Playing (or working up to playing) the Mouse Guard RPG

Which was our Saturday afternoon / evening, along with dinner and thankful-lack-of-fireworks at Doyce and Kate’s.

I’d read through the rules some time back, and I’ve read (and since reread) the “Fall” graphic novel, so I had some idea of what I was coming into. I’d been thinking of running this as something for Margie and Katherine and I on game nights, and still might, but I’m grateful for Doyce working us through the character generation and some introductory conflicts.

The chargen was a bit messy, due to cooking, Kaylee-care, and Doyce bringing in some supplementary chargen materials and processes to expand on what the book does. That’s fine, though, as it did all give us a chance to delve into the MG setting and character building.

MG the setting, by David Peterson, has intelligent mice who serve as combination Rangers (Texas or Numinorean) and Highway Patrol, protecting trade and travel between the various towns and cities of the Territories, assisting disaster victims, finding and dealing with predators (both animal intelligence and the much more lethal and equally well-armed weasels), and so forth. The loose governance of the Territories, the dedication of the Guard, and the threats that occur to very small creatures in a very big, wild world, are all part of the adventure.

MG the game is based on the Burning Wheel system, but (I am told from various sources) much simplified and refined. Appropriate skills/traits are acquired initially by life experiences (home town, parents, apprenticeships, mentors in the guard, and time in rank). Once play is underway (characters can begin at any experience level), skills are increased only by use — specifically only by both succeeding and failing a certain number of times in using them.

The game also has a few other interesting mechanics, such as Nature (which can be used on its own to as a substitute for other abilities — but which runs the risk, if used for non-mousey activities, like fighting, of being impaired) and Beliefs and Instincts (mottos and phrases which drive how your character behaves — and are of benefit when followed and detriment when not).

We didn’t have much of a chance to get into the game beyond chargen and a few sample conflicts. Combat (etc.) seems to be at a tactically abstracted level — basic activities chosen by both sides, assists provided, the results dictating the skills / traits to be rolled, and the results narrated out. The conflict’s conclusion means that the desired stakes go through, though compromise between winners and losers is possible.

There wasn’t enough play to give me a great sense of how it will go, but enough to make me want to play more! 

UPDATE: Doyce has posted on the episode.