I have down loaded the FUDGE rules from the net, scoured the multitude of websites and tried my hand at some homebrew. I bought Terra Incognita, sight unseen, purely to see what could be (has been?) done with the FUDGE system commercially.
On first inspection the cover looks good (designed to look like an embossed world globe) the art work is appropriate, well done, but doesn't immediately conjure up images of lost civilisations, tomb raiding or exploring the ruins of Atlantis.
The interior is well formatted in the standard two columns. Interior artwork is black and white and regularly dispersed breaking up the text well. All in all, easy to read.
The information is well organised, the book is split into two halves, the first being a players handbook the last, the GM's Guide. The topics follow in logical progression - background followed by character generation, action resolution, combat and equipment. The GM's guide book follows, building on rules outlined in the Player's guide.
The author's style is clear and concise and the interspersed fluff is appropriate for the genre and not overdone, somewhere in between the two extremes of GURPS and WOD.
But what do you get for your $22.95? Why is this game worth buying if the system is available for free? Essentially the role player should be looking to buy this book for the pain and suffering it will save them (or their GM) in running a pulp or victorian action adventure. What you are essentially buying here is the setting and the author's adaptation of the fudge rules to that setting.
Terra incognita allows you to play scholarly adventurers as found in 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea or Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark. The players are members of NAGS (National, Archaeological, Geographic and Submarine Society), a secret society, and are called upon to investigate strange mysteries and occurrences all over the globe. The background is solid enough to give the GM a firm footing but not restrictive. Games can be set in the Victorian era or in the Pulp era. Prices for equipment and services are given for this time period in both US dollars and English pounds.
Character generation is well set out, with a sample character generated as you read along. Players are given the opportunity of creating a character from scratch or using the templates provided by the author.
The Skills section, the real meat of any fudge system is excellent. The skills are tailored toward the genre and examples of fudge levels (ie fair, superb etc) are given as they relate to the skill. Making the GM's job of determining difficulty a little easier. Similarly the Gifts and Faults listed are genre specific.
The reader is given a good selection of NAG Tech or equipment (eg the Aadvark, a pedal powered ultralight) and methods for creating such. Rules are also given for vehicular combat, something not covered well in the original FUDGE system rules. Abstract combat rules as well as hex-based tabletop rules are covered
Other GM time savers include the Almanac, a chronological listing of major historical events with italicised notes on NAG operations or involvement in said events from the years 1850 to 1940. One feature that I did like was the global focus of the book. I didn't feel that it was written expressly for English or American gamers.
Lots of games publish GM advice for running games, designing adventures and handling players, the guidelines included in Terra Incognita I were succinct and tailored to the genre. An example was the running of an adventure like a storytelling session around the fireplace. "There we were surrounded by Matocs..." the GM acts more like a moderator, rolling dice at crucial points, but for the most part the players take turns in recounting the tale as if they were remembering fond adventures.
To finish off the book includes a campaign outline and a sample adventure to get you started. The appendices consist of a well-referenced Index, some notes on resources, a character sheet and a summary page of relevant tables.
I think it is worth the $22 US especially if you are a fan of the Genre and the Fudge system. I found it useful from a design perspective. So if you enjoy thwarting evil NAZI archaeologists or exploring the sunken runes of sunken Atlantis with the likes of Captain Nemo go for it. Still don't know if its worth try, designing a complete system and background and $22 becomes very reasonable.
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