Very Long
  Superb
  Shooting down an airplane, &c.
  Legendary
  Shooter standing still to aim 
  +1
  Target immobile
  +1
  Shooter running
  –1
  Shooting from hip
  –1
  Target behind partial cover
  –1
  Target behind substantial cover
  –2
  Aiming at a specific body part will require a minimum result
  of Good or Great to hit, and also have a –1 to the trait level.
  If a result of Great is needed and the fighter only gets a
  Good result but still wins the Opposed action, he hits the
  target—but not in the part aimed for (see Hit Location).
  Cecil would very much like to take out a drowsy guard with his
  needler pistol. The distance is about 100 feet—long range for a
  needler. The GM looks up long range (a Great shot), but the
  guard is immobile (+1) and Cecil is aiming (+1). The GM an-
  nounces that the Difficulty Level is Fair. Recalling that Cecil is a
  Fair shot with a pistol, he need only equal his skill to hit. The
  player rolls –1—a Mediocre result and thus narrowly misses .
  
  50
  Target Aware
  If the defender is aware of the attack, it is an Opposed ac-
  tion. In this case, the attacker pits her or his ranged weapon
  skill against the defender’s defensive skill. The most com-
  mon defensive skill is Dodge, but others, such as Acrobat-
  ics, are possible. If the character is untrained in any
  defensive skills, use the better of Dodge at its default level
  of Poor or Dexterity –1.
  The Difficulty Level set by the GM serves as the mini-
  mum rolled degree needed to hit. The attacker and defender
  each roll, and the GM should note the relative degree of the
  result. If the attacker doesn’t make the minimum difficulty
  roll, the shot fails, and the defender’s dodge is immaterial. If
  the attacker makes the minimum difficulty level, but the
  defender achieves a superior Dodge (the relative degree is
  negative for the attacker), then the shot also misses. The
  attacker hits with a successful shot and a positive relative
  degree.
  The thunk of dart striking wood from Cecil’s near miss startles
  the guard into awareness—Cecil’s next shot will be an Op-
  posed Action. The GM notes that the guard is untrained in
  Dodge and his Dexterity is Fair. He will defend with Dex –1
  (Mediocre), which is better than Dodge (Poor), the default. The
  GM informs Cecil’s player that he now needs a Good shot to hit
  because the guard is no longer immobile.
  As Cecil makes his second attempt, the guard attempts
  evasive maneuvers  by throwing himself to the ground. Cecil
  rolls +2 (Great): a possible hit! The guard rolls 0—a Mediocre
  dodge. The relative degree is +2 for Cecil, so he has hit the
  guard with a tranquilizing dart!
  If the ranged weapon is thrown, there is no modifier to
  the defense roll. However, a propelled weapon, such as a
  bow, gun, or beam weapon, is much harder to avoid. In this
  case, the GM might elect to reduce the defender’s trait by
  –2 or –3. Obviously, the defender isn’t trying to dodge a
  bullet, but dodging the presumed path of a bullet when an
  attacker points a gun at him.
  Simultaneous Fire
  Of course, the defender may decline to dodge and choose
  to shoot back instead. In this case, the action is Unopposed,
  making the Difficulty Level all that is needed to hit (as in
  Ranged Combat with Target Unaware). Such actions are
  simultaneous.
  Cecil finds himself facing Brutus, an unfriendly element who
  has taken offence at the Nag’s incessant curiosity. Unfortu-
  nately, their differences have devolved to gunplay. Both com-
  batants are in the open, in the sunlight, so there’s no lighting or
  cover difficulty. The range is obviously the same for both—the
  GM rules it is a Fair task to hit each other. They both fire simul-
  taneously: Cecil rolls a Poor result and Brutus a Mediocre re-
  sult. Brutus’s bullet whizzes by Cecil’s head, while Cecil’s shot
  hits a wall; both PC’s missed since neither made the Difficulty
  Level.
  In another part of the world, Will Scarlet is shooting a bow
  from a craggy mountain ledge at Meldrick, the evil henchman,
  who wields a crossbow. Meldrick knows Will is there, because
  the man next to him just keeled over with an arrow through his
  chest. Meldrick is in the open, in good light, so only range is of
  any concern to Will Scarlet: the GM says even a Mediocre shot
  will hit since they are fairly close. The range for Meldrick to hit
  Will is of course the same, but Will is partially hidden behind
  the rock under dense foliage, so the lighting makes him hard
  to see clearly. The GM decrees Meldrick needs a Good roll to
  hit Will. Meldrick rolls a Fair result, missing Will; his bolt clat-
  ters against the rock. Will rolls a Mediocre result, which hits
  Meldrick, even though it wasn’t as good a shot as Meldrick’s.
  In both of these examples, the fighters forfeited their
  defenses in order to shoot simultaneously. Each combatant
  needed to make the appropriate Difficulty Level to hit. Un-
  der these conditions, it is possible for both combatants to
  succeed in the same combat round. Had Meldrick’s shot hit,
  Will and Meldrick would have skewered each other!
  Automatic Weapons
  Automatic weapons can be simulated roughly by allowing
  more bullets to hit with higher relative degrees. That is,
  blasting away with a weapon that fires 20 bullets in a com-
  bat round and hitting with relative degree +1—a graze—
  means only one or two hit the target. If a relative degree +8
  represents maximum amount of ammunition on target
  (whatever that may be for a given weapon), then hitting
  with a +4 means about half maximum hit the target, while
  +2 means only one quarter.
  If the victim is not wearing armor, simply add a big
  damage number if lots of bullets hit—this is going to Inca-
  pacitate anyone, at the very least. If armor is at all likely to
  slow down a bullet, you can’t just add a bigger and bigger
  damage number if more bullets hit—the armor has a chance
  to slow down each bullet. In this case, rather than roll dam-
  age for each bullet, or have them all stopped, the GM needs
  to fudge some medium result: give a slight damage bonus if
  more projectiles hit the target.
  
  51
  MELEE COMBAT RESOLUTION (4.2
  Despite a Nag’s best intentions, some situations unfortu-
  nately devolve into hand–to–hand combat. c.FUDGE out-
  lines three possible options for handling the pacing of melee
  combat: narrative using story elements, simultaneous
  rounds, or alternating turns. A Game Master in the World
  of NAGS should feel free to utilize whichever method of
  combat resolution she prefers, and she may, in fact, devise
  others.
  Story Elements (4.21)
  Using narrative combat encourages dramatic role playing,
  but also requires a judicious GM and a sense of trust among
  all. In this combat system, the GM explains the situation in
  as much detail as is apparent and then asks the players to
  describe what their characters are doing. The more com-
  plete the description of the characters’ actions, the better
  the GM will know how to assess the situation. This can be
  important if she has something that won’t be revealed until
  the middle of a battle. Die rolls, if any, are required by the
  GM for each story element.
  A story element is the smallest unit of time in this type
  of combat resolution. The GM may break the battle down
  into several story elements, or treat the whole encounter as
  one long element. This depends on the GM’s style, the im-
  portance of the battle, the number of participants, whether
  or not there are unexpected surprises, &c. Each element
  should be a dramatic unit.
  The PC’s face a detachment of guards at the door while the evil
  mastermind is trying to activate the Doomsday machine at the
  back of the room. The fight with the guards might be one ele-
  ment while the confrontation with Dr. Doomsday could be a
  second. Another GM might treat the whole battle as one story
  element, while a third GM would treat each five–second seg-
  ment separately. Whatever the number of elements, keep the
  battle description as word–oriented as possible.
  The GM may ask for a single die roll from a player oc-
  casionally, or require three rolls and take the median roll.
  MEDIAN ROLLS
  The median is the middle value die roll, which may be the
  same as either the high or low die roll. For example, if the
  player rolls a Good, a Mediocre, and a Superb result, the
  median is Good, since it’s the result in between Mediocre
  and Superb. But a result of Poor, Great, and Great gives a
  median die roll of Great. Using a median tends to soften the
  role of extreme luck. Some GMs use a median when a single
  die result represents many actions.
  Once the GM has decided which trait (or traits) each PC
  should use for this combat, she then gives them a modifier,
  ranging from –3 to +3. The most common modifier should
  be 0. The modifier is based partly on how well the PCs’ plan
  would work, given what the GM knows of the NPC’s, and
  partly on circumstances: fatigue, lighting, footing, surprise,
  weapon superiority, bravery or cowardice of NPC’s,
  wounds, &c. Here is a long example of the narrative style of
  combat:
  Knute, separated from his party of Nags, surprises five evil
  henchmen in a garage. With discretion out of the question, the
  player announces that Knute will shout and charge the rival
  mob, carrying his needler gun as if he’s about to fire—they
  don’t know it’s suffered a Below Terrible glitch. He hopes to
  see them run away, hit the dirt, or freeze in fear. He’ll then use
  his needler as a club, starting at the left end of their line. He’ll
  keep his current opponent in between him and the others as
  long as possible. He hopes to then roll up their line, one at a
  time, keeping the wall to his left side as he charges.
  The GM makes a Situational roll for the mob: Mediocre. The
  mob members don’t recover quickly from their surprise, so
  she gives Knute a +1 to his Good Brawling skill for this plan. His
  Strength and Vigor are both Great, so she gives him another
  +1. She also decides that one mobster will run away and the
  others won’t draw their guns until Knute has already engaged
  the first enemy. Total modifier for Knute is +2, bringing his
  Brawling skill to Superb for this combat. Since this is a fairly
  long action and she doesn’t want a single unlucky roll to ruin
  Knute’s chances, she asks him for three Brawling skill rolls (at
  the +2 modifier), and to use the median roll.
  Knute rolls Good, Superb, and Great results—the median
  roll is Great. The GM decides that this is good enough to have
  downed the first two mobsters. She describes the battle so far
  in entertaining detail. Now Knute is facing the last two thugs,
  who finally have their pistols out and could probably plug him
  before he charges that far. The GM asks, “What does Knute do
  now?”
  Knute hurls the needler into the face of one gunman while
  making a low diving tackle for the other, hoping to dodge un-
  der any bullets. The GM calls for a single roll against Brawling
  to cover this whole action: Knute gets a Fair result. The GM
  rules that Knute throws the needler well enough to distract
  one gunman, but not harm him. He does, however, manage to
  tackle and subdue his other foe, whose shots all go wild.
  At this point, the GM rules that the mobster grazed by the
  thrown needler now steps over and points his pistol to Knute’s
  head while he’s kneeling over the other mobster. Knute wisely
  heeds the call to surrender and hopes his friends can rescue
  him….
  Simultaneous Combat Rounds (4.22)
  Those who like their combat broken down into discrete bits
  can use combat “rounds.” In simultaneous action rounds,
  all offensive and defensive maneuvers happen at the same
  time. This is realistic, as few real combatants pause to take
  turns whacking at each other.
  The GM determines against which traits the combatants
  should roll. This depends largely on the weapon they are
  using. If the combatant possesses no martial skills, he or she
  should use the default level of Poor for the weapon he is
  using or Unarmed Combat if he is unarmed.
  Each combatant makes an Opposed action roll. On a
  relative degree of 0, the combat round is a stand–off—the
  fighters either circled each other looking for an opening, or
  exchanged glancing blows—nobody was hurt.
  
  52
  If the result is a relative degree other than 0 and the
  minimum level needed to score a hit is achieved or sur-
  passed (if the attacker was aiming at a specific body
  part—see Hit Location), the winner checks to see if he hit
  hard enough to damage the loser. In general, the better the
  hit (the greater the relative degree), the greater the likeli-
  hood of damage. The section below concerning Wounds
  describes the c.FUDGE system for recording a character’s
  injuries.
  If one combatant is unable to fight in a given round
  (possibly because he’s unaware of the attacker, or because
  of a critical result in the previous round—see Critical Re-
  sults), the combat may become an Unopposed Action for
  the active fighter, usually with a Poor Difficulty Level. If a
  character can defend her– or himself in some way, such as
  using a shield, it is still an Opposed Action, but the de-
  fending character cannot hurt the other character even if he
  wins the combat round.
  Combat often takes more than one round. Characters
  are not limited to attacking each round—they may attempt
  to flee, negotiate, try a fancy acrobatic stunt, or any other
  appropriate action.
  Alternating Combat Turns (4.23)
  Using alternating combat turns, each combat round consists
  of two actions: the fighter with the higher initiative attacks
  while the other defends, and then the second combatant
  attacks while the first defends. This type of combat takes
  longer than simultaneous rounds, but some players feel it
  gives a character more control over her or his own fate.
  The GM should determine how initiative is determined.
  She could decide to compare Dexterity attributes, or she
  could simply use Opposed Situational rolls. A gift such as
  Combat Reflexes can grant a +1 to initiative. Surprise may
  grant a bonus to the roll, or give automatic initiative. Initia-
  tive can be rolled once for each battle or once each round.
  Perhaps a character could trade skill for initiative: attack
  hastily (+1 to initiative that round) but be slightly off bal-
  ance because of it (–1 to attack and defend that round).
  With multiple characters involved in combat, the side with
  the initiative makes all their attacks, then the other side
  makes all their attacks. Or the GM may run the combat in
  initiative order, even if fighters from both sides are inter-
  spersed throughout the combat turn.
  Each attack is an Opposed Action: the attacker’s offen-
  sive skill against a defender’s defensive skill. The attacker’s
  offensive skill is the skill with the weapon he or she is using.
  The defender’s parry skill may simply equal her or his
  weapon skill (for melee weapons), Dodge (if possessed), or
  Unarmed combat at the Poor default level, if nothing else.
  MELEE COMBAT OPTIONS (4.3)
  The various options listed below may be used with any me-
  lee system. This is not a comprehensive or “official” list of
  options. The GM should, in fact, consider these options
  merely as examples to stimulate her imagination. The GM
  may wish to import complex combat options from other
  games into c.FUDGE.
  Melee Modifiers (4.31)
  Some situations call for one side or the other’s trait level to
  be modified. Here are some examples:
  • A fighter who is Hurt is at –1, while one who is Very
  Hurt is at –2.
  • If one fighter has a positional advantage over the other,
  there may be a penalty (–1 or –2) to the fighter in the in-
  ferior position. Examples include bad footing, lower ele-
  vation, light in his eyes, kneeling, &c.
  • Subtract the value of a shield from the opponent’s
  weapon skill. A small shield has a value of +1 in melee
  combat only, while a medium shield has a value of +1 in
  melee combat and +1 to defense against ranged attacks
  (if the shield material is impervious to the weapon). A
  large shield is +2 in all combat. Shields can also be used
  offensively to push an opponent back, for example, or
  knock someone over.
  • Aiming at a specific small body part (such as an eye or
  hand) will require a minimum result of Good or Great
  to hit and also have a –1 to the trait level. If a result of
  Great is needed and the fighter only gets a Good result
  but still wins the Opposed action, he hits the other
  fighter—but not in the part aimed for.
  • All–out offense, such as a berserk attack, grants a +1 to
  the combat skill (and an additional +1 for damage, if
  successful). However, if an all–out attacker ties or loses
  the Opposed action, the other fighter wins, and gets +2
  to damage!
  • An All–out defensive stance earns a +2 to the combat
  skill, but such a combatant cannot harm his foe except
  with a critical result.
  • A successful All–out Defense and a successful Percep-
  tion roll produces a –1 penalty to the opponent on the
  next round. The fighter takes a few seconds to scope out
  the area and maneuvers to take advantage of any terrain
  or conditional irregularity. Similar combat subtleties are
  possible, and encouraged—taking a successful All–out
  defense one round can allow a player to try an acrobatics
  maneuver the next combat round without risk of being
  hit, for example.
  PCs vs. NPC’s (4.33)
  If a PC is fighting an NPC, the GM can treat combat as an
  Unopposed action by assuming the NPC will always get a
  result equal to her trait level. In this case, the PC will have
  to tie the NPC’s trait level to have a stand–off round, and
  
  53
  beat the NPC’s trait in order to inflict damage. This option
  stresses the player characters’ abilities by disallowing fluke
  rolls by NPC’s.
  Multiple Combatants in Melee (4.34)
  When more than one opponent attacks a single fighter, they
  have, at least, a positional advantage. To reflect this, the
  lone fighter is at –1 to his skill for each additional foe be-
  yond the first. (For epic–style games, with a few heroes bat-
  tling hordes of enemies, this penalty can be reduced, or the
  GM can simply give the hordes Poor skills and low Damage
  Capacity—which is not out of character for a horde.)
  The lone fighter rolls once, and the result is compared
  with each of the opponents’ rolled degrees, one after the
  other. The solo combatant has to defeat or tie all of the
  opponents in order to inflict a wound on one of them. If he
  beats all of his foes, he may hit the foe of his choice. If he
  ties his best opponent, he can only wound another whose
  result is at least two levels below his.
  Paco is facing three thugs, who have just rolled a Great, Good,
  and Mediocre result, respectively. Paco rolls a Great result,
  tying the best thug. He hits the thug who scored a Mediocre
  result (at least two levels below his result) and is not hit him-
  self (he tied the best thug).
  The lone fighter takes multiple wounds in a single round
  if two or more enemies hit him. Usually, he can inflict dam-
  age on only one foe in any given round—his choice of
  those he bested. It’s also possible to allow a sweeping blow
  to damage more than one foe at a time. Of course, this
  slows a slash down—reduce damage done by 1 or 2 for
  each foe cut through.
  There is a limit to the number of foes that can simulta-
  neously attack a single opponent. Six is about the maximum
  under ideal conditions (such as wolves, or spear–wielders),
  while only three or four can attack if using weapons or mar-
  tial arts that require a lot of maneuvering space. If the lone
  fighter is in a doorway, only one or two fighters can reach
  him.
  When multiple NPC’s beset a lone PC, the GM may
  wish to use the option described above in PCs vs. NPC’s.
  This will save a lot of die rolling. Alternately, she may wish
  to roll only once for all the NPC’s. The lone fighter is still at
  –1 per extra opponent. The GM rolls 2dF, and applies the
  result to each NPC. For example, if the GM gets a +1 re-
  sult, each attacker scores a +1.
  Three NPC ruffians, complete with eye–patches, scars, ear-
  rings, sneers and generally bad attitudes, are attacking dash-
  ing PC hero Tucker. The thugs (whose names are Molly, Annie,
  and Maggie) are Fair, Good, and Mediocre, respectively, at
  combat skills. Tucker is a Superb swordsman, but is at –2 for
  having two extra fighters attacking him at once: his skill is
  Good for this combat. The GM wants to roll just once (applying
  the result to all three ruffians) rather than rolling three times
  each combat round.
  Rolling 2dF, she gets a +1 on the first round. The ruffians
  have just gotten Good, Great, and Fair results, respectively. If
  Tucker scores a Superb result, he could hit the thug of his
  choice and remain unhit. On a Great result, Tucker would be
  unhit, and could land a blow on Maggie. On a Good result, he
  doesn’t hit anyone, but Annie hits him. If Tucker rolls a Fair
  result, both Molly and Annie would hit him. The process is re-
  peated each round.
  Hit Location (4.35)
  A light blow to an eye is very different from a light blow to
  an armored shoulder, or to a shield. Using a hit location
  system adds flavor to combat and the description of a char-
  acter’s equipment, wounds—and scars! Many games have a
  hit location system, and a GM can easily translate one she is
  familiar with to c.FUDGE.
  The simplest system is not to worry about “called
  shots.” Merely say the better the relative degree, the better
  the location of the blow. Winning a battle by +8 will allow
  the attacker to pierce an eye, if desired. Hopefully, the play-
  ers will describe their actions in such detail that the GM will
  know how close they came to their objective merely by
  looking at the relative degree.
  A more complicated system: an attacker can announce
  that he is aiming at a specific body location—this must be
  done before rolling to hit. The GM decides the minimum
  relative degree necessary for such a shot to succeed, usually
  ranging from 2 to 4, though extreme locations (such as an
  eyeball) are harder to hit. So if a player wishes his character
  to hit his opponent’s weapon arm, the GM can respond,
  “You have to win by two to do so.” If the player then does
  win by relative degree two or more, his PC hits the weapon
  arm, and the wound is specific to that arm.
  If the attacker wins the combat round, but not by the
  minimum relative degree needed to hit the called target, the
  defender names which part of the body—or shield—is hit.
  This will most likely be general body (if there is no shield),
  but it could be the off–hand, which would carry a lesser
  combat penalty than a wound to the torso. The GM may
  have to fudge some here.
  A damaged specific body part can be described as being
  Scratched (no real game effect), Hurt (a penalty to use, but
  the body part still functions), and Incapacitated. After battle
  is the time to decide if an Incapacitated body part can be
  healed, or is permanently Incapacitated.
  A Hurt body part is generally at –1 to its normal use. A
  Hurt sword arm gives a –1 penalty to combat, for example,
  while a Hurt leg is –1 to any running, acrobatics, &c. A Hurt
  eye is –1 to vision, and so on.
  To determine the exact level of the damage, the GM
  should consider how well the hit scored, as well as the
  Strength of the attacker and the weapon being used. Win-
  ning by the minimum relative degree necessary to hit the
  specific body part shouldn’t make the victim Incapacitated
  unless the attacker possesses greater Strength than the de-
  
  54
  fender. As a guideline, if the attacker surpasses the relative
  degree necessary to hit the body part at all, the part is
  Scratched or Hurt, depending on Strength and weapon
  deadliness. If he surpasses it significantly, the part is Hurt or
  Incapacitated.
  Fancy Stuff (4.36)
  A lot of fancy maneuvers are possible in c.FUDGE combat.
  All require a bit of thought on the GM’s part. What about
  swinging on chandeliers and other swashbuckling moves?
  Since role–playing games have more to do with movies than
  real life, this should be encouraged if the NAGS campaign
  is at all cinematic.
  In these cases, have the player describe his swashbuck-
  ling intentions as fully and dramatically as he can. The better
  the story, the better the bonus to the die roll—or no roll
  needed if the outcome is entertaining enough. You may
  then request a roll against Dexterity or Acrobatics and let
  that determine how well he accomplished his aim.
  Maybe the swing on the chandelier came off great, but
  the landing on the banister was a little rough, so the slide
  down to slam the villain in the back was a tad off, and in-
  stead of knocking him out, you merely made him drop his
  weapon, but then fell on the floor yourself, and now he’s
  mad, and maybe you should get up before he picks up his
  pistol, or you could try to yank the carpet while you’re down
  there, right next to it, and he seems to standing on it a bit
  off–balance…. Whatever is fun!
  WOUNDS (4.5)
  At the most basic level, the amount of damage inflicted by
  an attacker during combat depends upon the degree of suc-
  cess of her or his attack roll: the greater the degree of suc-
  cess, the greater potential for causing damage. However,
  things are not quite that simple. A variety of components
  will modify the effectiveness of a successful combat hit.
  When a character has achieved a successful hit, the
  player notes the degree of success. He then takes into ac-
  count the various factors that affect the level of damage the
  weapon inflicts—factors such as his character’s strength, the
  kind of weapons involved, the defender’s armor, the result
  of an optional damage die roll, &c. (Note that the player will
  likely have this information recorded on his character’s re-
  cord for quick reference.) All of the modifiers are tallied and
  added to the degree of success of the attack. The result is a
  numerical point value describing the wound inflicted. Refer
  to the section below on page 56 to see how to record
  wounds.
  Wound Levels (4.51)
  Combat damage to a character can be described as being at
  one of seven stages of severity. The stages are:
  Undamaged No wounds at all. The character is not neces-
  sarily healthy—he may be sick, for example. But he doesn’t
  have a combat wound that’s recent enough to be bothering
  him.
  Just a Scratch No real game effect, except to create tension.
  This may eventually lead to being Hurt if the character is hit
  again. This term comes from the famous movie line, “I’m
  okay, it’s only a scratch.” The actual wound itself may be a
  graze, bruise, cut, abrasion, &c., and the GM whose game is
  more serious in tone may choose to use one of these terms
  instead.
  Hurt  The character is wounded significantly, enough to
  slow him down: –1 to all traits which would logically be
  affected. A Hurt result in combat can also be called a Light
  Wound.
  Very Hurt The character is seriously hurt, possibly stum-
  bling: –2 to all traits which would logically be affected. A
  Very Hurt result can also be called a Severe Wound.
  Incapacitated The character is so badly wounded as to be
  incapable of any actions, except possibly dragging himself a
  few feet every now and then or gasping out an important
  message. A lenient GM can allow an Incapacitated character
  to perform such elaborate actions as opening a door or
  grabbing a gem….
  Near Death The character is not only unconscious, he’ll die
  in less than an hour—maybe a lot less—without medical
  help. No one recovers from Near Death on their own un-
  less very lucky.
  Dead He has no more use for his possessions, unless he
  belongs to a culture that believes he’ll need them in the af-
  terlife….
  The GM may allow a high Difficulty Level Vigor roll to
  reduce or even nullify penalties listed at Hurt, Very Hurt,
  and possibly Incapacitated. A gift of a High Pain Threshold
  will reduce the penalties by one level, while a fault of a Low
  Pain Threshold will increase penalties by one.
  Some players delight in describing their characters’
  wounds in detail, even writing resulting scars into the char-
  acter story.
  Automatic Death Sometimes you don’t have to roll the
  dice. Holding a knife to a helpless character’s throat is a
  good example—no roll needed to kill such a character, but
  the killer’s karma suffers.
  
  55
  Damage Factors (4.52, 4.53, and 4.54)
  The following factors will affect the extent of injuries in-
  flicted by a successful his in combat. The factors are divided
  into two groups: Defensive damage factors and Offen-
  sive damage factors. Each combatant possesses both
  types. Some factors, such as Strength, will only affect melee
  weapons, while others depend upon the particular weapon.
  Most of these factors remain constant throughout combat,
  and will often be recorded beforehand on a character’s re-
  cord.
  In c.FUDGE, a character’s most fundamental Defensive
  damage factor is Damage Capacity. Having a high damage
  capacity will often decrease the severity of an opponent’s
  successful attack, while low damage capacity may allow even
  a minor success to incapacitate a character.
  In the World of NAGS, a character receives a Damage
  Capacity modifier according to her or his Vigor attribute:
  Vigor
  Dam Cap
  Superb
  +3
  Great
  +2
  Good
  +1
  Fair
  +0
  Mediocre
  –1
  Poor
  –2
  Terrible
  –3
  Gifts or Faults could further increase or decrease this
  rating. If Cecil were gifted with Damage Resistance, he
  would be described with Damage Capacity Great (+2). Note
  that his Vigor remains Good—changes in Damage Capacity
  due to Gifts, Faults, or combat do not affect the Vigor at-
  tribute.
  Refer to the following list for relevant defensive and of-
  fensive damage factors.
  DEFENSIVE DAMAGE FACTORS:
  For Character’s Damage Capacity Attribute:
  Superb Damage Capacity
  +3
  Great Damage Capacity
  +2
  Good Damage Capacity
  +1
  Fair Damage Capacity
  +0
  Mediocre Damage Capacity
  –1
  Poor Damage Capacity
  –2
  Terrible Damage Capacity
  –3
  For Armor (if worn):
  light, pliable non–metal armor
  +1
  rigid non–metal or light metal armor +2
  medium metal armor (Kevlar vest)
  +3
  plate metal armor
  +4
  NagTech armor
  +5 or more
  OFFENSIVE DAMAGE FACTORS:
  For Character’s Strength (melee weapons):
  Superb Strength
  +3
  Great Strength
  +2
  Good Strength
  +1
  Fair Strength
  +0
  Mediocre Strength
  –1
  Poor Strength
  –2
  Terrible Strength
  –3
  Weapon’s Strength (missile weapons):
  derringer or dart
  +1
  small handgun or bow
  +2
  large handgun or crossbow
  +3–4
  rifle
  +5
  bazooka, &c.
  +10
  For Muscle–Powered Weapons:
  no weapon, not using a Martial Art skill –1
  Martial Art skill, or for small weapons (blackjack, knife,
  brass knuckles, sling, thick boots if kicking, &c.) +0
  medium–weight one–handed weapons (billy club, machete,
  short sword, epee, hatchet, rock, &c.) +1
  large one–handed weapons (broadsword, axe, large club,
  &c.), or for light two–handed weapons (spear, bow, &c.) +2
  most two–handed weapons (pole arm, two–handed sword,
  battleaxe, &c.) +3
  sharpness (add to other weapon damage: knife becomes +1,
  short sword +2, broadsword +3, great sword +4, &c.) +1
  With regard to Defensive damage factors, Cecil Bigglesworth
  possesses Good Vigor, and therefore his Damage Capacity is
  Good—he therefore receives a +1. He wears only standard
  street clothing  which affords him no armor protection.
  When  Cecil is on the offensive, his Fair Strength affords
  him no benefits with melee weapons.  The small pistol he car-
  ries does give him a +2 to wounds, although he prefers not to
  use it!
  Determining Wound Level (4.55)
  A given blow will cause a certain level of wounding. Use the
  offensive and defensive factors of each combatant to find
  the total damage factor. This is derived by adding up all
  of the attacker’s offensive factors and then subtracting all
  the defender’s factors. As an example, we will examine all
  the relevant statistics of two combatants, Leroy and
  Theodora, who are squaring off after closing time in the
  Museum of Natural History.
  
  56
  Leroy:
  Good Strength (+1)
  Machete (+1 for size, +1 for sharpness=+2 weapon).
  �Offensive damage factors=1+2=3
  Good Damage Capacity (+1)
  Leather jacket (+1)
  �Defensive damage factors=1+1=2
  Theodora:
  Superb Strength (+3)
  Poleaxe from the museum wall (+4)
  �Offensive damage factors=3+4=7
  Fair Damage Capacity (+0)
  Bullet–proof vest (+3)
  �Defensive damage factors=0+3=3
  To determine the total damage factor, compare each
  PC’s offensive damage factors to her or his opponent’s de-
  fensive damage factors.
  �Leroy’s total damage factor against Theodora is 3–3=0.
  �Theodora’s total damage factor against Leroy is 7–2=5.
  Since Theodora’s damage factor is larger, if she hits
  Leroy, she’ll do more damage to him than he would to her
  for an equally well–placed blow.
  Once these numbers are determined, jot them down in
  the appropriate place on the character sheet so you don’t
  have to refigure them each combat round.
  See Recording Wounds (below), for details on how to
  keep track of wounds received.
  Grazing  (4.56)
  Any relative degree of +1 is considered a graze and can in-
  flict at most a GM–set Wound level. It may do no damage
  at all, depending on the opponent’s defensive factors.
  Sample graze severity table:
  Damage Factor Result
  <0
  Undamaged
  0–4
  Scratch
  5+
   Hurt
  A GM may or may not allow a damage die roll on a
  graze, even if using the die rolls for other hits. If allowed, a
  damage roll shouldn’t change the result of a graze by more
  than one level.
  Recording Wounds (4.57)
  Once the final damage is determined, it is recorded on the
  wounded fighter’s character sheet. Each individual wound is
  described as a Scratch, Hurt (Light Wound), &c., as intro-
  duced in Wound Levels. Each player’s character record has
  a template resembling the following for recording wounds:
  1–2
  3–4
  5–6
  7–8
  9+
  Wound:
  S
  H
  VH
  I
  ND
  ���
  �
  �
  �
  �
  S=Scratch, H=Hurt, VH=Very Hurt, I=Incapacitated, ND= Near Death
  The numbers above the wound levels represent the
  amount of damage needed in a single blow to inflict the
  wound listed under the number. For example, a blow of
  three or four points Hurts the character, while a blow of
  five or six points inflicts a Very Hurt wound.
  These numbers can be customized by the GM to fit her
  conception of how damage affects people. Raising the
  numbers makes it harder to wound someone, while lower-
  ing them makes combat more deadly.
  Note that there is no number given for Dead. This is
  left up to the GM, and deliberately not included to prevent
  accidental PC death.
  The tick boxes below the wound levels represent how
  many of each wound type that a fighter can take. When a
  wound is received, mark off the appropriate box.
  To record the wound level of a successful attack,
  simply add the relative degree of the attack to the
  damage factor. (You may also wish to include a damage
  roll—see Damage Die Roll, on page 57.) The result is a
  number that may or may not be a positive number. If it’s 0
  or less, no damage is scored.
  If the number is positive, look up the result across the
  top of the wound levels. Recalling the combat example
  above, if Leroy hits Theodora with a relative degree of +3,
  he adds that to his damage factor of +0 to produce a dam-
  age number of 3. Looking down, we see that a result of
  three is a Hurt result (Light Wound). Theodora’s player
  ticks off the box under the H. Theodora is Hurt, and at –1
  until she is healed:
  1–2
  3–4
  5–6
  7–8
  9+
  Wounds:
  S
  H
  VH
  I
  ND
  ���
  �
  �
  �
  �
  If Leroy later delivers a +5 attack, Theodora is Very
  Hurt:
  1–2
  3–4
  5–6
  7–8
  9+
  Wounds:
  S
  H
  VH
  I
  ND
  ���
  �
  �
  �
  �
  Theodora is now –2 to all skills. The Hurt result is not
  cumulative with the Very Hurt result—only the penalty for
  the highest recorded wound level counts.
  If there is no open box for a given wound result, the
  character takes the next highest wound for which there is an
  open box.
  If the Theodora, for example, takes another Hurt result,
  we see that there is no open box in either Hurt or Very
  Hurt, so we have to go to Incapacitated: Theodora is now
  incapacitated, and her sheet would look like:
  
  57
  1–2
  3–4
  5–6
  7–8
  9+
  Wounds:
  S
  H
  VH
  I
  ND
  ���
  �
  �
  H
  �
  Note that an “H” is recorded under the Incapacitated
  label. The character is indeed Incapacitated—she can’t fight
  any more—but for healing (and scarring) purposes, she has
  only received two Hurt wounds and one Very Hurt
  wound—never an Incapacitating wound in one blow. Since
  Incapacitating blows are harder to heal from, this is impor-
  tant.
  As another example, a character that takes two Very
  Hurt results without taking any other hits is Incapacitated,
  since that is the next highest wound level.
  Note that three boxes are provided under Scratch. This
  can be customized by each GM, of course. A Scratch
  wound will not make a fighter Hurt until he receives his
  fourth Scratch. Optionally, a Scratch will never raise a char-
  acter’s wound level beyond Very Hurt, no matter how many
  he takes.
  The wound progression above makes for a fairly realistic
  campaign. For a more cinematic campaign (especially those
  without magic or science fiction healing), add an extra box
  for Scratch, Hurt, and possibly Very Hurt: lesser blows
  won’t accumulate so quickly to hinder the character. A
  moderately cinematic character sheet looks like:
  1–2
  3–4
  5–6
  7–8
  9+
  Wounds:
  S
  H
  VH
  I
  ND
  ����
  �
  �
  �
  �
  It wouldn’t be out of line, for an epic scale game, to add
  up to two more boxes to Hurt and Very Hurt.
  Be warned that adding boxes can lengthen combat sig-
  nificantly.
  Never add boxes for cannon–fodder NPC’s, though you
  may wish to do so for major NPC’s. In fact, NPC pawns
  don’t even need the system above. A simple three–stage
  system of Undamaged, Hurt, Out of the Battle is good
  enough for most of them. Simply make a mark under an
  NPC’s name for Hurt, and cross out the name for Out of
  the Battle.
  There are other ways to figure damage. A GM who be-
  lieves the relative degree is more important than the damage
  factor would double it before adding it to the damage fac-
  tor. The numbers above the wound levels should be ad-
  justed in this case:
  1–3
  4–6
  7–9
  10-12
  13+
  Wound:
  S
  H
  VH
  I
  ND
  ���
  �
  �
  �
  �
  WOUND OPTIONS (4.6)
  This section introduces some of the simpler options for
  determining wounds. Many others are possible in c.FUDGE
  and this list should not be considered official or exhaustive.
  They are included for possible use, but also to inspire the
  GM to create her own.
  Damage Die Roll (4.61)
  Although the damage roll is optional, it is recommended if
  you are using numerical damage factors. This is because the
  damage factors are generally fixed for the entire fight, and
  things tend to get stagnant. It also allows a tiny fighter to
  have a chance against a larger foe—a satisfying result.
  There are many possible ways to use a damage die roll.
  One could roll a single FUDGE die for a result of –1, 0, or
  +1. This can be added to the damage factor, or, more
  broadly, to the actual wound level.
  If a fighter inflicts 4 points of damage, that is normally a Hurt
  result. If a +1 on 1dF is rolled, however, that can make the
  result +5 (if adding to the damage factor), which brings it up to
  Very Hurt result. However, a –1 wouldn’t change the wound: it
  would lower the result to 3, which is still a Hurt result. But if the
  GM is using 1dF to alter the wound level, then a –1 changes the
  result to a Scratch, since that’s one wound level below Hurt.
  A more complicated system uses a Situational roll (result
  from –4 to +4, not based on any trait), and adds it to the
  calculated damage number (the number over the wound
  level), as found in Determining Wound Level. Negative
  final damage is treated as 0 damage.
  The GM may wish to apply some limitations to the
  damage roll to restrict too wild a result.. For example:
  • If the calculated damage is positive, the damage roll can-
  not exceed the calculated damage. That is, if the calcu-
  lated damage is +2, any damage roll of +3 or +4 is
  treated as +2, for a total of four points of damage.
  • If the calculated damage is positive, the final damage
  cannot be less than +1.
  • If the calculated damage is negative or 0, the final dam-
  age may be raised to a maximum of +1 by a damage roll.
  Stun, Knockout, and Pulling Punches (4.62)
  A player can announce that his character is trying to stun or
  knock his opponent out rather than damage her. Using the
  
  58
  flat of a blade instead of the edge, for example, can accom-
  plish this. Damage is figured normally, but any damage in-
  flicted doesn’t wound the opponent: it stuns her instead.
  In this case, a Hurt result is called a “Stun”—a stunned
  character cannot attack or all–out defend, and is at –1 to
  defend for one combat turn only. However, the Stun result
  stays on the character sheet: that is, a second Stun result,
  even if delivered more than one combat round after the
  first, will cause the character to become Very Stunned. (Stun
  results heal like Scratches: after combat is over.)
  A Very Hurt result in a stunning attack is called a Very
  Stunned result instead: no attacks and –2 to all actions for
  two combat rounds.
  A result of Incapacitated or worse when going for stun
  damage results in a knockout. A knocked–out character
  doesn’t need healing to recuperate to full health—just time.
  The GM may simply decide that a successful Good blow (or
  better) to the head knocks someone out automatically. In an
  Opposed action, the Good blow would also have to win the
  combat, of course.
  Likewise, a player may choose to have his character do
  reduced damage in any given attack. This is known as
  “pulling your punch,” even if you are using a sword. This
  commonly occurs in duels of honor, where it is only neces-
  sary to draw “first blood” to win, and killing your opponent
  can get you charged with murder. A Scratch will win a “first
  blood” duel—it is not necessary to Hurt someone.
  To pull your punch, simply announce the maximum
  wound level you will do if you are successful.
  A fencer can say he is going for a Scratch, for example.
  In this case, even if he wins the Opposed action by +8, and
  adds in +3 for his sword, the worst he can do is nick his
  foe. He was just trying for a Scratch—but the Scratch is
  probably in the shape of the letter “Z” with such a result!
  PC Death (4.64)
  Sometimes the dice try to kill a PC. In most campaigns, PC
  death shouldn’t occur through a bad die roll, but only if the
  character’s actions were truly self–sacrificing—or stupid—
  enough to warrant death.
  Three methods of preventing accidental PC death are
  presented. They may be used separately or together or not
  at all. These should not be used for run–of–the–mill NPC’s,
  but could be used for major ones. The “automatic death”
  rule in Wound Levels takes precedence over these sugges-
  tions.
  • A character cannot take more than three levels of
  wounds in one blow. For example, an unwounded char-
  acter could be Scratched, Hurt, or Very Hurt in one
  blow, but any excess damage points beyond that would
  be lost. A Hurt character could go all the way to Near
  Death in one blow, but not be killed outright.
  • A character cannot be rendered Near Death unless he
  began that combat round Incapacitated. This is simpler
  to keep track of than the first system, and assumes there
  is some great difference between a severe wound and
  mortal wound. There probably isn’t, but the rule isn’t in-
  tended to be realistic: it’s to make the PCs more heroic
  than real life.
  • A player may spend a Fudge Point to convert a deadly
  wound to a merely serious one.
  COMBAT AND WOUNDING EXAMPLE (4.7)
  We will conduct combat using simultaneous combat rounds
  and requiring a situational roll for damage dice, with the
  three limitations above noted. The opponents are Ohio
  Smith, leather–jacketed, whip–wielding archæologist/ ad-
  venturer, and Manifesto, sinisterly–robed, cutlass–swinging
  criminal mastermind. The scuffle transpires in Manifesto’s
  hide–out.
  Ohio:
  Whip: Great
  No shield
  Strength: Superb (+3)
  Weapon: Huge leather bull whip
  (+2 for size)
  �Offensive damage factor: +5
  Damage Capacity: Good (+1)
  Armor: Heavy Leather (+2)
  �Defensive damage factor: +3
  Manifesto:
  Cutlass: Good
  Shield: Using a stool (–1 to foe’s
  weapon skill)
  Strength: Great (+2)
  Weapon: Cutlass (+2 for size, +1
  for Sharpness = +3)
  �Offensive damage factor: +5
  Damage Capacity: Fair (+0)
  Armor: Heavy sinister robe (+2)
  �Defensive damage factor: +2
  Ohio’s Damage factor vs. Manifesto: 5–2 = +3
  Manifesto’s Damage factor vs. Ohio: 5–3 = +2
  Ohio’s whip skill is reduced to Good for this combat by
  Manifesto’s use of a stool as a shield—see Melee Modifiers.
  In the first round, Ohio gets a Great result on his Whip
  skill (die roll = +1), and Manifesto gets a Fair result (die roll
  = –1). Ohio wins with a relative degree of +2. Ohio’s dam-
  age factor of +3 is added in, bringing the damage to +5.
  Looking at the character sheet, a +5 result equals a Very
  Hurt wound—before rolling for damage.
  The GM is requiring damage rolls, so Ohio’s player rolls
  the dice: a –2 result, too bad. This brings the damage down
  to three. The GM looks at the wound chart on Manifesto’s
  character sheet and finds three: a Hurt Wound. The GM
  marks off the box under the word “Hurt,” and the next
  round is fought. Manifesto is now at –1 for the rest of the
  combat.
  
  59
  In the second round, both combatants get Good re-
  sults—a standoff. The GM describes it as a give–and–take
  of blows that are all parried or blocked as the fighters circle
  each other. Another five seconds have passed this round,
  the GM decrees.
  In the third round, Ohio gets a Great result and Mani-
  festo only a Good result—Ohio has hit again. Since the
  relative degree is +1, this is a graze. The GM does allow a
  damage die roll on a graze, but won’t let it change the result
  by more than one level. Ohio’s damage factor of +3 nor-
  mally means a Scratch on a graze.
  Ohio rolls a 0 for damage, so the GM marks off a
  Scratch box on Manifesto’s character sheet.
  In the fourth round, Ohio decides to finish off the
  Hurt Manifesto in one blow: he all–out attacks, which gives
  him a +1 modifier to his skill, and a +1 to damage if he
  wins. Manifesto had decided to try for a situational advan-
  tage, though: he’s spending this round in all–out defense,
  hoping to spot some way to get an advantage over Ohio for
  the fifth round. Manifesto gets a +2 modifier to his skill this
  turn, but can’t hurt Ohio if he wins. Ohio gets a Great re-
  sult, even counting his +1 for all–out attacking, and Mani-
  festo also gets a Great result. Ohio would ordinarily have
  lost the combat round (all–out attackers lose tie results), but
  Manifesto’s all–out defense means he doesn’t aim any blows
  at Ohio, just beats his attack down.
  The GM requires a Good Perception roll from Mani-
  festo in order to spot a situational advantage. His Percep-
  tion attribute is Great, so he easily makes it. He notices an
  oil spill on the floor, leaked from his disintegrator/ reinte-
  grator ray. Since he successfully defended that round, the
  GM rules that he maneuvers Ohio into the slippery puddle
  for one round.
  In the fifth round, the GM gives Ohio –1 to skill this
  round (down to Fair) for bad footing. Ohio tries an ordinary
  attack. Manifesto, wounded, desperate, and sensing this may
  be his only chance, now tries an all–out attack: +1 modifier
  to his skill, bringing him up to an effective skill of Good
  from his wounded Fair state. Manifesto rolls a Great result,
  and Ohio only gets a Good result: Manifesto wins this
  round by +1.
  Since he was doing an all–out attack, Manifesto gets a
  bonus of +1 to damage. This does affect a graze, so his
  normal Scratch result (for a graze) is increased to Hurt. He
  rolls a 0 on the damage roll, so Ohio is now Hurt: –1 until
  healed.
  The combat is interrupted at this point by scores of city
  police officers called by the neighbors. Ohio and Manifesto
  are hauled off to separate cells, probably only too glad to get
  out of what had become a potentially deadly duel….
  HEALING (4.8)
  Wounds are healed through a medical skill or NagTech.
  A Scratch is too insignificant to require a roll on a heal-
  ing skill (although it might require a kiss to make it bet-
  ter…). Scratches are usually erased after a battle, provided
  the characters have five or ten minutes to attend to them.
  An individual GM may rule otherwise, of course: they may
  linger on for a day or two.
  A Good result on a healing skill heals all wounds one
  level (Hurt to healed, Very Hurt to Hurt, &c.). Scratches do
  not count as a level for healing purposes. That is, a Hurt
  wound that is healed one level is fully healed. A Great result
  heals all wounds two levels, and a Superb result heals three
  levels.
  Healing with realistic medical skills takes time: the suc-
  cess of the roll merely insures the wounds will heal, given
  enough rest. How long this takes depends on the techno-
  logical level of the game setting, and is up to the GM. A day
  per treated wound is extremely fast healing, but may be ap-
  propriate in an epic–style game. Whether or not strenuous
  activity before the healing period ends reopens a wound is
  also left up to the GM….
  A character with three wounds (two Hurt results and
  one Very Hurt) is healed with a roll of Good. After the ap-
  propriate time, the two Hurt wounds will be fully healed,
  while the Very Hurt wound will now be a Hurt wound (and
  carries a –1 modifier as such).
  Otherwise, wounds heal on their own at one wound
  level per week of rest—or longer, if the GM is being more
  realistic. That is, after a week of rest, an Incapacitated char-
  acter becomes Very Hurt, &c. The GM may also require a
  successful roll against a Constitution attribute: Fair Diffi-
  culty Level for Hurt, Good Difficulty Level for Very Hurt,
  and Great Difficulty Level for Incapacitated. Failing this roll
  slows the healing process. Someone Near Death should take
  a long time to heal, even with magical or high tech healing.
  
  60
  Vehicle Combat
  Because Nags in the field employ a variety of vehicles—from aeroplanes to zeppelins—the GM will certainly be called upon
  to conduct large–scale combat among vehicles. The following rules are derived from the previous section concerning indi-
  vidual combat. Game Masters should feel free to import vehicle combat rules of her own choosing.
  VEHICLE STATISTICS
  In order to conduct combat among vehicles, the GM will
  need to take note of a few important statistics regarding the
  combatants. Each vehicle in the World of NAGS is de-
  scribed by its traits on the Terrible…Fair…Superb scale —
  see the section above on vehicles (page 14). For example, a
  typical aeroplane is described thus:
  The Gloria Ann — Nimble Daredevil
  Attributes
  Skills
  Gifts/Faults
  Quality: Good
  Stealth: Good
  Refuel regularly
  Speed: Great
  Acrobatics: Great
  Maneuver: Great
  Range: Fair
  The GM should also note the weapons of each vehicle
  and the skill level of their operators. Some weapons may be
  controlled by the craft itself, which would possess the cor-
  responding skill (The Zephyr submarine controls its drill with
  Great skill, for example). Finally, the GM should note the
  skill level of pilots, navigators, and other critical personnel
  who might affect evasive and other maneuvers.
  For example, the Gloria Ann is armed with a trusty machine
  gun (not a discrete weapon—used only in desperate situa-
  tions!). A particular  pilot can fly her with Great skill, but he is
  only Good with the gun.
  We encourage the GM to use the vehicle statistics as she
  would for PC’s and NPC’s. Are two boat captains trying to
  reach an island?—roll an Opposed Action using the Speed
  trait. Two planes trying to avoid one another?—Maneuver
  vs. Maneuver. If two vehicles are involved in a lengthy
  chase or are trying to reach the same point, roll Range vs.
  Range. In some cases, the GM might call for an Opposed
  action using two different skills—pitting the Stealth skill of
  one vehicle against the Sense skill of another, for example.
  Occasionally, a player may attempt a maneuver in which
  his vehicle is unskilled. In such a case, the GM should de-
  termine the appropriate skill and ask the player to use it at
  the default level—usually Poor, although some complex
  skills might default to Terrible. Of course, a vehicle cannot
  use a weapon skill untrained unless it possesses the weapon.
  CONDUCTING COMBAT
  The GM should decide how she intends to conduct combat
  among vehicles. If the game is story–oriented, we suggest
  using the rules for Story Elements detailed above (page 51).
  In this case, the player should describe the course of action
  he intends to take, and the GM can call for appropriate die
  rolls. If the GM prefers to be more painstaking, combat can
  be conducted with alternating or simultaneous rounds.
  Most conflict among vehicles will consist of Ranged
  Combat (the only exception we can think of would be if
  Nags and their opponents both constructed strange vehicles
  with mechanical arms to wield melee weapons— I suppose
  it is not impossible.) If the opposing vehicle is unaware of
  the attack or unable to evade, the attacker makes an Unop-
  posed action roll, attempting to equal or better the Diffi-
  culty level set by the GM. Use the following suggestions for
  setting the difficulty level of a ranged attack:
  ASSESSING DIFFICULTY LEVEL FOR VEHICLE COMBAT:
  Point blank or target immobile
  Terrible
  Short
  Poor
  Short to Medium
  Mediocre
  Medium
  Fair
  Medium to Long
  Good
  Long to Very long
  Great
  Very Long
  Superb
  Shooter hovers to aim
  +1
  Target immobile
  +1
  Target is large
  +1
  Shooter moving quickly
  –1
  Shooter making evasive maneuvers
  –1
  Target is small
  –1
  Target is medium sized
  0
  Aiming at a specific part of vehicle will require a minimum
  result of Good or Great to hit, and also have a –1 to the
  trait level. If a result of Great is needed and the gunner only
  gets a Good result but still wins the Opposed action, he hits
  the target—but not in the part aimed for. See the section
  below concerning Hit location.
  In order to stop the machinations of Herr Doktor Nein, the
  criminal genius, the pilot of the Gloria Ann has  elected to take
  the desperate measure of attacking his hovering cloud island
  from below with her machine guns. With Nein unaware, the
  GM considers several factors to determine the Difficulty level:
  the Gloria Ann will dart into short range (Mediocre shot), she
  will be moving quickly (–1, Fair shot), but the cloudship is im-
  mobile (+1, back to Mediocre). Finally, the cloud island is gi-
  gantic (+1, Poor). The GM informs the player that he must only
  make a Poor shot to hit the leviathan.
  
  61
  If the defending vehicle is aware, the attack is an Op-
  posed action. In this case, the gunner pits her or his weapon
  skill against the other vehicle’s defensive trait. Common
  defensive traits include Speed, Maneuver, Acrobatics, or
  possibly the pilot’s skill, if the situation involves a hot shot
  pilot who can bring out the best in any vehicle.
  The Difficulty Level set by the GM serves as the mini-
  mum rolled degree needed to hit. The attacker and defender
  each roll, and the GM should note the relative degree of the
  result. If the attacker doesn’t make the minimum difficulty
  roll, the attack fails, and the defender’s evasion is immate-
  rial. If the attacker makes the minimum difficulty level, but
  the defender makes successful evasive maneuvers (the rela-
  tive degree is negative for the attacker), then the shot also
  misses. The attacker hits with a successful shot and a posi-
  tive relative degree.
  Unlike personal missile combat, vehicles can evade and
  return fire simultaneously. In such cases, the GM simply
  factors this into the Difficulty level (generally, it makes the
  shot one level more difficult). Vehicles achieve simultaneous
  hits when both of them equal or better the Difficulty level.
  Aware of a pinprick in his underbelly, the evil Doktor sends out
  his own triplane to scratch it—dogfight ensues.  Both combat-
  ants are aware of one another, and both will fire and take
  evasive actions simultaneously. Considering the base Diffi-
  culty level, the GM decides Medium range (Fair), each evading
  the other (–1, Good), each moving quickly (–1, Great), each
  target small (–1, Superb).  This will be a difficult shot for each
  craft, unless they have extremely talented gunners.  If they
  have difficulty hitting one another, they might elect  to cease
  evasive maneuvers in order to get a shot in.
  VEHICLE DAMAGE
  Combat among vehicles generally results in damage to one
  or both vehicles. The system for calculating and recording
  vehicle damage is based upon that for individual combat.
  Vehicle Damage Factors
  As with individual combat, vehicles possess Offensive and
  Defensive Damage Factors that affect the level of damage
  sustained in combat.
  In the World of NAGS, a vehicle receives a Damage
  Capacity modifier according to its Quality attribute:
  Quality
  Dam Cap
  Superb
  +3
  Great
  +2
  Good
  +1
  Fair
  +0
  Mediocre
  –1
  Poor
  –2
  Terrible
  –3
  Gifts or Faults could further increase or decrease this
  rating. If the Gloria Ann were gifted with Damage Resis-
  tance, it would be described with Damage Capacity Great
  (+2). Note that its Quality remains Good—changes in
  Damage Capacity due to Gifts, Faults, or combat do not
  affect the Quality attribute.
  Refer to the following list for relevant defensive and of-
  fensive damage factors. If the GM and players know of
  other factors that would affect the amount of damage a
  vehicle could take, by all means take them into account.
  DEFENSIVE DAMAGE FACTORS:
  For Vehicle’s Damage Capacity Attribute:
  Superb Damage Capacity
  +3
  Great Damage Capacity
  +2
  Good Damage Capacity
  +1
  Fair Damage Capacity
  +0
  Mediocre Damage Capacity
  –1
  Poor Damage Capacity
  –2
  Terrible Damage Capacity
  –3
  For Armor or shielding:
  Fabric, cane, reeds, &c.
  –1
  Wood
  0
  Metal armor
  +1
  Plate metal armor
  +2
  NagTech armor
  +3 or more
  OFFENSIVE DAMAGE FACTORS:
  Weapon’s Strength:
  Hand held weapon
  +1
  Small mounted gun
  +2
  Machine gun
  +3
  Laser
  +4
  Torpedo, missile, &tc
  +5
  The players and GM should tally Offensive and Defen-
  sive damage factors and then determine the Total Damage
  Factor for each combatant with respect to its opponent.
  
  62
  Rejoining our friend in the Gloria Ann, we note  that its excel-
  lent workmanship (Quality : Good) affords it  +1 Damage Ca-
  pacity. Nimble planes such as it are constructed of wood,
  giving no further bonuses—the Gloria Ann’s Defensive Dam-
  age Factor is 1. On the offensive side of the equation, the
  plane’s machine gun gives a hefty +3.
  The evil Doktor Nein’s minion pilots a Fair quality craft
  (Damage Capacity = 0) with a thin sheath of metal armor (+1).
  His Defensive Damage factor is also 1. He wields a machine
  gun (+2) and the craft is also equipped with a missile launcher
  (+5). (The GM will have to keep track of both Offensive Dam-
  age factors, depending upon which weapon the henchman is
  employing.
  To determine the Total Damage Factors for the fight, we
  compare each combatant’s Offensive to his opponent’s De-
  fensive totals. In this case, The Gloria Ann has a Damage Fac-
  tor of 3–1=2 for this combat, and the evil minion has a Factor of
  5–1=4 when firing missiles and  3–1=2 with the machine gun.
  With the machine guns, they are evenly matched—the Gloria
  Ann’s pilot will need to watch for those missiles!
  We refer the Game Master to the section concerning the
  use of a Damage Die roll in individual combat (page 57) if
  she would like to include such a roll during vehicular com-
  bat as well.
  RECORDING VEHICLE DAMAGE
  Damage sustained by vehicles can be recorded as are
  wounds for individual combatants. Each vehicle has a tem-
  plate for recording damage:
  1–2
  3–4
  5–6
  7–8
  9+
  Damage:
  S
  D
  VD
  I
  ND
  ���
  �
  �
  �
  �
  S=Scratch, D=Damaged, VD=Very Damaged, I=Incapacitated, ND= Near
  Destruction
  As in individual combat, add the relative degree of a
  successful attack to the damage factor to determine the
  amount of damage to the vehicle.
  Note that the scale for damage to vehicles and wounds
  to humans are quite different. Although we have used the
  same numbers on the damage template, a Scratch on an
  airship is different from a Scratch on a person. If a pilot
  attempts to shoot at an individual rather than the craft,
  normal missile combat rules should be used. The GM
  should probably set a high level of Difficulty, considering
  the target is at least partially concealed in a moving vehicle.
  VEHICLE HIT LOCATION
  As in individual combat, sometimes it will be important to
  know just were a particular shot has caused damage: a solid
  hit to the bridge is different than a hit to the cargo hold
  (unless the cargo is explosive!).
  The simplest system is not to worry about “called
  shots.” Merely say the better the relative degree, the better
  the location of the blow. Winning a round by +8 will allow
  the attacker to destroy the command bridge or cockpit.
  Hopefully, the players will describe their actions in such
  detail that the GM will know how close they came to their
  objective merely by looking at the relative degree.
  For a more complicated system, the attacker can an-
  nounce that he is concentrating fire on a particular part of
  his opponent’s craft: the bridge, the tail, the fuel tank,
  &tc— this must be done before rolling to hit. The GM de-
  cides the minimum relative degree necessary for such a shot
  to succeed, usually ranging from 2 to 4, though extreme
  locations (such as a specific porthole) are harder to hit. So if
  a player wishes his character to hit his opponent’s propeller,
  the GM can respond, “You have to win by two to do so.” If
  the player then does win by relative degree two or more, his
  PC hits the propeller, and the damage affects only this sys-
  tem.
  If the attacker wins the combat round, but not by the
  minimum relative degree needed to hit the called target, the
  defender names the part of her or his craft that is hit.
  An injured system can be described as being Scratched
  (no real game effect), Damaged (a penalty to use, but the
  component still functions), and Incapacitated. After battle is
  the time to decide if an Incapacitated component can be
  repaired or if it must be replaced.
  A Damaged system is generally at –1 to its normal use.
  For example, a Damaged propeller gives a –1 penalty to
  Speed and Maneuverability, while a Damaged fuel tank is –1
  to Range as the fuel leaks out
  To determine the exact level of the damage, the GM
  should consider how well the hit scored, as well as the type
  of weapon being used. Winning by the minimum relative
  degree necessary to hit the specific body part shouldn’t In-
  capacitate a system unless the attacker is using a weapon of
  incredible power. As a guideline, if the attacker surpasses
  the relative degree necessary to hit the component at all, the
  part is Scratched or Damaged, depending upon weapon
  deadliness. If he of she surpasses it significantly, the system
  is Damaged or Incapacitated.
  
  63
  Character Development (5)
  Through time, Nags will hone their initial talents and the need to develop other skills will undoubtedly become apparent.
  This section describes how characters can improve upon their skills, cultivate new ones, and thus to develop through time
  and experience.
  EXPERIENCE POINTS
  As in most RPG’s, the GM will award experience points
  (EP) to players for successful completion of an adventure.
  GM’s should reward players for innovative thinking, persua-
  sive role–playing, and good teamwork. The player can then
  trade his EP at the following rates to develop his character’s
  skills:
  Raising skill from: To:
  Costs:
  Terrible
  Poor
  1 EP
  Poor
  Mediocre
  1 EP
  Mediocre
  Fair
  1 EP
  Fair
  Good
  2 EP
  Good
  Great
  4 EP
  Great
  Superb
  8 EP
  Superb
  Legendary
  16EP+GM
  permission
  Legendary
  Legendary 2nd
  30 EP+GM
  permission
  Each additional level
  of Legendary:
  50EP+GM
  permission
  Raising an attribute: Triple cost for skills of same level.
  Adding a gift: 6 EP (or more) + GM approval.
  Adding supernormal power: 12 EP (or more)+GM approval (optional, of course).
  A trait can only be raised one level at a time.
  The GM may adjust these point levels as she sees fit and
  should require that the player may only raise traits that were
  used significantly during an adventure. As a guideline, good
  role-playing should be rewarded with one to three EP per
  gaming session, with an upper suggested limit of four EP
  for flawless role-playing. Players may save EP as long as
  they wish.
  Attribute levels may or may not affect EP's put into
  skills. For simplicity, you can ignore attribute levels entirely
  when raising skill levels. For greater realism, however, the
  GM can add a surcharge of +2 EP (or more) when a skill is
  raised above an appropriate attribute.
  Violet the Herbalist has Good Intelligence. EP costs for raising
  Herb Lore skill are normal until she tries to raise it to Great,
  which is higher than her natural Intelligence. At that point, she
  must pay +2 EP beyond what the table calls for: six EP to raise
  Herb Lore to Great, and another ten EP to raise it to Superb.
  This proposal is recommended only for character devel-
  opment—not for character creation. The GM should in-
  form the players at character creation if this option is in
  force so they can plan their characters’ attributes accord-
  ingly.
  DEVELOPMENT THROUGH TRAINING (5.3)
  Improving skills through EP is not always realistic, to be
  honest. A gaming session might only cover a few hours of
  campaign time. Allowing a character to improve one or two
  different skills from Fair to Good in that time is
  far–fetched. But it’s fun for the players, and psychologically
  satisfying, and so recommended.
  As an alternative, or in addition to the methods de-
  scribed above, the GM may allow traits to be raised through
  appropriate amounts of training time. PC’s would be re-
  quired to spend the requisite amount of training time at a
  Society campus in order to develop her or his skill. In some
  circumstances, the GM might allow the character to develop
  a skill independently by finding a teacher (which would cost
  money) or taking an appropriate job (which may not be
  totally dedicated the skill you wish to learn, and so take
  longer). It’s also possible to learn something on your own,
  but the GM should double the time required.
  The GM sets training time. The teacher has two skills
  that must be considered: Teaching skill and the appropriate
  skill being taught. The player may need to roll the dice to
  see how diligently the character studied the skill. The die roll
  should be on the PC’s Perception. If the player can give a
  valid reason why the character is extremely motivated to
  learn this skill, the GM may grant up to +2 to the trait
  tested. The GM may request a single die roll, or a roll per
  week, month, &c. If multiple rolls are called for, at least half
  of them should succeed to earn the skill improvement.
  Cecil Bigglesworth, our preservationist parson, is back at the
  Oxford Campus after completing his first RFA. He considers his
  Fair pistol skill to be substandard. He takes a six–week training
  course in pistol use, taught by an instructor of Superb pistol
  skill and Great teaching skill. The GM decides that Cecil’s
  player needs to make a Perception roll for each two–week
  period to see how dedicated he is to studying. If at least two of
  the three rolls are Mediocre or better, Cecil can raise his pistol
  skill from Fair to Good, given the length of training and quality
  of the instructor. Had the training been shorter, or the instruc-
  tor worse, he would have needed a preponderance of Fair or
  even Good rolls to have successfully raised his pistol skill.
  Remember that it is much easier to improve a skill from
  Poor to Mediocre than from Great to Superb. Require more
  time, or higher Difficulty Levels on the Will rolls to raise an
  already high skill.
  
  64
  GM Tips and Conversion (6.1 and 3.23)
  Always remember the main point of the game is to have fun…. We encourage the GM and Players to work together to mod-
  ify, insert, or exclude any part of the c.FUDGE rules that doesn’t make sense or is inappropriate to their vision of the World
  of NAGS.
  SUGGESTIONS
  If the GM is accustomed to a game system other than
  FUDGE, we encourage the GM to translate at least one of
  her favorite characters into c.FUDGE. This will give her a
  good idea of what traits to choose, and how many. If the
  GM is accustomed to having characters with more attrib-
  utes than our four, she can easily make an adjustment.
  c.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?
  It is easy to create NPC’s who challenge the player char-
  acters 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 PC’s are built on
  25 skill levels and two free attribute levels, the average char-
  acter might have four levels in combat skills directly. In that
  case, a gang of thugs with four levels each of combat skills
  and two attribute levels put into physical attributes should
  challenge the player characters.
  CONVERSION HINTS (6.11)
  It is not practical [nor, apparently, legal] to give guidelines
  for converting every game system to and from c.FUDGE.
  However, two systems of trait measurement are in wide-
  spread 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 translat-
  ing between such systems and c.FUDGE.
  FUDGE
  Level
  Percentile
  Level
  3–18
  Level
  Superb
  98–100
  18+
  Great
  91–97
  16–17
  Good
  71–90
  13–15
  Fair
  31–70
  9–12
  Mediocre
  11–30
  6–8
  Poor
  4–10
  4–5
  Terrible
  1–3
  3 or less
  SUCCESS RATES (3.23)
  The following table is provided as an addendum to the dis-
  cussions above concerning Reading the Dice and Other
  Dice Techniques. Some players might be interested in com-
  paring their relative chances of success while employing the
  various die–rolling conventions.
  Chance of
  achieving:
  4dF or
  d%
  3d6
  4d6
  +5 or better:
  —
  —
  0.2%
  +4 or better:
  1%
  2%
  2%
   +3 or better:
  6%
  5%
  7%
  +2 or better:
  18%
  16%
  18%
  +1 or better:
  38%
  38%
  39%
  0 or better:
  62%
  62%
  61%
  –1 or better:
  82%
  84%
  82%
  –2 or better:
  94%
  95%
  93%
  –3 or better:
  99%
  98%
  98%
  –4 or better:
  100%
  100%
  99.8%
  –5 or better:
  —
  —
  100%
  Thus, if your trait is Fair, and the GM says you need a
  Good result or better to succeed, you need to roll +1 or
  better. You’ll do this about two times out of five, on the
  average.
  You’ll notice that using 3d6 or 4d6 the results, while
  slightly different, are close enough for a game called
  c.FUDGE. The 4d6 results do allow +/–5, however, but this
  shouldn’t be a problem since they occur so rarely. In fact,
  you could use 5dF to allow +/–5 if you wanted….
  
  65
  Part III
  ADVENTURES
  his section contains ideas and advice for Game Masters conducting cam-
  paigns in the World of the NAGS Society. What follows is a complete adven-
  ture set in New York at the turn–of–the–century: The Return is Overdue.
  Next, we have included a collection of adventure tidbits that the GM might develop into
  complete scenarios (some of them may see life as future releases from circa games).
  Finally, we give GM’s suggestions for writing adventures that convey the flavor of the
  World of NAGS.
  T
  
  66
  The Return is Overdue
  New York is a palimpsest that has been written over countless times since its emergence from the glaciers of the last ice age. The city is exciting for
  gamers because each generation writes its story imperfectly, each new layer cannot completely cover the previous, and each new writing incorporates
  that of the past while it gives birth to the future. In New York, all times coexist.
  circa: New York
  The Return is Overdue is a typical NagOp. It begins with an RFA from an institution with a problem and a desire for discre-
  tion. It contains a bit of research and a bit of underground exploration. The adventure also introduces a number of themes
  that the Game Master might develop during the course of a campaign. Many of these themes—strange Egyptian hieroglyph-
  ics and icons in unlikely places, gods to whom other gods pray—will surface again in other published adventures set in the
  World of NAGS. We purposefully left a number of these ends loose for the GM to develop as she sees fit. We intend this
  adventure to convey the atmosphere and feeling of a typical adventure set in the World of NAGS. We also hope that it is
  sufficiently detailed to allow for adaptation to other games in the investigative genre.
  THE SETTING
  Nags of any Area of Specialty (see page 9) can pursue this
  investigation. Useful skills include Archæology, Occult
  Knowledge of ancient civilizations, Research or Archivist
  skills, and, interestingly enough, knowledge of Entomology.
  As the adventure transpires within New York City, the Roo-
  sevelt Island Campus can fill in the gaps and provide sup-
  port for the Nags.
  This adventure requires that the NAGS be currently as-
  signed or on loan to New York’s Roosevelt Island Campus.
  For a description, see above, Society Campuses (on page
  24).
  The adventure is set in 1913, a time of great expansion
  and excitement. The first New York City subway (begun in
  1900) opened in 1904, running from City Hall to West 145th
  Street. The breathtaking Pennsylvania Station opened in
  1910, and the next year, the tragic Triangle Shirtwaist Com-
  pany fire killed 145 women workers.
  In 1913, Grand Central Terminal and the Woolworth
  Building open. Woodrow Wilson is inaugurated the 28th
  president. Cubism and Postimpressionism are introduced to
  the United States at the Armory Show. In Europe, Neils
  Bohr formulates his theory of atomic structure and Geiger
  creates his first “counter.” The Great War will begin next
  year.
  THE ADVENTURE BEGINS
  Late one chilly September evening, you find yourselves
  passing between the famous lions that flank the staircase of
  the Public Library’s main branch. In your hand is a wireless
  message received a quarter–hour previous:
  STRANGE OCCURRENCES AT LIBRARY STOP ASSISTANCE
  REQUIRED FULL STOP
  The Nags are greeted at the door by a flushed and fran-
  tic Deputy District Attorney—a youthful Fiorello
  LaGuardia. The Nags cannot be aware, of course, that “Lit-
  tle Flower” will go on to be elected mayor in 1934—New
  York’s 99th and one of the most effective and beloved. At
  this point in his career, LaGuardia is pulling night duty for
  the DA.
  LaGuardia conducts the Nags into the magnificent mar-
  ble entry hall. At this late hour, the Library is darkened and
  empty. The building has an imposing sense of great age and
  mystery, despite its youth (it is only two years old).
  LaGuardia leads the Nags through a side door and then to a
  staircase leading down to the basement. As the group de-
  scends into the stacks, he begins to explain the situation in
  an exasperated whisper.
  A Desperate Deputy DA
  “Thank you for coming at this late hour and on such short
  notice. I was beginning to fear that I would lose my mind
  altogether. As I noted in my communication, something
  strange is transpiring. My superiors insist upon the greatest
  level of discretion to avoid any scandal for the museum. I’m
  not even sure any sort of crime has taken place, but the Li-
  brary and the District Attorney’s office want to know what’s
  going on. LaGuardia mops sweat from his forehead as he
  relates his tale—he is clearly shaken by the turn of events.
  “At any rate, let my do my best to explicate the situa-
  tion. To put it simply, it seems that the Library has lost two
  of its clerks. You may have heard the Library’s boast—that
  
  67
  they can locate and retrieve any volume in the collection in
  six and one half minutes. To achieve this boon for research-
  ers, the Library employs a small army of clerks in the under-
  ground stacks. Those who are in the business of research
  seldom stop to consider these humble cogs who make the
  wheels turn efficiently.” A smile as he mops his brow again.
  “To continue, while retrieving a book from the stacks
  two days ago, a young clerk called Charles Wellbridge went
  missing. They thought at first that he must be shirking or
  taking an unscheduled break. When he did not show up by
  closing time, they assumed he had resigned his post without
  informing his superior. The surprising aspect was that no
  one had observed him leaving the stacks. His superior was
  understandably annoyed, but took no further action.
  “Yesterday, annoyance turned to suspicion. Another
  clerk, William Callow, went missing while retrieving a vol-
  ume. As on the day before, no one had observed him leav-
  ing the stacks, yet he could not be found. The Library
  suspected some sort of organized labor uprising was afoot,
  and called a general staff meeting at closing time. They
  threatened to replace all of the clerks with men who want to
  work! Just to be safe, however, they called in the mainte-
  nance staff to search the stacks for any signs of the missing
  clerks. They half expected to find a secret meeting room of
  Socialists or Wobblies.
  “About two o’clock this morning, the maintenance crew
  found something anomalous. Deep within the stacks, in the
  exact location to which I am presently conducting you, they
  discovered a heretofore unknown fissure in the wall. They
  could not determine if it were recent or old, created by na-
  ture or artifice. As you undoubtedly know, this building has
  only been open for these past two years, although construc-
  tion was undertaken in ’02. We are uncertain if this abscess
  is at all related to my missing clerks.
  “Therefore, the Library has requested the Society’s at-
  tention in this matter. As you might expect, my superiors
  wish to avoid undue publicity regarding the situation—they
  would like the matter cleared up with discretion, care, and
  haste.”
  As he has been talking, LaGuardia has led the Nags
  deep into the Library’s subterranean stacks. He explains that
  the Library houses its stacks in a series of underground war-
  rens that patrons never see. A patron in the reading room
  requests a book by filling out a slip in the reading room. A
  clerk issues the patron a number and sends the request by
  pneumatic tube to a retrieval clerk below in the stacks. This
  clerk locates the book (within the allotted six minutes) and
  places it in a dumbwaiter that carries the volume up to the
  reading room. Finally, the reading room clerk lights the pa-
  tron’s number on a large board to indicate that the book is
  ready. Books in this Library branch never circulate; they
  must remain within the reading room.
  LaGuardia will not know the exact volumes that the
  clerks sought, as each clerk bore the request form when he
  disappeared. However, LaGuardia suggests that the Nags
  might interview the reading room clerk when he arrives for
  work.
  A Macabre Discovery
  LaGuardia conducts the Nags to an obscure corner of the
  warrens. The fissure was discovered in a northern wall
  (facing Forty–second Street). The wall reveals a
  five–foot–high crack in the plaster and brick.
  Upon a cursory examination, the abscess itself appears
  either natural or hastily–constructed. Bat scans or a bright
  light reveal a crevasse that narrows considerably as it pro-
  gresses steeply upwards into the ground. The space allows
  only one person at a time to enter.
  Anyone entering the crevasse requires a light source. Af-
  ter crawling upwards for about ten feet in an increasingly
  narrow space, the inspecting Nag makes a macabre discov-
  ery: wedged head downwards in the back of the crevasse are
  the mummified remains of two humans!
  THE INVESTIGATION
  The Nags have a number of leads that they might pursue to
  unravel the mystery. The GM should be familiar with all
  aspects of the current mystery and its strange history in or-
  der to decide how she will reveal possible clues. Several
  possible avenues of inquiry are discussed below, with sug-
  gestions for information that the Nags might uncover. The
  GM should play up the various connections to Egypt,
  France, and of course, to Collard. If the GM notices that
  the Nags have neglected a vital thread, she can have the
  Society point the PC’s in the right direction.
  Examining the Scene
  The book warrens were dug into the ground in the library’s
  foundation, and the walls covered with bricks and plaster.
  The sides of each corridor are lined from floor to ceiling
  with wooden shelves containing volumes of all shapes,
  sizes, and ages. The corner in which the fissure is located
  contains ancient books, part of a decrepit collection be-
  queathed to the Library from the Bibliothèque nationale in
  Paris. The books are all in French and are unremarkable.
  The fissure itself is completely unremarkable. Casual
  study cannot reveal conclusively how it was formed. It does
  not seem to lead anywhere in particular.
  
  68
  Study of the area nearby reveals that the wall facing west
  (towards Bryant Park) is angled and composed of stones
  that appear to fit together without mortar. The wall is curi-
  ously angled, seeming to topple towards the viewer, as in an
  attic room. A Fair roll of Archæology or Egyptian knowl-
  edge skill reveals that the angle (52°) matches that of the
  Egyptian pyramids, but in reverse! (as though one were in-
  side the pyramid, or the pyramid were upside down). Inves-
  tigation reveals that all of the westward–facing walls share
  the same angle—all of the other walls are perfectly vertical.
  LaGuardia cannot authorize any attempts to delve into
  any of the walls. If the PC’s use NagTech, such as a Bat, the
  entire area to the east (towards Fifth Avenue) will appear
  solid. Scans to the north might reveal the subway tunnel
  running under Forty–second Street. To the west (directly
  under the library and park), Bat scans reveal a wall of solid
  stone at least twenty feet thick. Behind this, the scan is in-
  conclusive.
  If the Nags inquire about the construction of the library,
  LaGuardia informs them that the architects were the
  well–known firm of Carrère and Hastings.
  Although the resolution to the mystery is just beneath
  their feet, the GM should use this preliminary investigation
  as a teaser for the Nags. Under no circumstances should
  they attempt to breach the wall beneath the Library. Both
  the Library administration and their superiors will suggest
  gathering more information before any further action is
  taken.
  Examining the Mummies
  Even a cursory examination by someone with an appropri-
  ate skill (Archæology, Ancient Egyptian Religion, Thanatol-
  ogy, &c.) reveals that the style in which the two bodies were
  mummified matches that practiced by no culture recorded
  in history. Nags should deem it prudent to remove the body
  to the Roosevelt Island Campus for examination. If the
  Nags choose to do an on–site examination, the GM should
  determine how much of the following information they
  discover.
  Both bodies have been tightly wrapped with a thread re-
  sembling course, band–like spider’s silk. The wrappings are
  composed of an unidentified, organic material— composi-
  tion tests can reveal no more. The examiner will also note
  that each body has been wrapped by a single strand—no
  splices or knots are visible. The wrappings of the older body
  reveal a tiny hole near the head.
  The first body appears to be a young, adult female. She
  wears a dress that was current in the 1820’s, in a remarkable
  state of preservation. Even in death, her skin retains a yel-
  lowish cast. The other body is of a young, adult male in
  modern attire. If LaGuardia is present or consulted, he will
  positively identify this corpse as that of Wellbridge—the
  first missing clerk. Neither LaGuardia nor anyone else will
  be able to identify the woman.
  The body cavities of both mummies have been eviscer-
  ated, although curiously, without apparent incisions in the
  body wall. The bodies are filled with a substance similar in
  consistency and appearance to roe. That of the woman is
  deeply red, while that in Wellbridge is nearly clear.
  Researching the Mummies
  The PC’s may elect to conduct further research into the
  strange example of mummification that has fallen into their
  hands. If any PC has appropriate skill (Archæology, An-
  thropology, Ancient History, Thanatology, &c.), he or she
  might choose to consult with colleagues or research the
  literature on the subject. If no PC possesses the requisite
  skill, a supervisor from the Society will offer to initiate such
  an inquiry.
  An inquiry of 1d6 days will result in any of the following
  leads:
  • A tome on outré burial practices in Asia will recount
  some second–hand stories told by a few Hmong people
  in Laos. Throughout their history, they have come upon
  large animals (including humans) that were mummified
  in a similar fashion and found interred head down in
  remote caverns and crevasses. The story tellers strongly
  attest that such practices form no part of their worship.
  • A slightly more speculative tome, smuggled from China,
  describes similar mummies found in remote mountain
  villages. In several cases, the villagers had incorporated
  the corpses into religious practices. The author uses
  these occurrences as proof of the influence of ancient
  Egypt on ancient Asian culture.
  • A book that quotes from a police report from Paris in
  1823, describing a similar mummy discovered by main-
  tenance workers in the catacombs. No satisfactory ex-
  planation was ever offered.
  Interviewing the Library Staff
  Any Library employee interviewed will give a consistent,
  positive report about Callow and Wellbridge. The missing
  clerks were young, fairly–recent hires. Both were conven-
  tional and unremarkable. Wellbridge had recently moved to
  the city from upstate—Buffalo, think his fellow clerks. Cal-
  low was born and raised in New York’s Lower East Side.
  He apparently claimed to be Jewish [this is untrue], but
  talking to anyone reveals that he never attended services and
  is unknown in the Jewish community. There remains no
  trace of the Callow family in the Lower East Side.
  The same clerk, Ezra Jenkins, was on duty during the
  two days when Wellbridge and Callow disappeared. Jenkins
  is an older gentleman, serious and efficient. He will have no
  written record of the particular books the clerks were re-
  trieving. He explains that, because of the number of books
  he processes each day, he remembers few specific titles, and
  he could not identify any patron.
  
  69
  The Library Building
  The following information is common knowledge to anyone
  who has spent time in New York in the past few years. Re-
  fer to the Game Master’s background for a more thorough
  and illuminating treatment.
  The New York Public Library’s main branch is recog-
  nized throughout the world. Construction began in 1902 on
  the site of the Croton Reservoir, an immense edifice in
  Egyptian style that held the city’s water supply. The Library
  building opened in 1911, with the president, state governor,
  and mayor of New York City in attendance. The statues of
  lions flanking the grand stairway (by Edward C. Potter,
  1911) are now world famous—the emblem of the Library.
  Lesser known are the two statues on either side of the en-
  trance: on the left, a woman seated on Pegasus (Beauty) and
  on the right, a man seated on a sphinx (Truth). Both were
  sculpted by Frederick MacMonnies and unveiled in 1913.
  The interior of the library is elaborate and beautiful, but
  plays no further role in this adventure.
  Researching the Construction
  Carrère and Hastings won the competition for the design of
  the Library’s flagship building. Nags will find the firm polite
  and cooperative. While they remember nothing strange
  about construction of the Library, they willingly provide a
  list of contractors and subcontractors who worked on the
  job. The GM could create a list of contractors and allow the
  Nags to conduct research through the process of elimina-
  tion. If they think to ask specifically about the foundation,
  records indicate that the firm of Vander & McGill was re-
  sponsible for most of the subterranean construction.
  A visit to the main office (on lower Broadway) of Van-
  der & McGill reveals nothing out of the ordinary. The firm,
  founded in 1825, is a typical subcontractor, employed by a
  number of architectural firms in New York. The employees
  are polite, but not overly–helpful. The volume of work
  seems respectable if not impressive. The office workers are
  genuinely ignorant of any irregular activities. They will not
  be at liberty to discuss current clients, but will happily pro-
  vide a list of satisfied customers—a plethora of public and
  private jobs. If the Nags choose to research the list, all of
  the customers will rave about the firm, and none will be
  connected to the Library.
  If any Nag thinks to ask for a “take away,” give her a
  copy of Vander & McGill’s business card (below). Other-
  wise, a Good Perception roll allows a Nag to notice an in-
  teresting aspect of the company: the firm’s logo is a stylized
  version of the partners’ names. The “V” in the senior part-
  ner’s name resembles an inverted pyramid.
  An indirect investigation of the firm yields much more
  fruit. The GM can call for Research rolls, revealing the fol-
  lowing information as she sees fit.
  The history of the Library site and the firm of Vander &
  McGill are intimately intertwined. Research of municipal
  records reveals the variety of uses of the site upon which
  the Library now stands, as well as the involvement of Van-
  der & McGill for the past 80 years. The GM should refer to
  the Game Master’s Background section and divulge the
  facts according to the nature of the Nags’ research. Please
  note that no one source would have all of the information
  listed chronologically.
  It should be noted that all of Vander & McGill’s work
  on the site was perfectly legal and the firm possessed all
  required permits. In essence, the firm has done nothing
  wrong.
  At the GM’s discretion, the Nags could also discover
  that Vander & McGill have a diversity of interests outside
  of the field of construction and demolition. For example,
  the firm also finances an import/export operation from
  France and Indochina. If located, a ship’s manifest would
  reveal that one M. Collard arrived on a ship in 1823 and
  received a shipment of crates imported by the firm soon
  after his arrival.
  More recently (from 1870–1880), the firm was involved
  in the transportation of an immense obelisk from Egypt.
  
  70
  The obelisk was the second of a pair originally from the
  temple of Atum in Heliopolis, dating from 1461 BC. The
  first was brought to England by John Dixon in 1867.
  Vander & McGill provided the immense object transit
  from Staten Island, up the Hudson River, to West 96th
  Street. It then was pulled on rollers across town for 112
  days until it was erected in Central Park, near the Metropoli-
  tan Museum of Art.
  For this adventure, the obelisk could be a distracting red
  herring. However, the GM might find other ways to con-
  nect Cleopatra’s Needle to an ongoing campaign.
  The Museum of Natural History
  The Nags may discover through their research a reference
  to a sculpted animal head found on the library site. The
  family of Winthrop Miller, the object’s finder, donated the
  head to the American Museum of Natural History in 1869
  (the year of its founding). The head is not displayed with the
  museum’s collection, but persistence on the part of Nags
  will put them in contact with a Dr. Charles Falk. Falk is
  considered somewhat outré by his colleagues. He responds
  with great enthusiasm to the Nags’ interest in the artifact.
  Falk confides that the museum has erroneously assumed
  it was a Native American work, while he maintains it origi-
  nated in Africa. He describes a French cult that worships
  Egyptian deities: “The cult has an understanding of the sig-
  nificance of Egyptian culture that exceeds the faltering steps
  taken by today’s so–called Egyptologists. The cult claims
  that Egypt was home to a people who spoke True Speech—
  a precursor to all languages, ancient and modern—but hu-
  mans have evolved to a state incapable of pronouncing True
  Speech. I believe that ancient Egyptians expressed this idea
  through pictorial representations of humans with animal
  heads.”
  A close examination of the head reveals an intricately
  carved wooden headdress in the shape of an animal’s head.
  The sculpture fits loosely over a human head (it is intended
  to fit over a mummified human head), and has no eye holes
  or other openings. A Good Perception roll reveals that in-
  side the sculpture there is a strange glyph carved. The glyph
  is a representation of Baptiste’s True Speech.
  Wards Island
  Research into the history of the Library site will unveil its
  connection to Wards Island. This small islet, and its neigh-
  bor, Randalls Island, are situated at the head of the East
  River Channel, just north of Blackwell’s (Roosevelt) Island.
  In the present day, the two are joined as a single landmass
  supporting the junction of the Triboro Bridge. Wards Is-
  land, like many of the small islands surrounding Manhattan,
  has a long and interesting history.
  Wards Island was used by the British as a military base
  during the revolution. Its next owners, Jasper and Bar-
  tholomew Ward, operated a cotton mill until the War of
  1812. The city then purchased the island for a potter’s field,
  depositing 100,000 bodies disinterred from the site of Bry-
  ant Park in 1825. The immigration service used the island
  for ill and destitute aliens from 1847 to 1860, when it be-
  came a back–up facility to the Battery Park. The facilities
  changed hands in 1892 when Ellis Island opened, becoming
  the NYC Asylum for the Insane and then, in a few years,
  the Manhattan State Hospital (which remains there, in new
  buildings, to the present day).
  No one on Wards Island in 1913 will know the exact lo-
  cation of the remains brought there in 1825 from the Bryant
  Park site. However, a search of 2d6 hours will turn up a
  dilapidated warehouse filled with wooden crates. If broken
  open, the crates contain soil and rubble. The Nags will have
  to examine the contents of 1d6 crates before discovering
  mummified remains. In all, 250,000 cubic yards of soil are
  crated on Wards Island.
  THE RETURN IS OVERDUE
  Up until this point, the Nags could pursue their investiga-
  tions at a leisurely pace, gathering as much background in-
  formation as the GM would like them to find. During this
  time, M. Collard has continued to make his preparations in
  his usual calm and precise manner.
  William Callow, however, has been somewhat more
  reckless. A devout follower of Baptiste’s teachings, Callow
  took a job in the Library in hopes finding a means to join
  the ranks of the initiates. After discovering the mummified
  bodies in the Library stacks, he has assumed that the Return
  has begun without him, and he seeks to take a more active
  role in his “salvation.”
  The Bronx Zoo Break–In
  At some point during the Nags’ investigations, the GM can
  interrupt with a communiqué from Roosevelt Campus con-
  cerning two strange and potentially–important occurrences:
  someone has broken into the entomology exhibit at the
  Bronx Zoo, and Fiorello LaGuardia was abducted from the
  Library.
  Whether the Nags decide to investigate the zoo for
  themselves or they rely on reporting, the information is the
  same: someone has broken into the entomology display,
  specifically the rare and exotic beetle habitat. He apparently
  made off with a large supply of rare insects.
  Take the ‘A’ Train
  While the Nags are investigating the Bronx break–in, or
  soon after they hear of it (if they decline to go themselves),
  they are interrupted by another communication from Roo-
  sevelt Island: a fanatic is loose in a subway station near the
  Library. Reports indicate he is terrifying passengers with his
  attempts to push handfuls of beetles down his own throat!
  The station in question is the Sixth Avenue stop of the
  Lexington Line, which will later be incorporated into the
  
  71
  Shuttle from Grand Central Station to Times Square [this
  stop is fictitious].
  Perhaps in homage to the Croton reservoir that until re-
  cently loomed above it, the station was designed in a grand
  Egyptian fashion, with elaborate tiles on the walls and deco-
  rative sconces that resemble torches. Significantly, the tiles
  displaying the station name have an inverted pyramid in the
  background. The subway tunnel wall is angled here as in the
  library stacks—52°. The middle of the station is dominated
  by a design in the shape of a great temple entrance that ap-
  pears, curiously, to be upside down!
  When the Nags arrive, they see that the riders have all
  moved away from a strange soul who babbles and screams
  before the curious temple entrance. The man is Callow, the
  second missing clerk, and he is attempting to push rare bee-
  tles down his throat in hopes that one is a scarab beetle. In
  between mouthfuls, he screams, “The Return is overdue! I
  must hasten the Return! He must have a proper burial!” He
  then breaks out in an incomprehensible tongue (his version
  of “True Speech”). Once subdued, Callow will seem only
  partially coherent. None of the beetles he has consumed is
  dangerous, and none is the species he sought.
  Immediately following Callow’s capture, the Nags re-
  ceive a final communiqué from the Society: the roe re-
  moved from the female mummy have begun to hatch into
  what appear to be thousands of beetles!
  Upon overhearing this message, Callow suddenly be-
  comes calm and focussed. He grins, and notes, “It has be-
  gun. The Return is here. Wellbridge is only one, but there
  are thousands yet to come. He will Return!” Callow will
  reveal nothing else.
  If the Nags do a thorough examination of the station,
  they should discover that this entrance is functional, and
  reveals an immense tunnel that proceeds downwards.
  GOING UNDERGROUND
  This is the final portion of the adventure, in which the PC’s
  infiltrate the tomb and confront Collard. It is a good,
  old–fashioned dungeon crawl, in homage to RPG’s of old.
  The GM can heighten the sense of urgency by interpolating
  reports from the Society of the immense number beetles
  hatching from within the embalmed clerk. Perhaps one of
  them might enter the NPC Nag conducting the investiga-
  tion of the mummies, with horrifying results.
  Collard and his followers have been constructing the fi-
  nal resting-place for Baptiste since 1837, when Vander &
  McGill were contracted to work on the foundation of the
  Croton Reservoir. At this time, Collard simultaneously be-
  gan work on the “foundation” of an enormous inverted
  pyramid beneath the site. The structure fills the entire site
  between Fortieth and Forty–second Streets between Fifth
  and Sixth Avenues—the site of the potter’s field, reservoir,
  and finally, the Library and Bryant Park.
  By 1913, the pyramid is complete. The tomb’s “base” is
  about 600 feet long, and the pyramid extends nearly 400
  feet into the ground. Its entrance was constructed as an
  extension of the subway tunnel when the first subway line
  ran along Forty–second Street in 1905. The pyramid is
  composed of a face of smooth stone blocks fashioned from
  bedrock. The stones were quarried, smoothed, and then
  fitted into place. A tremendous amount of soil and rubble
  (250,000 cubic yards) was removed and attributed to the
  construction of the sub–basement to the Library. In fact,
  the excavations emptied the Great Chamber, to which Col-
  lard plans to transport the original soil and mummified
  corpses (including Baptiste’s) that were disturbed in 1825.
  In accordance with Baptiste’s writings, Collard has been
  stocking the tomb with a mummified army to accompany
  his master to the afterworld. Baptiste’s followers sculpted
  animal heads to adorn each mummy, to give each warrior
  the ability to pronounce True Speech. Many of the impor-
  tant positions have been filled by followers who willingly
  underwent scarab mummification in order to demonstrate
  their devotion. When Baptiste is properly entombed and
  reveals himself, Collard himself plans to submit to the in-
  sect.
  Throughout this adventure, Collard remains under-
  ground in the tomb, making final preparations for Baptiste’s
  burial and the ultimate Return. The Nags will only encoun-
  ter him when they venture below ground.
  The Entrance Tunnel
  After passing through the entrance, the tunnel leads down-
  wards at a steep angle. Controlled descent requires climbing
  equipment, or at least a rope secured at the top. Without
  equipment, Nags will have to slide down the chute to the
  entrance foyer.
  The passage is a chute ten feet wide and high, lined with
  smooth blocks hewn from the bedrock. The passage is unlit,
  requiring Nags to provide their own illumination. Individu-
  als gifted with Absolute Direction, using appropriate skills
  (Spelunking, Underground Survival, Engineering), or pos-
  sessing a compass, could track the party’s progress with
  respect to the buildings above ground. The passageway runs
  exactly south (which is out of alignment with the edges of
  the pyramid, as Manhattan’s grid system is not exactly
  matched to the compass points), and it leads directly be-
  neath the block containing the Library.
  Illumination reveals that the walls are adorned with hi-
  eroglyphic writing and other pictorial representations. The
  hieroglyphs will be familiar and yet strange to anyone who
  can read ancient Egyptian—a few words and ideas will be
  legible, but the grammar and most of the syntax is strange.
  A Nags might make out a few phrases including “He who
  Returns,” “The One to whom the gods themselves pray,”
  and similar fragments with which the GM can tease the
  players. All of the writing in the tomb is in Baptiste’s ver-
  sion of hieroglyphics.
  Study for 1d6 hours of any wall section by someone flu-
  ent in ancient Egyptian will reveal that the writing recounts
  
  72
  stories from Egyptian mythology, but with strange twists to
  the stories. Many of the depictions are graphic and disturb-
  ing; the GM might chose to describe them in detail to main-
  tain an unsettled feeling in the players. Note that if the Nags
  are sliding uncontrolled and without illumination, they will
  not see the hieroglyphs.
  The Pit Trap
  The 160–foot entrance “chute” ends in a pit trap. The pit is
  the full width of the passage (10′), extending 20 feet long
  and 20 feet deep. PC’s in a free slide would need to make a
  Great feat of Dexterity and then Strength to avoid falling
  into the pit. If in a controlled but unilluminated decent, the
  first PC would have to make a Fair Dexterity roll to avoid
  falling. PC’s with light will clearly see the trap; it is wide
  open.
  Characters falling 20′ into the pit will probably sustain
  damage. The pit floor is Good at causing damage, and the
  Difficulty level is probably Poor—if the character attempts
  acrobatics or some other relevant maneuvers, the GM can
  adjust the difficulty level on a case by case basis. The floor
  of the pit contains rows of 1 inch holes spaced a foot apart.
  The holes are six inches deep, and all completely empty—
  Collard intends to fill them with iron spikes, but has not yet
  had time.
  Characters within the trap will need to find some means
  of climbing the 20′ wall to continue into the tomb. The wall
  itself is carved from solid bedrock—smooth and without
  handhold. A standard rope and grapnel will find no pur-
  chase if thrown from within the pit. NagTech or creativity
  will be required to escape this hole in the ground.
  The Foyer
  The foyer is a 40′ square chamber containing the avant
  garde of the army that will accompany Baptiste upon the
  Return. The walls of the chamber are lines with bodies
  mummified in the exact manner of Wellbridge and the
  1820’s woman. The head of each has been fitted with an
  animal mask resembling that in the Museum of Natural His-
  tory.
  Trapped Passage
  This 40 foot long, five foot wide passageway leads to the
  false burial chamber. Ten feet along in the corridor is a plate
  in the floor that sets off a trap—a crossbow fires a bolt
  from the false burial chamber.
  The crossbow is a huge contraption consisting of seven
  bows stacked atop one another. Each time the trip plate is
  activated, the crossbow fires another bolt until the supply is
  exhausted (7 bolts). The crossbow fires with Good skill and
  the range will go from Medium to Short as the PC’s move
  closer. The first shot comes from the top bow (seven feet in
  the air) and is intended as a warning. It should fly just over
  the heads of most characters. Following a ten second delay,
  the next bolt fires at knee level (one foot from the ground)
  from the bottom bow. The next five alternate from top to
  bottom (6′, 2′, 5′, 3′) until they reach the middle (4′). The
  trip plate is 20 feet long, and will cause subsequent bolts to
  fire until the supply is exhausted (7 bolts).
  Characters who determine the pattern of fire can pre-
  pare in advance (either by crouching or jumping). Eventu-
  ally, characters could just lie on the floor to avoid the final
  shots. The GM should count off ten seconds (aloud, if she
  is compassionate), giving the players an opportunity to de-
  scribe how their characters will prepare. Bolts continue past
  each character in line who successfully avoids their path,
  striking the first character who fails a roll.
  False Burial Chamber
  Most Egyptian tombs have a false burial chamber to serve
  as a deterrent to thieves or desecrators. In accordance with
  the wishes Baptiste expressed in his writings, his tomb con-
  tains an elaborate false burial chamber, filled with artifacts
  important to the cult, as well as a faux sarcophagus.
  The chamber is “guarded” by 24 mummies adorned
  with animal headdresses who stand at the ready in shallow,
  evenly–spaced niches in the wall. The hieroglyphics in this
  chamber are even less comprehensible than those in the
  entry tunnel, becoming a closer approximation of the “True
  Speech.” The sarcophagus lid is immensely heavy, requiring
  a combination of three Superb Strength rolls together to
  move.
  Inside the sarcophagus, nestled in decaying wood chips
  and soil, is a minor historical tract by Baptiste. The tome is
  written in standard Egyptian hieroglyphics, and relates his
  history up to emigration to New York. The work requires 2
  hours to skim.
  Ascending Tunnel
  This tunnel is much smaller than most in the tomb—a five
  foot square shaft—and it ascends at a difficult angle. In
  addition, a series of ducts dispense a thin layer of flammable
  oil over all of the surfaces. The oil is collected at the bottom
  and transported by capillary action back to the top, thus
  continually coating the tunnel. The oily surface and steep
  angle render the passage impossible to traverse without spe-
  cial equipment. In addition, any torch or open flame will
  ignite the oil, scorching those within, and preventing pas-
  sage for 10 minutes as it burns, and another 20 minutes due
  to radiating heat, unless the Nags have protective gear. After
  a fire, the oil is replenished automatically from a reservoir in
  24 hours.
  The Grand Burial Vault
  Because Collard cannot be certain of the exact location of
  Baptiste’s corpse, his final resting place must accommodate
  all of the remains removed from the potter’s field—some
  250,000 cubic yards of material. Therefore, Collard con-
  
  73
  structed an immense burial vault—100 feet square with a
  vaulted ceiling that reaches 40′ high at its apex.
  Collard’s plan involves transporting crates of soil and
  remains from Wards Island to the vault by a special subway
  train. The remains of Baptiste and his companions will
  make their final trek along a secret tunnel that extends from
  the subway line to the vault.
  Currently, Collard is preparing the Grand Vault to re-
  ceive its precious contents. All four walls have shallow
  niches (as in the false burial chamber) containing mummi-
  fied servants to accompany Baptiste—120 mummies in to-
  tal.
  The chamber is brilliantly lit by torches in wall sconces.
  Collard himself stands before a tremendous stone altar in
  the center of the chamber. A colony of scarabs have just
  completed their reproductive handiwork on a willing aco-
  lyte, and LaGuardia lies bound nearby, apparently destined
  for a similar fate. The process is observed by some of Col-
  lard’s henchmen, each armed with archaic, but deadly,
  Egyptian weapons (adjust the number to challenge the
  Nags).
  The henchmen will protect Collard to the death or inca-
  pacitation. Collard will steadfastly remain until the Scarabs
  are loosed upon LaGuardia, and then, unless prevented, he
  will make his escape.
  GAME MASTER’S BACKGROUND
  The mystery at the Public Library extends over a century
  back in time and far beyond New York City. This section
  describes the strange story that leads from Egypt to France
  to New York, culminating in the current mystery confront-
  ing the NAGS Society. This background will introduce a
  number of threads that the Game Master can develop, ac-
  cording to the tenor of her campaign. Perhaps most impor-
  tant, any mention of supernatural occurrences will be left
  purposefully nebulous.
  Napoleon in Egypt
  In 1798, Napoleon marched his army into Egypt, attempt-
  ing to reclaim the glory of Alexander the Great. He was
  eventually defeated by the combined forces of the English
  and Ottoman Empires. Perhaps the most notable result of
  this campaign was the discovery in 1799 of the Rosetta
  Stone—a stone tablet that contained a passage written in
  Greek and Egyptian demotic and hieroglyphic scripts. The
  Rosetta stone allowed Jean–Francois Champollion in
  1821to translate the previously–incomprehensible Egyptian
  writing.
  However, there was also a lesser–known occurrence
  during Napoleon’s Egyptian campaign that has nearly es-
  caped recorded history. In 1799, a junior officer under Na-
  poleon’s command dismounted his horse and fell to his
  knees before the Great Sphinx, which, at this time, was
  buried to its neck in sand. The officer persevered in his rap-
  ture until he was lifted to his feet by the orders of a superior
  officer. After his rapture, the officer began to speak out to
  his companions about a “Return”, and covered pages of
  foolscap with writings in unfamiliar hieroglyphics. (He was
  not with the group at Rosetta who discovered the stone.)
  Because the junior officer spoke so often about “the Re-
  turn,” asserting that “we must prepare the way,” his fellow
  soldiers began to refer to him as “Jean le Baptiste.”
  Baptiste explained that he had heard the Sphinx “speak
  the language of the gods—the tongue that precedes all oth-
  ers.” He asserted that the languages currently spoken on
  earth were, in fact, “corruptions of the True Speech.” He
  also asserted that human mouths are incapable of producing
  the true speech—for this reason, the ancient Egyptians por-
  trayed their gods with animal heads.
  Following Napoleon’s defeat in 1801, Baptiste remained
  in Egypt as a prisoner of the Ottoman Turks. Little infor-
  mation is available about his incarceration other than the
  fact that he was a model, and some would say willing, pris-
  oner. While Napoleon was in exile on St. Helena, his cap-
  tors thought he was a fanatic predicting the Emperor’s
  “Return.” However, his message remained consistent during
  the 100 days and after Napoleon’s final defeat and banish-
  ment to Elba. Baptiste earnestly asserted that “we must pre-
  pare the way for the One who came before—the One to
  whom Ra and Osiris pray.” A few prisoners began to listen
  to his ravings and professed to be his followers. After the
  conclusion of the war, Baptiste and his converts were freed
  and returned to France.
  Baptiste continued to write and preach while in France.
  His message was interpreted as an apocalyptic, Egyp-
  tian–influenced Christianity, and he began to acquire more
  converts. Baptiste and his followers quietly emigrated to
  America, entering New York Harbor on August 15, 1820.
  He continued to gather converts to his faith. The message
  became more fervent: “We must prepare the way for the
  One to whom Ra and Osiris bend their knees.”
  Arrival, Death, and Burial
  Baptiste entered public record for the last time in 1823, as a
  casualty to a yellow fever outbreak. Without family or even
  verifiable identification, Baptiste is reported to have been
  quickly interred in a potter’s field at Forty–second Street
  and Fifth Avenue, on the site of the future New York Pub-
  lic Library.
  Little has been reported on the beliefs and practices of
  Baptiste’s followers—the cult does not even seem to have a
  name. It is clear, however, that his followers persevered in
  their beliefs, and perpetuate Baptiste’s teachings. The single
  earthly item they utilize is a tome constructed from the
  pages Baptiste scrawled in the desert. It is unclear whether
  anyone in the cult claims to read the hieroglyphs, or how
  the writings are used at all. Baptiste’s followers conduct
  discreet vigils on the site of his burial.
  
  74
  The only other fact of note regarding Baptiste and his
  followers was that one M. Collard arrived from France soon
  after Baptiste’s death. He received from a ship originating in
  Southeast Asia a cargo of crates containing seedpods and
  cisterns of water. Sailors also reported seeing an unidenti-
  fied insect resembling a scarab beetle.
  Baptiste was buried in a potter’s field before his follow-
  ers had a chance to perform crucial burial rites. Through the
  years, they have developed a perversion of Egyptian beliefs
  to explain why the predicted Return has not yet transpired.
  According to Baptiste’s followers, because their leader is not
  properly buried, his spirit cannot pass on to initiate the Re-
  turn. A proper burial, according to the followers, includes
  mummification and interment in a tomb within an inverted
  pyramid. The site must also include a number of Egyptian
  symbols, such as a watchful sphinx.
  Baptiste’s followers enlisted the mysterious M. Collard
  to secure a proper burial for their leader. Collard imported a
  colony of rare scarab beetles from Indochina and loosed
  them on the site of the potter’s field just after Baptiste was
  buried, in hopes that they would discover and mummify his
  body. Collard began planning a subterranean burial tomb in
  the form of an inverted pyramid.
  Almost immediately, the group began to experience a
  number of setbacks that have precluded successful comple-
  tion of the burial.
  The Reservoir
  First of all, the city government disinterred 100,000 bodies
  from the potter’s field in 1825 and moved them to Wards
  Island. A few obscure written records from the time report
  that workers alleged that many of the remains they un-
  earthed were mummified. Workers assumed this was a
  measure against yellow fever. The reports detail that about
  250,000 cubic yards of material were removed.
  Collard was momentarily dismayed, but quickly adapted
  his plan to account for this new development. A business
  consortium, including the newly–incorporated firm of Van-
  der & McGill, attempted to purchase the site following the
  relocation of the potter’s field. After years of legal wran-
  gling, the City ultimately retained the site, earmarking it for
  the distributing reservoir of the City’s new water supply.
  The only item of interest from this period is a newspaper
  clipping that describes the discovery in 1829 of a sculpted
  animal head. The head was attributed to Native American
  manufacture, and was sold to a private collector, Mr. Win-
  throp Miller.
  In 1837, the City of New York began constructing a dis-
  tributing reservoir on the eastern half of site of the old pot-
  ter’s field. The reservoir was completed and filled in June of
  1842. The Croton Reservoir resembled an Egyptian tomb,
  with walls fifty feet high and twenty–five feet thick. It be-
  came fashionable to promenade along the tops of the walls
  on a Sunday afternoon. It should be noted that the Egyptian
  motif did not enter the plans for the reservoir until the firm
  of Vander & McGill was consulted.
  The remainder of the land became known as Reservoir
  Park. A Crystal Palace was constructed to house a World’s
  Fair in 1853, and it burned under mysterious circumstances
  on October 5, 1858. The park land was utilized as a drill
  field during the Civil War, and was then left fallow. It was
  renamed Bryant Park in 1894. (It was not formally land-
  scaped as a park until 1933.)
  The cult was briefly dismayed by the notoriety associ-
  ated with the World’s Fair and Crystal Palace on the site,
  but they were able to engineer its commercial failure. It was
  widely rumored that the owner caused it to burn in 1858 in
  order to recover the fire insurance. The firm of Vander &
  McGill was contracted by the Palace’s insurers to assess the
  fire damage.
  Collard continued construction on the giant subterra-
  nean tomb until 1900, when the group received a further
  setback. The City of New York decommissioned the Croton
  Distributing Reservoir and slated it for demolition. Five
  hundred workers labored for two years to dismantle the
  reservoir. The firm of Vander & McGill was consulted
  during the demolition of a particularly difficult portion of
  the foundation.
  The Public Library
  The cornerstone for the site’s new tenant—the main branch
  of the New York Public Library—was laid in May 1902.
  Collard was again forced to become involved in construc-
  tion, as the plans for the library included labyrinthine un-
  derground warrens to house the stacks. Public records
  indicate that the firm of Carrère and Hastings, architects of
  the new library, employed the firm of Vander & McGill as
  subcontractors during the construction of the basement.
  Records mention an anomalous occurrence during the con-
  struction of a subbasement: an enormous amount of dirt
  and rubble were removed by the firm of Vander & McGill.
  Nearly 250,000 thousand cubic yards of material were exca-
  vated and transported to Wards and Randalls Island, joining
  the two into a single landmass. During 1913, the exact same
  
  75
  quantity of material from Wards Island was crated and
  awaits transportation to an unknown site.
  The Library commissioned the sculptor Frederick
  MacMonnies to create two statues to adorn the front of the
  building. Beauty depicted a woman astride the winged horse
  Pegasus, and Truth showed a man leaning against a sphinx.
  It should be noted that the firm of Vander & McGill was
  consulted by MacMonnies during the planning stages of his
  work.
  Collard plans to transport the remains from Wards Is-
  land to the tomb via a secret train tunnel that eventually
  connects to the IRT subway at 42nd Street. When the soil
  containing all of the remains, including those of Baptiste,
  are reinterred in the tomb, Collard believes that prepara-
  tions will be complete. He is certain that the Return is im-
  minent.
  Today
  And so, we come from Napoleon and the Great Sphinx in
  Egypt to the New York Public Library and some missing
  clerks. While searching for an obscure volume in the dark
  recesses of the stacks, Wellbridge happened past a crevasse
  that had opened as a result of vibrations from the nearby
  subway. While investigating, he was attacked by a scarab
  beetle recently hatched from an original yellow fever victim,
  who had been mummified by the beetles and had lain dor-
  mant since 1823.
  Unbeknownst to his colleagues, William Callow had be-
  come involved with Baptiste’s cult. He, in fact, only took a
  job in the stacks in hopes of encountering a scarab beetle
  and being embalmed. On the day following Wellbridge’s
  disappearance, Callow discovered the clerk’s newly– mum-
  mified body in the niche. He assumed that preparations for
  the Return had intensified, and decided to seek out Collard
  to join the Tomb guard. Callow left the stacks through a
  duct leading to the city sewer system. He first broke into the
  entomology display at the Bronx Zoo to procure a scarab
  beetle and initiate the process himself. He is finally encoun-
  tered attempting to ingest insects in the Sixth Avenue sub-
  way stop, the entrance tunnel to Baptiste’s subterranean
  tomb beneath the New York Public Library.
  M. Collard
  Strength: Mediocre
  Gifts:  Charisma, Long–lived
  Perception: Superb
  Faults: Obsession, Delusion
  Dexterity: Fair
  Vigor: Great
  Balance: Poor
  Occult knowledge: Great
  Archaic weapon: Great
  Urban survival: Good
  Science (Biology): Great
  Dark magic: Great
  Bargaining: Great
  Stealth: Fair
  Hypnotism: Good
  Find, set, remove traps:  Good
  Language  (True Speech): Superb
  Typical Evil Henchman
  Archaic weapon: Fair
  Defensive damage factors: (+0 for fair dam cap, no armor)=+0
  Offensive damage factors (+2 for size, +1 for sharpness)=+3
  THE SCARAB BEETLE
  The Scarab Beetle is a rare species that originates in the jun-
  gles of Southeast Asia. The species utilizes a bizarre repro-
  duction process that has made it legendary in the recesses of
  Asian jungles.
  Similar to an extreme from of the cicada’s reproductive
  process, scarab eggs must lay dormant in a host for 75 years
  before hatching. Scarabs use the body of a living mammal as
  host for the eggs, embalming the corpse to preserve it as a
  food source for the future hatchlings. Scarab beetles are also
  unique among the insect world in that an entire colony of
  beetles takes part in the reproductive process; there is no
  queen.
  Reproducing scarabs locate an appropriate mammalian
  host, immobilize it with a toxic bite that relaxes the muscles
  but does not induce unconsciousness (unfortunately, for the
  host). Hundreds of beetles enter the host through its mouth
  and begin a feeding frenzy. They consume the animal’s vis-
  cera, lay eggs (resembling clear roe) then exit through the
  victim’s mouth. This bizarre process completely desiccates
  the body, leaving a suitable, cocoon–like environment for
  egg and larval development. The last beetle out spins a
  thread and wraps the corpse, creating an incubation pupa.
  The eggs hatch after 75 years of incubation. The young
  beetles pass through the larval stage of life within the pupa,
  consuming the 75–year–old dried “jerky,” and emerging as
  full–grown beetles.
  
  76
  Maps of Manhattan
  The maps on the previous pages show Manhattan in 1920—several years after the adventure takes place. While it is not nec-
  essary for playing the adventure to know exactly where every place is, we thought that the maps would add to the atmosphere
  of place and time. Note the differences from a modern map of Manhattan, particularly downtown, before the construction of
  the World Trade Center (“the Twin Towers”) would dramatically alter the shape of the island’s southern tip. The maps come
  from the Perry-Castañeda Library Map Collection at the University of Texas at Austin, available on the web at
  www.lib.utexas.edu/Libs/PCL/Map_collection/Map_collection.ht.
  
  77
  
  78
  A map of Baptiste’s tomb beneath the New York Public Library at Forty–second Street
  Public Library
  Subterranean Stacks
  Subway
  Pit
  Sixth Avenue
  Fifth Avenue
  Library
  False
  Burial
  Chamber
  Foyer
  Subway
  Slide
  Pit
  Foyer
  False Burial
  Chamber
  Grand Burial Vault
  Baptiste’s Tomb
  
  79
  Some Adventure Tidbits
  The following are brief ideas the GMs might expand into adventures or the beginnings of a campaign. Some of these ideas
  will see future life as adventures published by circa games.
  WHY IS THIS WOMAN SMILING?
  One Monday morning in August, 1911, the famous Mona
  Lisa was stolen from the Louvre by a nondescript Italian
  workman named Vincenzo Pirugia. The crime was not
  solved for two years, during which time Pirugia supposedly
  kept the masterpiece hidden under his bed.
  An RFA comes to the Society in 1914. During the ex-
  tensive authenticity tests to which the painting was sub-
  jected, a curator has noticed something odd—an obscure
  bridge in the background now has three arches where it
  formerly had two! Is the alteration a signal to someone?
  Could the secret lie in Leonardo’s notes, written in his fa-
  mous mirror script?
  THIS WOBBLY EARTH
  A pet theory of one of the Nags’ superiors (or possibly a
  Nag PC) posits the existence of a prehistoric magnetic polar
  shift, but with a novel twist:: a shift of 90 degrees rather
  than 180. According to the theory, the current poles were
  once the equator, and vice versa. An RFA comes to the
  Society from the Royal Geographical Society. A stodgy old
  explorer hands the Nags a statue resembling those carved
  by ancient Mesoamericans. The zinger: it came from a city
  found encased in ice in Antarctica. If the pole shift theory
  true, or did the ancient central Americans travel more
  widely than we knew?
  MUD SLIDE
  A powerful hurricane in Central or South America causes a
  mudslide that uncovers an ancient city. The architectural
  style is different from any of the other known civilizations.
  Who lived in this mysterious city, and then disappeared
  without a trace? Weather forecasts make it clear another
  incipient mudslide will undoubtedly rebury the city. The
  Society immediately undertakes an RFA to look into this
  mystery.
  THEM BONES, THEM DRY BONES
  Deep within the African jungle, the Nags stumble upon a
  lost culture with a startling peculiarity: they worship the
  remains of prehistoric beasts. The people have a vast collec-
  tion of fossilized bones of extinct creatures and they have
  painstaking reassembled them. However, the structures of
  their creations are radically different from how modern sci-
  entists have envisioned the dinosaurs. Does this culture
  know something we don’t, or have they just created an
  imaginary world. The Nags have the dual task of investigat-
  ing and preserving an unknown culture and getting a close
  look at those bones. Have we had it wrong all these years?
  BENEATH THE SIDEWALKS OF NEW YORK
  Construction of New York’s first subway began in 1900 (it
  opened in 1904). When it opened, trains traveled from
  Bowling Green on the island’s southern tip, up to
  Forty–secoond Street and Grand Central Station, across to
  Times Square, and then as far as 145th Street and Broadway.
  The Society is contacted by the IRT when something unex-
  pected is unearthed during excavation.
  A modern day RFA comes to the Nags in the 1970’s
  from the mayor of New York—just why was it that work
  on the Second Avenue subway was abruptly abandoned,
  leaving the tunneling equipment beneath the streets?
  THE NEW ROSETTA STONE
  A group of Egyptologists excavating in the Valley of Kings
  stumble upon an ancient, unopened tomb. Within the burial
  vault they find a stone carved with three styles of writing:
  hieroglyphics, demotic, and an unfamiliar script. Study re-
  veals that the symbols seem to pre–date Egyptian hiero-
  glyphics. It came before, and contains elements that humans
  can neither pronounce nor conceive. What is this new lan-
  guage, and who spoke it?
  
  80
  Writing Adventures for the World of Nags
  Whether the Game Master decides to run a NAGS campaign in a slightly “steampunk” world, or she has inserted the Society
  into a traditional horror or science fiction milieu, there are innumerable possible types of adventures for intrepid Nags to
  pursue. This section offers the Game Master some hints for developing adventures that possess the unique flavor of the
  World of NAGS.
  GUIDING PRINCIPLES
  There are several principles that will guide a Game Master
  while writing adventures set in the World of NAGS. Ad-
  hering to these principles will help the GM to create and
  maintain an appropriate atmosphere in her campaign. The
  World of NAGS is, of course, open to personal interpreta-
  tion. If the GM has a differing vision, she can develop her
  own laws of campaign design.
  Weird Science
  Problems in the World of NAGS may initially seem super-
  natural, but they generally have a psychological or scientific
  solution that lies within the realm of the explainable, albeit
  on the fringes of our current understanding. We refer to this
  as the “Scooby–Doo law,” because most ghosts will appear
  extremely convincing until an adventure’s end, at which
  point they can be unmasked with a firm tug on the face.
  The adventures of William Hope Hodgson’s Carnacki
  would also fit into this category—Hodgson used carefully
  reasoned pseudo–scientific explanations for the supernatu-
  ral occurrences in his stories. The GM might then allow for
  the existence of an Ab–Natural realm beyond the realm of
  the senses in order to give shape to her campaign.
  Our original conception for the world of the NAGS So-
  ciety was a slightly–steampunk version of the late Nine-
  teenth and early Twentieth centuries. We envision
  steam–powered computing devices, weird scientific ad-
  vances and inventions that were dreamed of, but never pro-
  duced.
  Discretion
  It is a hallmark of the World of Nags that the general public
  would fall into a panic if the nature of NagOps were dis-
  closed. Nags must operate with the utmost discretion. They
  incapacitate opponents rather than kill them in order to
  avoid undue attention. A Nag might tranquilize a guard and
  then leave an empty whisky bottle. One cinematic parallel
  comes from the movie Men in Black, in which the operatives
  utilized a device to erase a witnesses’ memory of strange
  events (a perfect example of modern day NagTech).
  A skilled GM will include a variety of circumstances in
  which Nags must use the ingenuity to avoid drawing atten-
  tion to themselves. Often, a non–combat alternative should
  be available. When required, a group of Nags should have a
  bag of tricks for entering and exiting a locale undetected.
  Quiet Heroism
  NagOps should require intense heroism and risk–taking, but
  individual Nags resign themselves to the fact that they will
  not be publicly acknowledged for their bravery. We hope
  that camaraderie will develop within the party, as the Game
  Master will not be distributing “renown points,” and PC’s
  will not ascend in levels, attract underlings, or retire in a
  castle.
  Perhaps the GM could reward players with FUDGE
  points or experience points for discrete, heroic role–playing
  and then quietly fading into the background. In fact, it is a
  Nag’s goal to fade eventually from everyone’s memory,
  having left the world in a greater state of balance than when
  he or she entered it.
  Humor
  NagOps should also include some humor. This often occurs
  while employing NagTech, which has the tendency to fail
  spectacularly. Nags should learn to develop back–up plans
  for such developments—many situations will require for-
  mulation of Plan B when Plan A has a Below Terrible
  Glitch!
  We hope that the GM can use such occurrences to pro-
  voke innovative role–playing of the other “laws” in the
  World of Nags. For example, it would be difficult for a
  Nags to maintain his composure when his care-
  fully–camoflauged flying machine is emitting a high–pitched
  whine and spewing sparks from the tail. Such actions re-
  quire heroic efforts to maintain discretion. Glitches should
  
  81
  bring out the best in the players, placing their characters in
  immediate, but not inextricable, danger.
  THEMES
  The guiding principles are the ideals that provide a coherent
  background for campaigns in the World of NAGS. We now
  discuss a variety of themes that GM’s can utilize to give
  shape to the content of an adventure. These themes reflect
  the author’s preferences for interesting adventures. A GM
  and group of players will undoubtedly bring their own pref-
  erences to a NAGS campaign.
  Atavism
  The idea of an ancient culture reemerging and forcing itself
  upon the modern is a staple of NagOps. Either the knowl-
  edge of the culture is dangerous to the status quo, or the
  culture itself is dangerous. This theme occurs in much pulp
  fiction, and especially in the fiction of H.P. Lovecraft (see
  the Call of Cthulhu RPG published by Chaosium). Nags are
  often in the peculiar position of having to preserve such an-
  cient realities while protecting the delicate sensibilities of
  modern culture.
  Exploration
  We set the World of Nags in the golden age of exploration
  to highlight its importance to the flavor of most adventures.
  The Nineteenth and early Twentieth centuries witnessed the
  investigation of numerous sites of importance from the
  ancient world. Archæology and anthropology matured as
  sciences, and the earth became simultaneously less and
  more mysterious as scientists pursued their exploits. We
  intend for the NAGS Society to participate in this exciting
  spirit of investigation, with a particular eye to preserving the
  mysteries once they have explored them.
  Dastardly Villains
  If the GM decides upon a classic pulp atmosphere, then her
  campaign may include a series of adversaries or an ongoing
  villain with whom the Nags lock horns. Perhaps such a mal-
  feasant is engineering a dangerous atavistic emergence. Or
  perhaps he is nefariously exploiting a lost culture in a re-
  mote corner of the globe, unbeknownst to the general pub-
  lic. A villain might possess his own strange technology, or
  he might have stolen NagTechnology and turned it to evil
  uses. Or the villain might be a rogue Nag himself, driven
  over the edge by the constant need for secrecy and
  self–effacement, now desiring to attract as much attention
  to himself as possible by exposing the Society’s darkest se-
  crets!
  Campus Politics
  The NAGS Society campuses provide an interesting back-
  drop for adventures. A GM might choose to develop a par-
  ticular campus in detail, including all the interesting
  machinations among the faculty and the Nags–in–training.
  The players could role–play their PCs’ careers from recruit-
  ment through training, to field assignment. Another option
  for an interesting campaign would be to have a flashback to
  an earlier moment in the Nags’ careers, requiring the players
  and GM to work together to come up with a younger,
  less–skilled version of their PC’s.
  THE DETAILS
  Adventures should establish a sense of a geographical and
  historical place, and attempt to highlight the mysterious in
  what we don’t—or don’t want to—know. Game Masters
  provide background information that might be relevant to
  the adventure, that will help to set the scene, and to create
  the atmosphere.
  The GM might also want to provide handout materi-
  als— mock–ups of newspaper articles, pages from books,
  maps, &tc, from which the players can derive clues and
  follow leads.
  NAGS adventures published by circa games will con-
  tain of a number of strands that the Game Master can draw
  together or ignore according to the tone of her campaign.
  The adventure included in this Worldbook, for example, is a
  mystery involving a number of striking coincidences that a
  GM could leave as such, or she could choose to weave them
  together as a conspiracy of international proportions. Fur-
  thermore, the GM will decide if these mysteries represent
  the machinations of men or are evidence of supernatural
  reality. A skillful GM might choose to blur these lines, so
  that the mundane explanation exists—but is unsatisfy-
  ing—while the supernatural explanation remains tantaliz-
  ingly out of reach.
  
  82
  Sources for Adventure Ideas
  In this section we provide some suggestions for Game Masters for creating adventures that convey the flavor of the World of
  NAGS.
  MINING A MAGAZINE
  Ideas for adventures do not grow on trees. While many ad-
  ventures written for other games and other gaming genres
  can be adapted successfully for play in the World of NAGS,
  the GM will be called upon continually to create new and
  exciting situations to challenge her players. To supplement
  the full adventure and the “tidbits” provided in this World-
  book, this section discusses some sources for getting the
  creative process started.
  Two recent gaming articles inspired this discussion: Ken
  Hite’s Suppressed Transmission column entitled “Metro Section
  Baghdad” and Carl Craven’s Idea Factory column entitled
  “Pick a Word, Any Word” on    www.rpg.net. Hite demon-
  strates how a daily newspaper can be mined for adventure
  ideas for any genre. Craven suggests a similar but simpler
  technique—he uses words chosen at random from the dic-
  tionary as spurs to creativity. We recommend both of these
  techniques and offer one of our own.
  One of the inspirations for the World of NAGS was the
  magazine National Geographic. As one might expect, the
  NAGS Society’s Journal is based upon this periodical. For
  more than one hundred years, National Geographic has given
  readers their first view of some of the Earth’s more exotic
  and mysterious locales. Breathtaking photographs, light,
  undemanding stories that pique one’s interest but can’t
  completely satisfy the cravings (for satisfaction, refer to the
  bibliography in the printed collection of Hite’s Suppressed
  Transmission. Our suggestion is to use an issue of National
  Geographic as a treasure trove of ideas.
  National Geographic is readily available in libraries, on line,
  and now, on CD ROM. In addition, many people have old
  collections sitting around in basements, attics, or closets.
  The age or condition of the magazines doesn’t matter—in
  fact, older issues are probably better for developing the feel
  of an early Twentieth century NAGS campaign.
  The simplest technique, following Craven, would be to
  glance at the spine of the magazine, which provides one
  word pointers to the articles within. For more in depth in-
  spiration, page through the issue, allowing the photographs
  to work their spell. The challenge is to find connections
  running through the stories that would make an interesting
  one–shot adventure, or the beginnings of an extended cam-
  paign.
  FOR EXAMPLE…
  As an example, we will pull an issue at random from a pile
  in the closet—the January 1996 issue—promising with its
  cover image of a skull illuminated from the side by fire. The
  articles are: Neandertals, the Edmund Fitzgerald, Utah, Arctic
  Ocean traverse, Feast of the Tarpon, Center of the Earth,
  and Puffins.
  Several of these topics are suggestive in and of them-
  selves, and combined, we should have something of inter-
  est. A couple pose more of a challenge. The GM could
  create more than one story that may or may not be con-
  nected. The mark of a master—the holy grail—would be to
  combine all of the stories into a cogent whole. Let’s get to
  work.
  The wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald catches the imagina-
  tion of anyone who grew up near Lake Superior or who
  remembers Gordon Lightfoot’s haunting tribute. The article
  reminds us that we still don’t know exactly why the shill
  sank so quickly and without a call for help. Use the wreck
  itself in a modern day campaign, or make up your own
  wreck to move it back or forward in time.
  Neandertals and the Center of the Earth jump right
  out—the old chestnut of primitive humans still living deep
  within the hollow Earth. The article makes clear that mys-
  tery remains as to the Neandertal’s ultimate fate—were they
  killed off by modern humans, or assimilated into the species
  through interbreeding?
  O.K.—an expedition of researchers from Brigham
  Young University (in Utah) studying Puffins in the Arctic
  stumble upon evidence that, during a warm period 100,000
  years ago, most Neandertals followed their food supply
  north, into the current arctic circle. There they discovered a
  passage into the Earth’s crust (a “hollow earth” or possibly
  just a sub–surface existence, warmed by the heat from the
  mantle?). Does the expedition find only remains, or has a
  Neandertal culture persevered into modern times? (Note
  that Utah and Puffins get short shrift—it would be difficult
  for each subject to have equal weight and still maintain a
  thread of relevancy through the adventure).
  The Edmund Fitzgerald and the tarpon—a large, preda-
  tory fish that lives in coastal waters of the Atlantic and
  Caribbean—are more difficult to integrate into our Nean-
  dertal saga. Perhaps evidence pointing to the anomalous
  presence of giant (they can reach 250 pounds) tarpons in
  the Great Lakes comes to light—were they responsible for
  the downing of the vessel? Maybe the giant tarpon and
  other cryptozoological wonders were able to pass through
  the same honeycombed substrata that the Neandertals now
  call home (ignoring the fact that Tarpon are not fresh water
  fish…). The GM should of course stray as far as she likes
  from the original stories—they are meant to serve only as a
  spur to imagination.
  
  83
  Part IV
  APPENDICES
  he appendices that follow contain sundry information as support for play-
  ers in the World of the National Archæological Geographical and Subma-
  rine Society. We detail two alternate systems for creating Nag PC’s (or
  NPC’s): using Areas of Specialty as templates  and random character gen-
  eration. We include a list of our inspirations and sources for developing this World-
  book. All books and games mentioned are copyrighted by their authors and publish-
  ers and no infringement is intended (please buy them all). And, finally, we include
  forms for your use while gaming in the World of NAGS. You may copied or print all
  forms for personal use.
  T
  
  84
  Areas of Specialty as Templates
  Most players will undoubtedly want to create their PC’s “from scratch,” utilizing the process described in Part II (beginning
  on page 32). Some players may, however, want to use a fast, simple approach to create a NAGS PC of a particular Area of
  Specialty. The GM may also use AOS templates to generate NPC’s.
  The following AOS template characters were created according to character creation rules in Part II. Some of the gifts,
  faults, or skills might need a specialization—players may also want to wait until they have gotten to know the character be-
  fore becoming specific. In addition, the GM might want to award a skill or two that are common to all characters of the time
  period (Driving [Car], &c.).
  We have included a name and brief background story for each template, should a player or game master desire to use
  them “off the shelf.” Feel free to change any of the specifics—name, gender, age, &c.—before using these template charac-
  ters.
  BOOKWORM — ESTÉBON ALONZO
  Strength: Mediocre
  Gift: Knack (Trivia),
  Perception: Superb
  Stalwart bravery
  Dexterity: Good
  Fault: Stubborn
  Vigor: Fair
  Balance: Fair
  Profession (Archivist): Fair
  Research: Superb
  Language (Spanish): Great
  Familiarity (Rare Books): Great
  Language (Sanskrit): Good
  Language (Ancient Egyptian): Fair
  Dodge: Mediocre
  Pistol: Poor
  Etiquette: Terrible
  History, Religion, Mythology (Near East): Superb
  Story: Estébon was born on the Mediterranean island of
  Majorca. Small and frail as a child, he turned to books for
  companionship and enlightenment, eventually becoming a
  youthful recluse. The time he spent with books has resulted
  in a deep knowledge of esoteric studies as well as the ability
  to uncover any fact that has been recorded by the ages.
  Estébon is quite gifted with the ability to recall tidbits of
  knowledge about almost any topic under the sun — but
  such seemingly useless facts might come in handy someday!
  Estébon is of one mind when looking for a particular fact
  — woe be it to the soul who tires to distract him with ir-
  relevancies (such as flying bullets!) when he is on the trail of
  a critical fact.
  Equipment:: Estébon wears standard attire. His prized pos-
  session is a briefcase that opens to reveal a well–appointed
  portable desk. He carries a needler (Victorian NagTech,
  beginning on page 20) that he barely knows how to use.
  GADGETEER — DR. THADDEUS QUIGGLEY
  Strength: Fair
  Gifts: Luck, Charisma
  Perception: Good
  Faults: Show off
  Dexterity: Great
  Vigor: Good
  Balance: Fair
  Gadgeteer: Great
  Lab:  Good
  Mechanic: Fair
  Research: Mediocre
  Persuade: Great
  First Aid: Poor
  Archery: Fair
  Urban survival: Mediocre
  Disguise: Great
  Story: Thaddeus Quiggley, or Q, as he is known, is the
  archetypical gadgeteer. He creates original, functional
  NagTech that Members have used with pleasure for years.
  Q takes inordinate pride in demonstrating his work, often
  staging elaborate demonstrations. His gadgets suffer the
  usual Glitches, and Q is fairly skilled at repairing those that
  due occur. As is also common, Q is nowhere to be found
  when his gadgetry goes awry. Q is a master of disguise.
  Many a Nag has found himself in a dark moment when a
  shop keeper or street sweeper will suddenly reveal himself
  as Q, screwdrivers and wrenches at the ready .
  Equipment: Q always carries a Gadgeteer’s tool set and a
  small disguise kit. For longer–term stints in the field, he will
  have a portable lab and portable accommodations. Q will
  always have a variety of NagTech on hand in various stages
  of completion and quality. He defends himself with a
  one–handed crossbow that shoots tranquilizer darts.
  
  85
  CUSTOMIZING TEMPLATE CHARACTERS
  Players will undoubtedly want to customize template characters somewhat before beginning play. We encourage players to
  make any changes they desire, with GM approval, of course. The template characters have been created according to the lim-
  its presented in Part II, Character creation. All Nags are assumed to have been trained in the English language, and Nags with
  a different birth language possess it at no cost at the Great level.
  The simplest customizations involve specializing skills, gifts, and faults. For example, our PhotoHack, Lady Helene, has
  an unspecified phobia. The player could easily choose something that terrifies the Nag to make her more interesting.
  The next easiest method of customization involves “even trades”—that is, swapping a listed gift, fault, or skill for one of
  equal value. If you would like your Hero to have an addiction rather than an Enemy, simply make a trade. Just make sure that
  the traits you desire still represent the particular AOS (or else the point of the template is lost).
  Finally, the most elaborate method of customization involves Trading Traits (see page 41). In this case, you might, for ex-
  ample, lower one of a template character’s attributes by one level and then trade it for three skill levels, &c. A player might
  also add a fault in order to receive more attribute or skill levels (see page 34). We encourage players to work with the Gm to
  ensure that customized characters are appropriate for the particular NAGS campaign.
  (PHOTO) HACK — LADY HELENE BIDEUX
  Strength: Poor
  Gifts: Acute sight, Alertness
  Perception: Superb
  Faults: Phobia
  Dexterity: Great
  Vigor: Fair
  Balance: Fair
  Photography: Superb
  Dodge:  Fair
  Martial arts: Good 
  Etiquette: Poor
  Climbing: Fair
  Urban survival: Good
  Bargaining:  Fair
  Language (French): Great
  Familiarity (Modern art):  Great
  Story: Lady Helene is one of those Nags who uses notoriety
  to conceal her activities for the Society. Lady Helene was
  and is a slightly eccentric French aristocrat of an old, penu-
  rious family. She is well known for her habits of unaccom-
  panied travel and her fanaticism about the new process
  called “photography.” Lady Helene typically accosts anyone
  she meets with a request to sit for her. She is seen as a
  harmless eccentric, and is most often indulged by friends
  and strangers alike. Lady Helene is, in fact, an extremely
  skilled photographer, and between her snapshots, has re-
  corded some seminal images for the Society. She is equally
  at home in the city and the wild.
  Equipment: Lady Helene habitually wears a hodge–podge
  of adventurous and formal attire. She carries a number of
  cameras, all NagTechnology, all disguised to appear as stan-
  dard photographic equipment. Among her bundles and
  crates are a portable developing lab and a wireless set.
  HERO — SUNITA RAO
  Strength: Good
  Gifts:  Combat reflexes, Charisma
  Perception: Fair
  Faults:  Enemy
  Dexterity: Fair
  Vigor: Good
  Balance: Fair
  Acrobatics: Good
  Breath weapon: Great
  Jungle survival: Great
  Pistol: Good
  Animal handling: Fair 
  Diplomacy: Terrible
  Stealth: Good
  Language (Hindi): Great
  Find, set, remove traps: Great
  Story: Rao has an interesting background that demonstrates
  the variety of relevant experience for a prospective Nag. She
  grew up in India under the British Raj. From an early age
  she was witness to the abuses of Imperialism, and, in fact,
  saw the murderers of her parents go free under English law.
  Rao disguised herself as a man and joined an Indian resis-
  tance group. Rao became expert at guerilla tactics, survival
  in the wild, and learned how to set some nasty traps. When
  the Society became aware of her, they recognized a potential
  ally in their mission to preserve the mysteries of the Indian
  subcontinent. Despite her new benefactor, Rao still has
  enemies among the more unsavory imperialist leaders.
  Equipment: Rao wears adventurous attire of her own de-
  sign—loose fitting, androgynous clothes inspired by tradi-
  tional Indian garb. She possesses a blowpipe and pistol at all
  times. She carries a machete tucked into her belt. Rao is able
  to fashion traps from materials at hand.
  
  86
  PRESERVATIONIST — WINSTON HIGGINS
  Strength: Mediocre
  Gifts:  Animal empathy, Alertness
  Perception: Fair
  Faults: Stubborn, Dependent
  Dexterity: Fair
  Vigor: Great
  Balance: Good
  Tracking: Great
  Breath weapon: Great
  Wilderness survival: Good
  Science (Biology): Great
  Animal handling: Good 
  Boating: Terrible
  Traditional Medicine: Good
  Craftsman: Fair
  Meditation: Great
  Story: Higgins grew up in the American west, disdaining
  modern society and what it had to offer. He was an autodi-
  dact, never attending any formal school beyond elementary
  education. Higgins spent many years wandering the wilder-
  ness, living alone, communing with the natural world. He is
  gifted with animals, and knows American plants better than
  many professional scientists. Higgins will always have about
  him some dependent animal that he is nursing back to
  health—usually the victim of some human cruelty.
  Equipment: Higgins wears adventurous attire that he has
  fashioned himself. He carries a blowgun and tranquilizer
  darts. Higgins has a bag of healing plants that afford him +1
  for traditional medicine skill rolls. He has a backpack that
  contains Spartan accommodations and other odds and ends.
  He is one of the rare Nags who tends to disdain the use of
  NagTech.
  SNOOP — YUAN MIN
  Strength: Mediocre
  Gifts:  Alertness, Contacts
  Perception: Superb
  Faults:  Curious
  Dexterity: Fair
  Vigor: Fair
  Balance: Good
  Occult knowledge: Great
  Pistol: Great
  Hypnotism: Good
  Science (Psychology): Good
  Science (paranormal): Good Cryptography;: Fair
  Surveillance: Fair
  Tracking: Poor
  Language  (Chinese): Great
  Martial arts: Poor
  Story: Yuan had her first experience with the paranormal at
  a young age—filled with her grandmother’s stories about
  ghosts, young Min saw a spirit lingering near her home.
  Curiosity piqued, Yuan interviewed her family and neigh-
  bors until she was able to uncover the ghost’s history. Since
  then, Yuan has conducted a personal study paranormal sci-
  ence, the occult, and the dark recesses of the mind. At the
  same time, she learned to defend herself well with a pistol
  and miserably with martial arts.
  Equipment: Yuan wears traditional Chinese clothing. She
  carries a portable examination kit for collecting and exam-
  ining evidence of the supernatural. She also carries a really
  big gun (for defensive purposes). Yuan favors a handheld
  version of the NagWriter with a built in wireless set (like a
  modern PDA) for recording notes in the field and reporting
  back to her home Campus.
  
  87
  Random Character Generation (1.8)
  This optional character creation method turns the other processes on their heads—the player determines the PC’s traits ran-
  domly, and then creates a background story to bring them together. We have developed this method because some
  old–school players still enjoy the challenge of using a randomly–generated character. GM’s may also turn to random charac-
  ter generation to create NPC’s with interesting and unexpected combinations of skills and traits. Use or ignore this section as
  you wish.
  The GM should decide beforehand if she will allow customization by players, such as trait trading, during random charac-
  ter generation. Some GM’s consider that trading traits defeats the purpose of rolling randomly. Note that randomly rolled
  characters will sometimes exceed or fall below the limits on trait levels outlined in the Character Creation section.
  DETERMINING TRAITS
  Players creating random characters will determine traits by
  rolling dice and referring to the tables below. Most tables
  are arranged in groups of six to facilitate rolling with d6’s.
  However, if you are interested in random character genera-
  tion, we would bet that you possess the appropriate polyhe-
  dral dice….
  Rolling Attributes
  The player rolls 2d6 for each attribute. Use the Attribute
  and Skill Level Table to determine the attribute level.
  Attribute and Skill Level Table
  Roll
  Attribute/Skill Level
  2
  Terrible
  3
  Poor
  4
  Mediocre
  5–9
  Fair
  10
  Good
  11
  Great
  12
  Superb
  Rolling Gifts and Faults
  Next, the player can roll once on the Gift table. If he elects
  to roll for a second gift, also roll once on the Fault table for
  a balancing fault. Conflicting gifts and faults should be
  re–rolled (combat reflexes and combat paralysis, for exam-
  ple).
  Gift and Fault Table
  Roll
  Gift
  Fault
  1
  Absolute Direction
  Combat Paralysis
  2
  Acute Sense
  Coward
  3
  Alertness
  Curious
  4
  Animal Empathy
  Dependent
  5
  Attractive
  Enemy
  6
  Charisma
  Obsession
  7
  Combat Reflexes
  Phobia
  8
  Contacts
  Show–off
  9
  Damage Resistant
  Stubborn
  10
  Luck
  Unattractive
  11
  Privileged Upbringing
  Unlucky
  12
  Stalwart Bravery
  Vain
  Rolling Skills
  To determine skills, the player rolls eight times on the Skills
  Tables. The player should roll first on the Skill Area table to
  determine the skill area, and then roll again on the appropri-
  ate table to select the particular skill. Finally, players roll on
  the Attribute and Skill Level Table (above) to determine the
  level of each skill rolled.
  Some skill tables have blank spaces—the GM can feel
  free to insert her own skills, she can repeat a common skill,
  or the player can simply re–roll. For skills that require spe-
  cialization, the player can select a specific skill or the GM
  could create another table (if complete randomness is de-
  sired).
  If the Player does not roll a combat skill randomly by
  the last skill roll, he should use this last roll on the combat
  table.
  As always, the GM is the final authority during the ran-
  dom character creation process. If the wheels of fortune
  were to conspire so that a player rolls up a character with
  eight skills at the Superb level, the GM should make some
  adjustments to preserve game balance.
  
  88
  Skill Areas
  Roll
  Skill Area
  1
  Athletic & Outdoors
  2
  Combat
  3
  Craft & Trade
  4
  Entertainment & Artistic
  5
  Knowledge & Lore
  6
  Linguistics
  7
  Medical
  8
  Outré Science
  9
  Professional
  10
  Social
  11
  Transportation
  12
  Unusual
  Athletic & Outdoors Skills
  Roll
  Skill
  1
  Acrobatics
  2
  Boating
  3
  Climbing
  4
  Diving
  5
  Survival (Region)
  6
  Swimming
  7
  Tracking
  8
  9
  10
  11
  12
  Combat Skills
  Roll
  Skill
  1
  Archery
  2
  Artillery
  3
  Breath weapon
  4
  Dodge
  5
  Firearm (specific)
  6
  Martial Arts
  7
  Thrown weapon
  8
  Unarmed combat
  9
  10
  11
  12
  Craft & Trade Skills
  Roll
  Skill
  1
  Animal Handling
  2
  Animal Training
  3
  Craftsman
  4
  Mechanic
  5
  6
  Entertainment & Artistic Skills
  Roll
  Skill
  1
  Art (Specific)
  2
  Gambling
  3
  Magic
  4
  Photography
  5
  6
  Knowledge & Lore Skills
  Roll
  Skill
  1
  Academic Specialty
  2
  Cartography
  3
  Familiarity (Subject)
  4
  Gadgeteer
  5
  History , Religion, Myth
  6
  Lab
  7
  Profession  (Specialty)
  8
  Research
  9
  Science (Specialty)
  10
  11
  12
  Linguistics Skills
  Roll
  Skill
  1
  Code
  2
  Lang., Ancient (Spec.)
  3
  Lang., Modern (Spec.)
  4
  5
  6
  Medical Skills
  Roll
  Skill
  1
  First Aid
  2
  Physician
  3
  Traditional Medicine
  4
  5
  6
   Outré Skills
  Roll
  Skill
  1
  Conspiracy Theory
  2
  Dark Magic
  3
  Hypnotism
  4
  Meditation
  5
  Occult Knowledge
  6
  Thanatology
  Social Skills
  Roll
  Skill
  1
  Bargaining
  2
  Diplomacy
  3
  Etiquette
  4
  Persuade
  5
  6
  Transportation Skills
  Roll
  Skill
  1
  Driving (Land vehicle)
  2
  Parachuting/Paragliding
  3
  Pilot
  4
  5
  6
  Unusual Skills
  Roll
  Skill
  1
  Cryptography
  2
  Demolitions
  3
  Disguise
  4
  Escape Artistry
  5
  Find, Set, Remove Traps
  6
  Forgery
  7
  Lock Picking
  8
  Noise Mimicry
  9
  Pick Pocketing
  10
  Sleight–of–hand
  11
  Stealth
  12
  Surveillance
  
  89
  References and Inspiration
  This section offers a brief list of some of the works that inspired the NAGS Society Worldbook.
  ROLE–PLAYING GAMES
  The following games and game supplements can be consid-
  ered background reading for the World of NAGS. None
  directly represent or portray a comparable world view, but
  they have each contributed to the development of this
  Worldbook.
  Adventures of Indiana Jones by David Cook. TSR, 1984.
  I have only glanced at this out–of–print game based on the
  movies, but it could be mined for adventure settings and
  ideas.
  Airship Daedalus by Deep 7 Games    www.deep7.com   
  Not yet released, but bears watching.
  Call of Cthulhu by Sandy Peterson. Chaosium, 1998.
  www.chaosium.com   
  The author’s new favorite game. (Years ago, I thought all of
  those CoC gods described in the AD&D Deities and Demi-
  gods were just weird—now, I Understand.) Most CoC books
  stand out as examples of well–written and compelling gam-
  ing material. CoC adventures could be adapted for use in a
  NAGS campaign that includes the supernatural (or in a
  Scooby Doo–type campaign, if the GM can explain the oc-
  currences that way). Though firmly in the horror genre,
  CoC emphasizes mystery, atmosphere, and investigation
  over violence and cheap frights. It is the only game that
  requires players to keep track of their characters’ sanity. In
  addition to adventures, many of the Call of Cthulhu city
  sourcebooks will be useful to a NAGS Society Game mas-
  ter: London in the Victorian Age and the 1920’s, New Or-
  leans, and Cairo.
  Daredevils by Bob Charrette and Paul Hume. Fantasy
  Games Unlimited, 1982.
  As with many games from FGU, the type is extremely
  dense, reflecting the nature of the rules. Includes guidelines
  for dealing with almost anything that might arise anytime,
  ever.
  Dark • Matter Campaign Setting for Alternity by Wolfgang
  Baur and Monte Cook, 1999.    www.wizards.com     
  I recently purchased Dark • Matter, and thus have not yet
  had time to digest everything. On first glance, however, the
  Hoffman Institute is in the same vein as the NAGS Society,
  and the spirit of the game is compatible, if darker.
  Forgotten Futures by Marcus L. Rowland, 1993.
  www.forgottenfutures.com     
  Based upon the science fiction (properly termed Scientific
  Romance) of Rudyard Kipling, Arthur Conan Doyle, and
  others. While the settings described go further afield than
  most campaigns set in the World of NAGS, the flavor of
  the adventures is similar. We could easily imagine the
  NAGS Society existing in any of the Forgotten Futures set-
  tings. The books (actually, text files) contain advice on game
  mastering and campaign design, copious period illustrations,
  and detailed adventures. And, the books serve as examples
  of literature skillfully adapted to the RPG genre. Currently
  being published in trade paperback format by Heliograph
  Incorporated,    www.heliograph.com   ..
  FUDGE (Freeform, Universal, Do–it–yourself Gaming En-
  gine) by Steffan O’Sullivan, 1995.    www.fudgerpg.com
       
  A flexible, adaptable game engine that encourages customi-
  zation by the players and Game Master. FUDGE inspired
  this author to try his hand at game design. The recently
  published Expanded FUDGE adds some meat to the
  bones.
  GURPS (Generic Universal Role–Playing System) by Steve
  Jackson Games, 1999.    www.sjgames.com   
  The variety of genres covered by sourcebooks for the
  GURPS system is astounding. GURPS showed this author
  that there was more to gaming than AD&D. Many of the
  GURPS sourcebooks would be helpful to players and GM’s
  gaming in the World of NAGS. Cliffhangers, for example,
  is an inspiration for the World of NAGS. Places of Mys-
  tery is a must for adventure design. The historical world-
  books (Arabian Nights, Aztecs, China, Egypt, Greece,
  Imperial Rome, Japan, Russia) provide excellent back-
  ground information and seeds for possible adventures. See
  the section on NAGS Campaign Crossovers for some sug-
  gestions on how Alternate Earths, AE2, or Illuminati
  might be useful. High–Tech will provide guidance on his-
  torical and modern weaponry, and Ultra–Tech, Ultra–Tech
  2, and possibly Bio–Tech might provide ideas for NagTech
  gadgets. Finally, the first and second Who’s Who volumes
  provide invaluable suggestions for historical NPC’s and
  Villains might provide some. The forthcoming Steam-
  punk and Castle Falkenstein will be essential.
  Into the Shadows by Craig Griswold, 2000.      
  Me       
  m      -  
  bers.tripod.com/~into_the_shadows   .
  An excellent free horror/adventure RPG based upon West
  End Games’ d6 system. A gold mine of ideas and inspira-
  tion. The website contains a number of excellent adven-
  tures. Mr. Griswold did it right.
  Mercenaries, Spies, and Private Eyes by Michael Stack-
  pole. Flying Buffalo Games, 1986.    www.flyingbuffalo.com    
  One of the first games I played after AD&D, MSPE in-
  cludes excellent advice for creating adventures. The adven-
  ture Stormhaven in a masterpiece. The rulebook is useful
  for the detailed discussions of firearms. Beautiful in its sim-
  plicity.
  
  90
  Pulp Adventures by Timothy Parker and Erik Dewey. Iron
  Crown Enterprises, 1997.    www.ironcrown.com     
  A sourcebook for the Rolemaster System. I don’t find ICE
  book aesthetically pleasing, but no one can argue that they
  are not jam packed with information. This one contains a
  wealth of information about the ’20’s through the ’40’s.
  Shadow Bindings by Joseph Teller and Kiralee McCauley,
  1999.    www.fantasylibrary.com
        (look in the Gamer’s Lounge
  section)
  A multi–genre game with several excellent game back-
  grounds, including Victoria Eternal, in which “ magic was
  discovered by Napoleon at the occupation of Egypt,”
  Mysterious Earth, a 1930’s Neo–Pulp setting, and Night
  Watch, a 1950’s Fantasy/Horror setting. The settings are
  well–written and include a wealth of information and illus-
  trations. Essentially, this is a great example of exactly what
  we am trying to do with the circa system…(sigh).
  Space:1889 by Game Designer’s Workshop, 1988.
  One of the most beautifully–produced rulebooks we have
  ever encountered. Space:1889 is a science fiction game,
  based upon the same literature as Forgotten Futures, in
  which explorers achieved space travel in the Victorian Age.
  The rulebook is interspersed with tidbits about Victorian
  culture, politics, and personalities. The illustrated equipment
  list is gorgeous. The world is sufficiently rich and detailed to
  allow for the existence of the NAGS Society. Space:1889 is
  a perfect example of how an alternate world can integrate
  history and literary speculation. Heliograph plans to reprint
  the Space 1889 oeuvre in black and white.
  Star Trek RPG by Last Unicorn Games, 1999.
  www.lastunicorngames.com   
  The new Star Trek RPG—with its sourcebooks for The
  Original Series, The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine,
  with Voyager forthcoming—influenced this games less by
  its content than by its elegant design, detailed Icon System
  rules, excellent sections on adventure and campaign design,
  and finally, the example set by the authors for adapting a
  fictional world to an RPG. I love it.
  Two Fisted Tales by Matt Stevens, 1998
  www.columbia.edu/~mfs10/twofistedtales.html
  A game that simulates “the fast and outrageous action of
  the pulps,” according to the author. Includes rules, a
  fully–developed setting and adventure suggestions, discus-
  sions of pulp comics, and reviews of other pulp RPG’s.
  BOOKS AND MOVIES
  This is some inspirational reading and viewing.
  The Alienist and The Angel of Darkness by Caleb Carr.
  Although pure detective stories, Carr’s novels were influen-
  tial. The excellent period detail paints a clear picture of New
  York in the late Nineteenth century. Also, the diverse nature
  of the protagonists necessitates discretion during their in-
  vestigations.
  Brazil. Movie directed by Terry Gilliam.
  As with The Difference Engine, this movie got me thinking
  about a society based upon large bureaucracies. The vision
  is darker than the World of Nags, but the strange technol-
  ogy suggests NagTech.
  The Difference Engine by William Gibson and Bruce Sterling.
  The inspiration for the NAGS Society. Although there is
  nothing comparable in the book, I began to think about
  inquisitive government bureaus in an information–driven
  Victorian or Edwardian age.
  Doc Savage:: His Apocalyptic Life by Philip José Farmer.
  Doc Savage’s exploits served as an example of a true Nag.
  He at least made an attempt at discretion with his secret HQ
  in the Empire State Building. Farmer’s book, a biography of
  the character, details his adventures, his personality, but
  more importantly, his gadgets, and even provides a map of
  that elusive hide–out.
  The Great Pulp Heroes by Don Hutchison.
  An excellent survey of the pulps, their heroes, and their
  creators.
  The Island of Dr. Moreau by H.G. Wells.
  Inspirational for its atmosphere and suspenseful telling.
  A Journey to the Center of the Earth, 20,000 Leagues Under the
  Sea, and The Mysterious Island by Jules Verne.
  Excellent example of an investigation into terrestrial and
  submarine mysteries.
  The Lost World and The Poison Belt by Sir Arthur Conan
  Doyle.
  Professor Challenger was anything but discrete, and did not
  Leave Anything as He Found It, but the types of adventures
  described are appropriate for the NAGS Society. See also
  the Forgotten Futures RPG by Marcus Rowland.
  Raiders of the Lost Ark, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom,
  Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. Directed by Steven Spiel-
  berg.
  The hero could in no way be considered discrete, but the
  flavor of the adventures is appropriate. An inspiration for
  this Worldbook.
  The Science Fiction Stories of Rudyard Kipling, edited by John
  Brunner.
  Includes the A.B.C. stories discussed in detail in the Forgot-
  ten Futures RPG. Kipling’s concept of benevolent bureauc-
  racies was one of the inspirations for the NAGS Society.
  See also the Forgotten Futures RPG by Marcus Rowland.
  Suppressed Transmission by Kenneth Hite.
  An invaluable source for adventure and campaign ideas.
  Hite transmits weekly from Pyramid magazine on the Steve
  Jackson Games website at    www.sjgames.com   . The bibliog-
  raphy and added notes are worth the price of the book.
  
  91
  NAGS Society Forms
  No special forms are required for gaming in the World of NAGS. As a courtesy, we have created the following record keep-
  ing forms for NagTech gadgets and Nags Player Characters. You will find the forms in the NAGS Worldbook folder in PDF
  format for printing, as well as AppleWorks interactive format. You have permission to reproduce these forms for your per-
  sonal use while gaming in the World of NAGS.
  NAG SOCIETY CHARACTER RECORD
  The Character Record provides a handy place to organize
  information regarding your NAGS PC. The front contains
  all of the information necessary for play. Many players use
  the back to record their character’s background story and to
  jot down any pertinent notes
  The PDF version of the Character Record is an image
  for reproduction only—you may then write your PC’s in-
  formation in the appropriate spaces. We have also included
  a version of the Record in AppleWorks format that allows
  input of information for printing. Please see the files ac-
  companying the NAGS Society Worldbook for more de-
  tails.
  circa  games
  Portrait
  1–2
  3–4
  5–6
  7–8
  9+
  Scratch
  Hurt
  Very Hurt
  Incapacitated
  Near Death
  ❐❐❐
  ❐❐
  ❐
  ❐
  ❐
  Wounds
  Combat Factors
  Damage Capacity
  Offensive DF's
  Defensive DF's
  Standard Equipment
  NagTech Items
  Gifts and Faults
  Skills
  Superb
  Great
  Good
  Fair
  Mediocre
  Poor
  Terrible
  FUDGE Levels
  Nags   Society
  Character Record
  NagOps of Note
  Name
  AOS
  DOB
  Age
  Sex
  Player
  Campaign
  NAGS Character Record © 2000 by Scott Larson
  You may reproduce this record for personal use.
  Attributes
  Strength
  Perception
  Dexterity
  Vigor
  Balance
  FUDGE Points
  Experience Points
  NAGTECH ITEM CARD
  We have included two sets of NagTech Item records for-
  matted for 3×5 index cards. The first set includes the stan-
  dard Glitch Table on the reverse, while the second is blank
  for gadgeteering players or Game Masters to develop origi-
  nal glitch tables.
  The cards may be printed out as is on standard–sized
  paper—two–sided reproduction should align the front and
  backs so that you can cut them out. For the adventurous,
  we formatted the cards for Avery Standard 5388 3×5 index
  cards, which can be inserted in sheets into laser and ink jet
  printers and then separated (they are, alas, quite expensive).
  The PDF version of the NagTech Item Card is an image
  for reproduction only—you may then write your PC’s in-
  formation in the appropriate spaces. We have also included
  a version of the card in AppleWorks format that allows in-
  put of information for printing. Please see the files accom-
  panying the NAGS Society Worldbook for more details.
  Uses/Effects:
  Quality:
  Creator:
  Date of Creation:
  Glitch Table for
  Terrible
  Temporary Failure
  Unexpected
  Unexpected
  Partial Failure
  Partial Failure
  Partial Failure
  Unexpected
  Unexpected
  Sparks, beeps, etc.
  Below Terrible
  Explodes
  Permanent Failure
  Temporary Failure
  Unexpected
  Unexpected
  Unexpected
  Functions 1d6 times
  Continuous Function
  Transmogrifies
  Poor
  Limited Success
  Limited Success
  No Glitch
  No Glitch
  No Glitch
  No Glitch
  No Glitch
  Limited Success
  Limited Success
  –4
  –3
  –2
  –1
  0
  +1
  +2
  +3
  +4
  
  92
  INDEX
  2222
  20,000 Leagues Under the Sea •
  108
  3333
  3×5 index card • 19
  3d6 • 52
  444
  4
  4d6 • 52
  A
  A
  A
  A
  Absolute Direction • 40
  Academic Specialty • 43
  Academics • 8
  Accommodations, portable •
  12
  Acrobatics • 42
  Actions • 50
  definitions • 50
  modifiers • 52
  opposed • See  Opposed
  Actions
  unopposed • See
  Unopposed Actions
  Acute Sense • 40
  Addiction • 40
  Adventure Tidbits • 92
  Adventures • 77
  writing • 94
  Adventures of Indiana Jones •
  107
  Aeroplanes • 16
  Agent 007 • 15, 25
  Airship Daedalus • 107
  Alertness • 40
  Alienist and The Angel of
  Darkness, the • 108
  Alonzo, Estebon • 100
  AlterNags • 30
  Amenities • 12
  American Museum of Natural
  History • 82
  Animal Empathy • 40
  Animal Handling • 43
  Animal Training • 43
  Antique Black and White Art
  collection • 3
  AOS Templates • 9
  customizing • 101
  AOS’s • See Areas of Specialty
  Archæological Anomalies • 13
  Archæologist’s tools • 13
  Archaic weapon • 15
  Archery • 43
  Areas of Specialty • 9, 100
  Art • 43
  Art Today • 3
  Artillery • 43
  Atavism • 95
  Athletic and Outdoor Skills •
  42
  Attire, adventurous • 12
  Attire, formal • 13
  Attractive • 40
  Attributes • 37, 38
  cost of • 39
  definitions of • 38
  Automatic Death • 63
  Automatic weapon • 15
  Automobiles • 16
  Axe • 14
  BBB
  B
  Background Story • 37
  Balance • 39
  using • 55
  Balloons • 17
  Baptiste • 82, 83, 84, 85, 86,
  87, 91
  Baptiste's tomb
  map of • 91
  Bargaining • 45
  Bat • 22
  Batman • 24, 30, 31
  Beauty • 81
  Below Terrible • 50
  Beyond Superb • 50
  Bicycles • 17
  Bideux, Lady Helene • 101
  Bigglesworth, Cecil • 20, 21,
  38, 39, 41, 46, 47, 48, 51,
  55, 56, 58, 64, 73
  Binoculars • 14
  Blowtorch • 14
  Bly, Nellie • 7, 27, 28
  Boating • 42
  Bond, James • 19, 27, 29
  BookWorm • 9
  Brazil • 108
  Breath Weapon • 43
  Breathing Apparatus • 25
  Bronx Zoo • 83
  CCCC
  Cædmon College • 27
  Call of Cthulhu • 29, 107
  Callow, William • 79, 81, 82,
  83, 87
  Camera • 14
  Campaigns
  crossovers • 30
  formats of • 29
  types of • 29
  writing adventures • 94
  Campus Politics • 95
  Campuses, Society • 11, 27
  New York • 27
  Oxford • 27
  Carnacki • 94
  Carnaki • 11
  Carrère and Hastings • 81
  Cartography • 43
  Cartography in Crisis • 13
  CartooNags • 30
  Challenger, Professor • 11, 13,
  109
  Champollion, Jean–Francois •
  85
  Character Creation • 37
  AOS templates • 100
  random • 104
  Character Development • 73
  Character Record • 48, 110
  Charisma • 40
  circa games • 3, 22, 31, 77,
  92, 96
  Cleopatra’s Needle • 82
  Clergy • 8
  Clerks • 8
  Climbing • 42
  Climbing equipment • 14
  Code • 44
  Collard • 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85,
  86, 87
  traits of • 87
  Combat • 57
  definitions • 57
  melee • See Melee combat
  ranged • See Ranged combat
  vehicle • See Vehicle
  combat
  Combat and Wounding
  Example • 67
  Combat Paralysis • 40
  Combat Reflexes • 40
  Combat Rounds • 57
  Combat Skills • 42
  Compass • 14
  Confederate States of America
  • 30
  Conspiracy Theory • 45
  Contacts • 40
  Continuous function • 21
  Conversion hints • 75
  Cowardice • 40
  Craft & Trade Skills • 43
  Craftsman • 43
  Craven, Carl • 97
  Critical Failure Table, sample •
  54
  Critical results • 54
  Croton Reservoir • 81, 83, 86
  Cryptography • 46
  Crystal Palace • 86
  Curious • 41
  CyberNags • 31
  D
  D
  D
  D
  d% • 52
  Dagger • 15
  Damage Capacity • 63
  Damage Die Roll • 66
  Damage Factors • 63
  defensive • 64
  offensive • 64
  Damage Resistance • 40
  Daredevils • 107
  Dark • Matter • 107
  Dark Magic • 45
  Dastardly Villains • 95
  Dead • 63
  Defensive damage factors • 57
  Demolitions • 46
  Dependent • 41
  Desk, portable • 13
  Developing lab, portable • 14
  Dexterity • 39
  Dice • 50
  other techniques • 52
  reading • 51
  rolling • 51
  Difference Engine, the • 30, 108
  Difficulty Level • 50
  Diplomacy • 45
  Dirigibles • 17
  Discretion • 94
  Disguise • 46
  Dissecting lab, portable • 14
  Diving • 42
  Doc Savage • 108
  Doctor’s black bag • 14
  Dodge • 43
  Doomsday, Dr. • 59
  Doyle, Arthur Conan • 11, 109
  Dragonfly • 23
  Driving • 45
  EEEE
  Edmund Fitzgerald • 97
  Efland, Capt. Jack • 6
  Enemy • 41
  Entertainment & Artistic Skills
  • 43
  EP • See experience points
  Equipment
  cinematic/pulp fiction
  mode • 12
  list of • 12
  realistic mode • 12
  scientific • 13
  Escape Artistry • 46
  EspioNags • 31
  Etiquette • 45
  
  93
  Experience Points • 73
  Explodes • 21
  Exploration • 95
  Explosives • 14
  FFFF
  Falk, Dr. Charles • 82
  Familiarity • 44
  Fashion by Savage • 24
  Faults • 37
  list of • 40
  Find, Set, Remove Traps • 46
  Firearm • 43
  First Aid • 44
  Forensic evidence kit • 14
  Forgery • 46
  Forgotten Futures • 107
  Franklin, Emil • 13
  FUDGE • 3, 107
  FUDGE dice • 50
  making • 51
  FUDGE Points • 55
  Functions 1d6 times • 21
  GG
  G
  G
  Gadgeteer • 9, 21, 33, 44, 100,
  101, 106
  Gadgeteer’s Toolkit • 23
  Gambling • 43
  Gas mask • 13
  Geology of Wonder • 13
  Gifts • 37
  list of • 40
  Gifts and Faults
  cost of • 39
  definition of • 39
  Glitch
  definition of • 19
  Glitches in NagTech
  definitions of • 21
  Gloria Ann • 16, 69
  GM Tips • 75
  Goggles • 23
  Gordon, Flash • 31
  Gramophone, portable • 13
  Grazing • 65
  Great Pulp Heroes, the • 108
  Grey Cloud • 6, 8
  Grey Ghost Games • 36, 51
  Guiding Principles • 94
  GURPS • 107
  H
  H
  H
  H
  Hack • 9, 27, 101
  Handgun • 15
  Healing • 68
  Helicopters • 16
  Heliograph • 107
  Hero • 9, 101
  Higgins, Winston • 102
  History, Religion, and
  Mythology • 44
  Hit Location • 62
  Hite, Ken • 29, 97, 109
  Hodgson, Willam Hope • 11,
  94
  Hot air balloon • 34
  Humor • 95
  Hurt • 63
  Hypnotism • 45
  IIII
  illustrations • 3
  Incapacitated • 63
  Inspector Gadget • 25, 30
  Into the Shadows • 107
  Island of Dr. Moreau, the • 108
  JJJJ
  Jenkins, Ezra • 81
  Jet Pack • 24
  JOD’s Old Fashioned Black
  and White Clip Art • 3
  Johnson, Caliope • 33
  Jones, Indiana • 11, 29, 30,
  107, 109
  Journal • 6, 8, 9, 34, 97
  motto of • 6
  Journalists • 8
  Journey to the Center of the Earth,
  A • 11, 108
  Just a Scratch • 63
  KK
  K
  K
  Knack • 40
  Knowledge & Lore Skills • 43
  LLLL
  Lab • 44
  Laboratory, portable • 14
  LaGuardia, Fiorello • 78, 79,
  80, 85
  Language, Ancient • 44
  Language, Modern • 44
  Leroy • 64
  Level • 37
  Light source • 14
  Lightfoot, Gordon • 97
  Limited Success • 21
  Linguistics Skills • 44
  Lock Picking • 46
  Lockpick set • 14
  London, Jack • 7, 56
  Lone Ranger • 30
  Lost World, The • 11, 109
  Lovecraft, H.P. • 11, 95
  Luck • 40
  M
  M
  M
  M
  Machete • 14
  Machu Pichu • 7, 29
  MacMonnies, Frederick • 81,
  87
  Magic • 43
  Magical Aptitude • 40
  Manhattan
  map of • 89
  Manifesto • 67
  Martial Arts • 43
  McTeague • 22
  Mechanic • 43
  Median Rolls • 60
  Medical Skills • 44
  Meditation • 45
  Melee • 57
  Melee combat
  alternating turns • 60
  modifiers • 61
  multiple bombatants in • 61
  options • 61
  PCs vs. NPC’s • 61
  simultaneous rounds • 60
  story elements • 59
  Men in Black • 94
  Mercenaries, Spies, and Private
  Eyes • 108
  Miller, Winthrop • 82
  Minimizing Abuse • 47
  Missile weapon • 15
  Modern Day Nags • 31
  Mona Lisa • 92
  Motorcycles • 17
  mummies • 80, 83, 84, 85
  Mysterious Island, the • 108
  N
  N
  N
  N
  Nag Society Character Record
  • 110
  NagOps
  cartographic clarification •
  11
  equipment for • 12
  extraction or Recovery • 11
  investigation • 11
  manner of • 11
  miscellany • 11
  preservation • 11
  types of • 11
  vehicles for • 15
  Nags
  description of • 6
  preparation for becoming •
  7
  qualities of • 7
  training of • 11
  NAGS Air Ship Stalwart • 17
  NAGS campaigns
  crossovers • 30
  example of • 31
  formats of • 29
  openers • 9
  types of • 29
  writing adventures • 94
  NAGS Character Record • 48
  Nags in Space • 31
  Nags in Time • 31
  Nags of Note • 7, 28, 56
  NAGS Society
  campuses • 27
  definition of • 6
  founding of • 6
  policies and protocol • 26
  practice of • 6
  purpose of • 6
  role of • 26
  NAGS Society Forms • 110
  NAGS Submersible Ship Zephyr •
  18
  NagSpeak • 9, 19
  NagTech
  Deco • 24
  definition of • 19
  developing • 21
  glitches in • 20
  modern • 25
  operational rolls • 20
  production rolls • 22
  quality level of • 20
  recording • 19
  using • 20
  Victorian and Edwardian •
  22
  NagTech Item Card • 111
  NagWriter • 23
  Napoleon • 85, 87, 108
  NAS Legend • 31
  National Geographic • 97
  Neandertals • 97
  Near Death • 63
  Needlepoint • 47
  Needler • 23
  Neville • 22
  New York • 27
  New York Public Library • 81,
  86, 87, 91
  NPC Reactions • 54
  O
  O
  O
  O
  O’Sullivan, Steffan • 3, 36,
  107, 116
  Obsession • 41
  Occult Knowledge • 45
  Offensive damage factors • 57
  Operational Rolls • 20
  Opposed Action • 51
  Opposed actions
  minimum difficulty level •
  54
  Original Three • 6, 8, 27, 30
  Outré Skills • 45
  Oxford • 27
  PPP
  P
  Palmtop • 25
  Parachuting/Paragliding • 46
  
  94
  Partial failure • 21
  PC Death • 67
  Pegasus • 81, 87
  Perception • 39
  Permanent failure • 21
  Perry-Castañeda Library Map
  Collection • 91
  Persuade • 45
  Pharaoh’s curse • 9
  Phobia • 41
  Photography • 43
  PhotoHack • 9
  Physical Challenge • 41
  Physician • 45
  Pick a Word, Any Word • 97
  Pill, Constance • 13
  Pilot • 46
  Pirugia, Vincenzo • 92
  Pocket Babbage Engine • 23
  Preservationist • 9, 102
  Green • 9, 56
  Red • 10, 33
  Prime Directive • 26
  Privileged Upbringing • 40
  Production rolls • 22
  Profession • 44
  Professionals • 8
  Puffins • 97
  Pulp Adventures • 108
  Pyramid • 29
  Q
  Q
  Q
  Q
  Q • 19
  Quiet Heroism • 94
  Quiggley, Dr. Thaddeus • 100
  RRR
  R
  Random Character Generation
  • 104
  Ranged combat
  assessing difficulty level for
  • 57
  automatic weapons • 59
  simultaneous fire • 58
  target aware • 58
  target unaware • 57. See
  Rao, Sunita • 101
  Recruitment • 8
  Reference • 13
  References and Inspiration
  books and movies • 108
  role–playing games • 107
  Relative Degree • 51
  Request for Attention • 11
  Requests for Attention • 6, 7,
  11
  Research • 44
  Return is Overdue, the • 78
  setting of • 78
  RFA’s • See Requests for
  Attention
  Rifle • 15
  Ring • 25
  Rodham Roadster • 16
  Rolled Degree • 51
  Roosevelt Island • 27
  Roosevelt, Franklin • 27
  Roosevelt, Theodore • 7, 27
  Rosetta Stone • 85, 92
  Rowland, Marcus • 23, 107,
  109
  Rutherford, Joshua • 32
  SSSS
  Samovar • 13
  Savage, Doc • 24, 29
  Scarab beetle • 88
  description of • 88
  picture of • 88
  Science • 44
  Science Fiction Stories of Rudyard
  Kipling, the • 109
  Scientific equipment • 13
  Scooby–Doo • 29, 30, 94
  Shadow Bindings • 108
  Shadow, the • 30
  Shakedown Cruise • 35
  Shotgun • 15
  Show–off • 41
  Situational Roll • 51, 54
  Skeleton Key • 23
  Skills • 37, 41
  cost of • 41
  free • 42
  list of • 42
  Smith, Ohio • 67
  Snoop • 9, 10, 102
  Social Skills • 45
  Societal  extraction • 8
  Space 1889 • 12, 108
  Sparks, beeps, smoke • 21
  Spencer • 17
  Sphinx • 81, 85, 86, 87
  Spy Camera Obscura • 23
  Stalwart Bravery • 40
  Standard Glitch Table, the •
  20
  Star Trek • 25, 31, 108
  Stealth • 46
  steampunk • 22, 30, 31, 94
  Steve Jackson Games • 29,
  107, 109
  Story Elements • 57
  Strength • 39
  Stubborn • 41
  Stun, Knockout, and Pulling
  Punches • 66
  Submarines • 18
  Success Rates • 75
  Superior, Lake • 97
  SuperNags • 31
  Supernormal Powers • 37
  Suppressed Transmission • 29,
  97, 109
  Surveillance • 46
  Survival • 42
  Survival kit • 13
  Swimming • 42
  TTT
  T
  Tarpon • 97
  Templates, AOS • 100
  Temporary failure • 21
  Teotihuacan • 29
  Thanatology • 45
  The Ghost in the Machine •
  35
  Themes • 95
  Theodora • 64
  Thrown Weapon • 43
  To go boldly… • 31
  Tool kit • 14
  Tools • 14
  Total damage factor • 57, 64
  Tracking • 42
  Tracy, Dick • 24
  Traditional Medicine • 45
  Traits • 37
  levels of • 38
  trading • 47
  uncommitted • 47
  Tranquilizer Weapons • 23
  Transmogrifies • 21
  Transportation Skills • 45
  Traveling Tea Tray • 23
  Traveller • 31
  tricorder • 25
  Truth • 81
  Tutankhamen • 7
  Two Fisted Tales • 108
  U
  U
  U
  U
  Unarmed Combat • 43
  Unattractive • 41
  Undamaged • 63
  Unexpected result • 21
  Unlucky • 41
  Unopposed Actions • 51
  difficulty level of • 53
  rolling secretly • 53
  Unusual Skills • 46
  Urchins • 8
  Utah • 97
  Utility Belt • 24
  VVVV
  Vain • 41
  Valley of Kings • 92
  Vander & McGill • 81, 82, 83,
  86, 87
  Vehicle combat
  assessing difficulty level for
  • 69
  conducting • 69
  damage • 70
  hit location • 71
  recording damage • 71
  statistics • See
  Vehicle Damage Factors • 70
  Vehicle Hit Location • 71
  Vehicles • 15
  attributes of • 15
  gifts and faults of • 15
  list of • 15
  Verne, Jules • 11, 28, 108
  Very Hurt • 63
  Veterans • 8
  Vigor • 39
  Vintage Clip Art Collection • 3
  Von Hardwigg, Professor • 11
  W
  W
  W
  W
  Wanduzi tribe • 47
  Wards Island • 82
  Weapons • 14
  Weird Science • 94
  Wellbridge, Charles • 79, 80,
  81, 83, 84, 87
  Wells, H.G. • 108
  Whip • 15
  Williams, Calvert "Tinker" •
  33
  Winslow, Rebekah • 6
  Wireless Transmitter/Receiver
  Set • 24
  World’s Fair • 86
  Wound Level
  determining • 64
  recording • 65
  Wound Options • 66
  Wounds • 63
  levels of • 63
  Wright Brothers • 16, 19
  Wristwatch Communicator •
  24
  Wristwatch Computer • 25
  XXXX
  X–Files, the • 29, 31
  X–ray Camera Obscura • 24
  X–ray Specs • 24
  YYYY
  Yuan, Min • 102
  ZZZZ
  Zeppelin • 19, 31
  Zorro • 30
  
  circa  games
  Portrait
  1–2
  3–4
  5–6
  7–8
  9+
  Scratch
  Hurt
  Very Hurt
  Incapacitated
  Near Death
  ❐❐❐
  ❐❐
  ❐
  ❐
  ❐
  Wounds
  Combat Factors
  Damage Capacity
  Offensive DF's
  Defensive DF's
  Standard Equipment
  NagTech Items
  Gifts and Faults
  Skills
  Superb
  Great
  Good
  Fair
  Mediocre
  Poor
  Terrible
  FUDGE Levels
  Nags   Society
  Character Record
  NagOps of Note
  Name
  AOS
  DOB
  Age
  Sex
  Player
  Campaign
  NAGS Character Record © 2000 by Scott Larson
  You may reproduce this record for personal use.
  Attributes
  Strength
  Perception
  Dexterity
  Vigor
  Balance
  FUDGE Points
  Experience Points
  
  Uses/Effects:
  Quality:
  Creator:
  Date of Creation:
  Uses/Effects:
  Quality:
  Creator:
  Date of Creation:
  Uses/Effects:
  Quality:
  Creator:
  Date of Creation:
  
  Glitch Table for
  Terrible
  Temporary Failure
  Unexpected
  Unexpected
  Partial Failure
  Partial Failure
  Partial Failure
  Unexpected
  Unexpected
  Sparks, beeps, etc.
  Below Terrible
  Explodes
  Permanent Failure
  Temporary Failure
  Unexpected
  Unexpected
  Unexpected
  Functions 1d6 times
  Continuous Function
  Transmogrifies
  Poor
  Limited Success
  Limited Success
  No Glitch
  No Glitch
  No Glitch
  No Glitch
  No Glitch
  Limited Success
  Limited Success
  –4
  –3
  –2
  –1
  0
  +1
  +2
  +3
  +4
  Glitch Table for
  Terrible
  Temporary Failure
  Unexpected
  Unexpected
  Partial Failure
  Partial Failure
  Partial Failure
  Unexpected
  Unexpected
  Sparks, beeps, etc.
  Below Terrible
  Explodes
  Permanent Failure
  Temporary Failure
  Unexpected
  Unexpected
  Unexpected
  Functions 1d6 times
  Continuous Function
  Transmogrifies
  Poor
  Limited Success
  Limited Success
  No Glitch
  No Glitch
  No Glitch
  No Glitch
  No Glitch
  Limited Success
  Limited Success
  –4
  –3
  –2
  –1
  0
  +1
  +2
  +3
  +4
  Glitch Table for
  Terrible
  Temporary Failure
  Unexpected
  Unexpected
  Partial Failure
  Partial Failure
  Partial Failure
  Unexpected
  Unexpected
  Sparks, beeps, etc.
  Below Terrible
  Explodes
  Permanent Failure
  Temporary Failure
  Unexpected
  Unexpected
  Unexpected
  Functions 1d6 times
  Continuous Function
  Transmogrifies
  Poor
  Limited Success
  Limited Success
  No Glitch
  No Glitch
  No Glitch
  No Glitch
  No Glitch
  Limited Success
  Limited Success
  –4
  –3
  –2
  –1
  0
  +1
  +2
  +3
  +4
  
  Uses/Effects:
  Quality:
  Creator:
  Date of Creation:
  Uses/Effects:
  Quality:
  Creator:
  Date of Creation:
  Uses/Effects:
  Quality:
  Creator:
  Date of Creation:
  
  Glitch Table for
  Terrible
  Below Terrible
  Poor
  –4
  –3
  –2
  –1
  0
  +1
  +2
  +3
  +4
  Glitch Table for
  Terrible
  Below Terrible
  Poor
  –4
  –3
  –2
  –1
  0
  +1
  +2
  +3
  +4
  Glitch Table for
  Terrible
  Below Terrible
  Poor
  –4
  –3
  –2
  –1
  0
  +1
  +2
  +3
  +4
  
  Cutting–edge Technology and tea at four…
  Welcome to the world of NAGS —
  the National Archæological Geological and Submarine Society.
  Join the Nags — a group of adventurer–scientists whose exploits were never recorded in the annals of
  cinematic heroes, real explorers of the Nineteenth and early Twentieth centuries, pulp adventure stories
  of the 1930’s, and supernatural–investigative fiction and games set in the 1920’s.
  Armed with extensive training, unpredictable technology, and unimpeachable discretion, Nags travel to the
  Four Corners of the globe — exploring, uncovering, and clarifying information — all in the name of the
  ever–increasing store of accurate knowledge and the record of human possibilities.
  Based on c.FUDGE (a customized version of FUDGE by Steffan O’Sullivan) the NAGS SOCIETY WORLDBOOK
  provides everything you need to begin adventuring in the World of NAGS.
  Stoke up the fire in your difference engine and find us on the web at:
  www.NagsSociety.com
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Terra Incognita/Terra Incognita The NAGS Society Worldbook.pdf