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Introducing Trademarks & Meta-Tags

by Nathan | Jun 16, 2016 | Hacking | 19 comments

FU works really well just the way it is, but today I am going to share with you two changes I
have been working on – tags and trademarks. The rst is a pretty simple adjustment to the
language we use to describe functions in the game, while the second provides additional
depth to characters and play.

Tags
In FU a character’s most important features, and the most noteworthy elements of
everything else in the ctional game world are currently called descriptors. As I have played,
tweaked and developed FU however, I have taken to calling these features tags. It really is
semantics, but the word “tag” brings with it a bunch of meaning and association that ts with
their purpose in the game. A tag is something “attached” to an object or item, it provides
information (such as a price or description), notes boundaries and is commonly used in
blogging, websites and information collation to group like things and identify conceptual
ideas. To tag something is to label it, give it signi cance and/or draw attention to it, in the
same way you might tag someone in a Facebook post, play a game of tag, or even tag a wall
with gra ti (not something I have done, but some it is is quite impressive!).
Long-story-short, as I write more articles about FU you will see me making reference to
tags. They are exactly the same thing as descriptors in the current version of FU. A useful or
bene cial tag will provide a character with some advantage, while hindering or negative tags
will apply a disadvantage to the character’s actions.

Trademarks
Characters in FU are de ned by a series of words or short descriptive phrases that de ne
what special qualities they have. They range from physical traits to mental attributes to
amazing skills or powers. Each of these is a tag that can provide a bonus or penalty to rolls
depending on how helpful they are to the action being attempted. Long-time players of FU
will recognise these as the Body, Mind, Edge and Flaw that are used to describe the
character. Trademarks take these character tags a step further by being more explicit about
exactly what / how / when they might apply. They might also provide an additional
advantage depending on the speci cs of the situation.

Why introduce trademarks?

Trademarks address two key problems that have been identi ed by players of FU. The rst
is the question of how to handle character “concepts” or other broad, over-arching
descriptive traits that could conceivably function as character tags with a greater scope than
regular tags. The second problem trademarks address is one of advancement and balance,
speci cally how to add “skills” or abilities as a character grows in experience, without making
them so powerful that rolling becomes irrelevant.

How trademarks work

A trademark describes an important or noteworthy feature of a character. It might de ne
some important background detail, a physical or mental trait, a liation with a political
group, or some training they have had. Trademarks are broad statements about a speci c
element of their character’s background, personality or capabilities.

Example trademarks
Backgrounds: Dwarf clansman, Nobleman of House Hawkwind, Last Adept of the Star
Guild, Werewolf
Physical / Mental traits: Mighty thewed, PhD in Psychology, Contortionist, Keen senses
A liations: Retired NYC cop, Card-carrying Whovian, Protected by the Assassin’s League,
Devout Catholic
Training / Abilities: Bare-knuckled brawling, Weather Magic, Gun ghter, Silent like the
night

For all intents and purposes, a trademark is a tag. If it is helpful in a situation it will provide a
bonus to the die roll, while if it is a disadvantage it will provide a penalty. Where trademarks
di er from other tags is players must de ne the scope of each. Exactly what does each
trademark allow a character to do? What actions, activities or lucky breaks is the character
likely to take advantage of because they have this particular trademark?

When a player creates a trademark they also write down one or more abilities, actions or
skills associated with it. Each of these is a “sub tag” that we call a meta-tag. Think of each
meta-tag as sitting “under” or “inside” the governing trademark. Meta-tags are a convenient
way for players to understand what the trademark is all about. If a question arises about
whether your trademark applies in a situation, take a quick look at the meta-tags and see.

Example meta-tags
Dwarf clansman: Dark vision, Drinking, Resist the e ects of poison
Mighty thewed: Bend bars, Lift massive things, Intimidate by exing muscles, Carry
heavy loads
Retired NYC cop: Law enforcement, Know my beat, Knows a snitch, Old
Bare-knuckled brawling: Fists of steel, Quick re exes, Low blows, Can take a hit

As well as de ning the scope of the trademark, meta-tags can become “bonus” tags, allowing
the character to specialise in a particular action. At the start of play the meta-tags are purely
a tool to guide decisions, but through the spending of experience points a player might
“unlock” the meta-tags.

An unlocked meta-tag will provide an additional bonus to die rolls in very speci c
situations. If you use a trademark and an unlocked meta-tag is also relevant to the situation,
you receive an additional bonus to the roll. The meta-tag modi er can only be applied if the
trademark is being used in the action. If more than one meta-tag is applicable, each relevant
one may provides a bonus.

Examples of trademarks and meta-tags in action

Dave is playing Drake, a tough private eye with the trademark Bare-knuckled brawling
(Fists of steel, Quick re exes, Low blows and Can take a hit). Quick re exes is the only meta-
tag that has been unlocked. Drake get’s into a disagreement with a thug and uses his sts to
do the talking. When he takes a swing to try knock the thug out he gets a bonus to the
roll for the trademark. When Drake tries to avoid being hit by the thug he once again gets the
bonus for Bare-knuckled brawling and another bonus for his unlocked Quick re exes! Later
in the game a gangster shoots at Drake, and he tries to duck out of the way. Dave asks if he
gets a bonus to dodge because the PI has Quick re exes. Unfortunately, as Drake is not
engaged in a st- ght he can’t take advantage of the meta-tag.

In a swashbuckling adventure game Vicki is playing Constance, a daring rogue with the

trademark Flashy acrobatics (Swing from stu , Tumble out of the way and Impressive
leaps). During a tavern brawl Constance leaps from a balcony to swing from the chandelier
and drop onto the opposite landing. She gets a bonus for doing some Flashy acrobatics,
another bonus for her unlocked Swing from stu , and yet another bonus because the action
required an Impressive leap! Then, Constance runs down the stairs just as another patron
picks up a barrel and hurls it at her. She rolls across the oor to avoid the attack, receiving a
bonus for more Flashy acrobatics, but does not get a bonus for Tumble out of the way as it is
not yet unlocked.

Stacking trademarks and meta-tags

A player may “stack” bonuses from multiple trademarks and/or unlocked meta-tags. So long
as it makes sense for the story / situation there is no reason not to do this. In fact, in many
instances it is the most logical thing to do. If a Dwarf clansman is ghting in the dark (against
someone who doesn’t have dark vision) and also has a relevant ghting trademark (Battle-
axe Master!), both trademarks are totally appropriate. If there are relevant unlocked meta-
tags, the dwarves warrior will also get to add those, too.

Negative trademarks and meta-tags

It is worth noting that trademarks are rarely outright “ aws” in the way that a aw descriptor
is. More often than not trademarks provide distinct advantages for the character. We can,
however, encourage players to look for the drawbacks in their trademarks. When a
trademark causes a situation to be much more di cult (creating a penalty to the die roll) the
player earns a FU point. This is a simple solution that puts the player in control of their
character’s fate (though a game master is encouraged to point out when trademarks might
be a disadvantage).

Notice the example trademark Retired NYC cop has a meta-tag “old”? While their are a
variety of situations where the character’s age might be an advantage, this is also a clear
message to the player and game master about a potential disadvantage.

Why meta-tags?
Meta-tags work as a shorthand so that everyone at the table understands the character
concept and the world in which their story is taking place. When the player with the “Elf
Ranger” writes “Nimble, Excellent vision and Detect secret doors” everyone knows exactly
what kind of elves inhabit your world.

Meta-tags also let a player be more explicit with their character concept while reducing the
risk of “breaking” the game with too many tags that can be applied to every situation – an
unlocked meta-tag can only provide a modi er if the governing trademark is being used. A
Mighty thewed barbarian can only gain a bonus for intimidating an enemy if they are able
to ex their muscles or make some other show of strength.

Are trademarks aspects?

Trademarks do look and act a lot like aspects from Fate, but FU descriptors always have. The
major di erence is that trademarks are always “on” and do not cost points to activate. In this
respect they are far more like skills or feats in other games. Trademarks are also more
structured than aspects, providing a clear scope of a ect. The intention is to provide “ ags”
for when the trademark might be used, while limiting any potential abuse (it’s too strong a
word, but we’ll leave it) by being shoehorned into every situation.

Introducing trademarks into your games of FU

Using trademarks in your games couldn’t be easier. I recommend you replace the traditional
descriptors of Body, Mind, Edge and Flaw with four trademarks. If you are currently playing,
you might instead have the players expand their descriptors with a short list of meta-tags.

If starting new I would not use Body, Mind, Edge and Flaw. My preference would be to
use the four categories described above: Background, Physical and/or Mental trait, A liation
and Ability. If A liation doesn’t work for your game, then both a physical and mental trait
might be appropriate.

To be honest, though, an experienced player could create four trademarks of any kind that
satisfactorily describes their character. This could end up any combination of backgrounds,
traits, a liations and/or abilities.

Players should note 1-4 meta-tags for each trademark they create. Four is more than enough
to begin with and too many meta-tags might make the trademark too broad. Each meta-tag
should clearly evoke a situation or action in which the trademark might be used.

With trademarks and meta-tags de ned, players should share their characters and ask
questions of each other. Clarify what is meant by each trademark and make sure the meta-
tags are e ectively evoking this idea.

In play, as characters develop and grow, they may unlock meta-tags, add new meta-tags or
even add whole new trademarks. The exact process of how this might be done, however, is
best left for its own article.
So, that’s trademarks and meta-tags. What do you think? How
might you use them in your games of FU?
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19 Comments
Tina on June 16, 2016 at 12:29 pm

I can’t wait to try these! A question, though: does the Background trademark
replace the Concept as well? They sound pretty similar. Would it make sense
to have both or should we drop Concept when adopting this new tag system,
at least when using a speci c “Background” trademark tag?

Reply

Nathan on June 16, 2016 at 8:41 pm

Great question! I would not use Concept if using trademarks as they do

cover the same ground. Concept could actually be one of a character’s
trademarks if players agreed, though I personally prefer a few well
chosen descriptors – instead of the concept “Elven prince out for
vengeance” I might instead have Elven Prince (Background), Order of
the Lady’s Hunt (A liation) and Master Archer (Trait), for example. I
would still discuss character concepts at the table and ask players if
their trademarks adequately evoke that idea.

Dammi on June 16, 2016 at 12:30 pm

Love the terminology for this, especially on Trademarks and Meta-Tags. We
did the transition from “descriptors” to “tags” in the Equinox Storygame and
Earthdawn: The Age of Legend, for the same reasons stated.

The concept for trademarks is similar to what we called “Paths” and

“Disciplines” to keep in line with each game world’s terminology, and I really
love seeing this distilled into a broader concept.

In the same vein, a (simple) example for Meta-Tags are Earthdawn’s Skills. It’s
great to see how much more can be done with that concept!

Great stu , great article! :d

Reply

Nathan on June 17, 2016 at 6:35 am

Absolutely, Dammi! There is a lot that can be done working up from

the base FU game. I love the way Equinox and Earthdawn: Age of
Legend provide far more depth to characters. The additional
mechanical “weight” that paths and skills provide give more things for
a player to grab on to, which allows for a greater sense of connection
with the character (IMHO).

Konrad on June 23, 2016 at 6:58 am

Im thinking of using Descriptor, Type & Focus as three of my tag names,

inspired by a certain popular popular recent Game. With Flaw thrown in to
bring it back to four. The sourcebook as a wealth of matierial to mine for tags
and subtags.

Reply

Dave on July 5, 2016 at 3:52 am

Love the extra “crunch”. One question: how many meta-tags do you suggest
start out as “unlocked”?

Reply

Nathan on July 5, 2016 at 6:37 am

 I am a fan of making players “work” for their rewards. I would suggest
they begin with 2 or 3 meta-tags unlocked. They might all be from the
one trademark, or spread across a number of trademarks.

Peter on July 14, 2016 at 9:38 am

Wow. This is almost exactly the same I made as a house rule for character
classes. Except I made a skill-list for the world and the tag was the class, meta
tags were the skills for that class. Just to make the transition to FU from class
and skill based systems easy for the players.

Reply

Nathan on July 14, 2016 at 1:10 pm

I am sure there is something about “great minds” to be said here, Peter!

Tina on July 14, 2016 at 8:17 pm

Some reports from my players from when we tried this system this week:
They found it a bit “fuzzy” – they took a while to nd things (meta tags) to put
under their trademarks, or sometimes went the other way around – rst meta
tags and then trying to t them under one trademark. Background was
especially hard for them to de ne. We played in an established fantasy setting
with elves, half-elves, dwarfs and magicians and they found it a bit restraining
to just put “racial” abilities under there (it clashed with the name “background”
for them, I guess). I told them they could alternatively put things from their
personality and their hometown under there, but that may have been a
mistake.

Later I had to tell them they could only use one meta tag per trademark for a
bonus die, which in this context didn’t quite make sense because their meta
tags didn’t necessarily belong to the same strict category.

Even in your example of “Bare-knuckled brawling”, if they were in a “dialed

out” combat situation, they couldn’t use both Fists of steel AND Quick re exes
to hit (with their steely st) an enemy before he could react (with their quick
re exes) and thus get two bonus dice for the same dialed out roll – or could
they?
I think they would have preferred the earlier 4 descriptors (because it doesn’t
take that long to think of four things), but on the other hand would have felt
even more constrained by de ning their character with just these four.

However, that may be because we played in an existing setting that really uses
di erent, more complex rules, with many (many!) abilities and skills to de ne
and give points to. (It’s the “Dark Eye” setting, which is a lot like the “German
version” of D&D, but with an extensive meta history and loads of cultural
diversity). I’m sure playing in a setting that they don’t know the “real” rules for
would probably do away with this feeling of constraint.

Reply

Nathan on July 15, 2016 at 8:51 am

Thanks for the great feedback, Tina. I think you are right about
trademarks, in that I know some people have trouble coming up with
four descriptors in classic FU, so asking them to come up with 12 – 16
will be almost impossible!

When I create trademarks I ask myself “what cool or amazing thing

does this trademark let me do?” I usually go straight to cliches and
archetypes, then expand from there. I think if all the players are
familiar with a setting, you could leave out the “obvious” stu . For
example, if everyone knows exactly what a dwarf or elf can do (in
terms of background knowledge and/or racial abilities), I would not
worry. Perhaps just noting race on the character sheet would be
enough. However, if we were creating our own setting, or playing in a
setting that not everyone was familiar with, the meta-tags for “dark
vision” and “stone sense” (or whatever) would become more important.

For a quicker start, you might consider just giving characters

trademarks and lling in meta-tags during play. Can my dwarf see in
complete darkness? I don’t know, do you want to make it one of your
meta-tags? Can the magician use his re magic to create a cage? Sure,
note down “pyrotechnic constructs” as a meta-tag!

Another way to think about meta-tags is as “potential specialisations”.

What things do you want this hero to become awesome at? Being a
“Grizzled Gunslinger” is great, but what do want him to one-day excel
at? Quick on the draw? Shoot enemies right between the eyes? These
become my meta-tags. Thinking about meta-tags in this way might also
help with understanding why you don’t necessarily get a bonus dice – I
 can do it, but I am not yet great at it. They indicate the not-obvious
things your character CAN do now, and might become great at down
the track.

Just a quick note, a player could use multiple meta-tags from one
trademark, but each one has to be “unlocked”. Until a meta-tag is
unlocked it cannot give an extra bonus dice. Once it is unlocked you
can use it whenever appropriate, and you can use multiple meta-tags if
they t. This perhaps wasn’t very clear in my description.

Does this help at all?

Nathan on July 15, 2016 at 9:05 am

Actually, just thinking out loud…

You could start with all meta-tags unlocked if that is what a group
prefers.

Alternatively, perhaps begin with only one meta-tag per trademark.

Have it unlocked. Players may spend FU points to add temporary
meta-tags during play (they last for the rest of the session, or however
long is appropriate). Players may then spend XP to make a temporary
meta-tag permanent. All meta-tags count as “unlocked” in this
variation.

Virginian John on October 29, 2016 at 1:34 pm

I like this idea of trademarks and meta-tags a whole lot. I love how meta-tags
can be unlocked with experience. Very nice improvements.

Reply

John Powell on January 24, 2017 at 4:45 pm

Before reading this I came up with my own chargen system for a Space:1889
game I’m about to run, in the form of a template the players ll out. Here’s an
example character. I may rework the template to use trademarks and meta-
tags before our rst session next Sunday.

Name: Miss Alexandra Loveless

I am a (adjective) (species) (profession) beautiful human adventuress

I used to be a (profession or background) mathematician

I am terrible at (skill) lying

Because of the above, I have:

(Gear or trait) sturdy clothes
(Gear or trait) lots of money/credit
(Gear or trait) excellent shooting skill

During our travels I have acquired: (this section is for advancement)

(Gear or trait)
(Gear or trait)
(Gear or trait)

Drive: Prove that women have no limitations relative to men

Relationships
1. Major Thomas is a cordial companion
2. Brannig is not the loyal servant he appears to be
3. Miss Day needs my guidance

Goal
What I want: to see the solar system
What opposes me: typical male attitudes
How far will I go? as far as good conscience will let me

Reply

Nathan on January 30, 2017 at 5:55 pm

That’s a great way to set up a character. I really like the statement

format (I am a…) that reveals information about the character.

Chris Paladino on April 25, 2017 at 3:50 am

Given your recommendation of using 4 Trademarks, Nathan, do you

recommend an additional 5th Tag for Flaw?

Reply

Nathan on April 25, 2017 at 11:38 am

Yes, my current iteration has four good and one bad. It feels right to
me.
 Ran on March 24, 2018 at 7:20 am

Hm. It seems like many metatags would, in essence, give you two bonuses
every time: one for the metatag itself and one for the trademark. For instance,
in your example above, Drake is going to get two bonuses every time he uses
Fists of steel, right? One for Fists of steel and one for the bare-knuckle ghting
trademark.

In fact, if he had all the metatags unlocked, he could use Fists of steel, Quick
re exes, and the trademark bonus and get +3 every round (with another +1 if
he uses Low Blow as well).

Reply

Nathan on March 24, 2018 at 8:02 am

True. There would be circumstances where the character has an

exceptional advantage. The intent was to provide a sca old for
improvement/advancement in a narrow area, as opposed to adding
new descriptors that eventually made the character a “jack of all
trades” in a wide range of skills.
However, unlocking all the meta-tags does not mean all of them will
apply all the time. If Drake was in a brawl and the question was “Do
you dodge the thug’s swing of his baseball bat? Drake would get his
Bare Knuckle Brawling and Quick re exes, but not sts of steel.
You are right, though, it can make a character very powerful – maybe
even too powerful, particularly using the basic “beat the odds” roll.

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