Download - Mouse Tails Rodent Playing Game
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MOUSEMOUSEMOUSEMOUSE
TAILSTAILSTAILSTAILS Rodent Playing GameRodent Playing GameRodent Playing GameRodent Playing Game
By David BezioBy David BezioBy David BezioBy David Bezio Illustrated with royalty free clip art
David Bezio 2013, Creative Commons
BY-NC-SA Some Rights Reserved
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Introduction
Mouse Tails is a role playing game designed for 1
mice master (MM) and any number of mouse
characters (MC). It is written for a parent who
wishes to introduce his young children to the
joys of role playing games. This book assumes
that the dear reader is already familiar with the
ins and outs of role playing games. I wont waste
a lot of time on the what is and how to and
simply give you the information you need to
know to play, run, and enjoy Mouse Tails.
The Mouses Guide contains all the information a
players needs to know to quickly create their
mouse character and play the game. The Mice
Master section has all the information that the
MM needs to referee and run the game.
Equipment to PlayEquipment to PlayEquipment to PlayEquipment to Play
The Mouse Tails book contains all the rules you
need to play the game; however, you will need a
few additional items. Each MC and the MM will
need 1 six sided die (referred to as D6 from now
on), a pencil, and some note paper. Colored
pencils or crayons will be nice for MC creation.
In addition, each MC will need a character sheet
with which to create and record their character.
A blank character sheet can be found on the last
page of the rules
The Core MechanicThe Core MechanicThe Core MechanicThe Core Mechanic
Mouse Tails uses a single D6 for all die rolls in
the game. This game is designed around the
philosophy that the MC is pro-active. In other
words the MC is the one rolling the dice to do
things, or avoid things happening to them.
When the MC rolls a D6 they will be attempting
an ability roll. Ability rolls must equal or exceed
the rank of the ability being tested. Rolling high
is always good as a roll of 1 is always a failure and
a roll of 6 is always a success. Its as simple as
that.
The MM rarely rolls a die other than the
occasional random roll or to determine any
damage an NPC has suffered.
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Mouses Guide
You are a sentient mouse living in our own real
present day world. A sentient mouse is a mouse
who thinks with human-like intelligence. Well,
you think like a human thinks a mouse would
think anyway. But beyond that, you are still
simply a normal mouse. Not a cartoon or
humanoid mouse who wears clothes and drives a
car, just a real every day little mouse. You can
use and manipulate items around you to your
advantage (if you can come up with ways to do
so) but, you dont carry around a bag of tools and
you certainly dont wield a sword.
YouYouYouYour Mouse Characterr Mouse Characterr Mouse Characterr Mouse Character
If you arent the MM you are going to need to
create a MC to play the game. Fortunately this is
as easy as pie and should only take 5 or 10
minutes. Just follow the steps below.
Get a Character SheetGet a Character SheetGet a Character SheetGet a Character Sheet
Before you get started get a copy of the character
sheet on the last page of the rule book. The
character sheet has a mouse picture on it that
you can color. If you like you can make your
own character sheet and draw your own mouse
to color.
Think About Your MCThink About Your MCThink About Your MCThink About Your MC
Before writing anything down on the character
sheet take a few moments to think about the type
of MC you think would be fun to play. What
personality or physical traits will he portray?
Will he be abnormally brave or will he be
cowardly beyond caution? Will he be smart,
slow, have a sense of humor even in the darkest
of times? Perhaps he will be withdrawn or self
absorbed? Is he small, large, fat, or scrawny?
What color is he, brown, black, grey, spotted, or
albino? Take these ideas and write a few lines in
the Description portion of the character sheet.
For ExampleFor ExampleFor ExampleFor Example
I have an idea for a mouse named Frit. Frit is
one of those mice that is reckless, and doesnt
worry about trouble until it is breathing right
down his neck. He is crafty and quick, but not
outstanding in any other way. In fact, he is
rather small and fragile.
Name Your MCName Your MCName Your MCName Your MC
Next you should name your MC. Mice only have
one name, and its usually short and sweet. One
syllable names are common, like Fuzz, Bit, Snick,
Bub, Pec, or Tweek. Still, try to come up with a
name you like that expresses the personality of
your mouse, or at least sounds cool to you.
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AbilitiesAbilitiesAbilitiesAbilities Abilities are broad categories that cover all the
things your MC will do in the game. How good
or bad you are at these things will affect how
successful you are when you attempt them, and
will ultimately affect the entire story.
Each MC has 5 abilities, they are: Muscle,
Outwit, Unnoticed, Skitter, and Energy. These
abilities cover a lot of ground, and while some of
the abilities names may be a bit of a
stretchthey spell M.O.U.S.E., and thats cool in
anyones book!
Muscle:Muscle:Muscle:Muscle: Muscle covers all fighting and
physical strength challenges the MC will face.
Outwit:Outwit:Outwit:Outwit: Outwit covers all thinking,
alertness, and perception problems the MC is
confronted with.
Unnoticed:Unnoticed:Unnoticed:Unnoticed: Unnoticed covers all sneaking,
hiding, and stealthy things an MC attempts to
do.
Skitter:Skitter:Skitter:Skitter: Skitter covers all athletic, acrobatic,
or reaction speed challenges the MC must
accomplish.
EnerEnerEnerEnergy:gy:gy:gy: Energy is the stamina, health, and
willpower of the MC.
Ability RanksAbility RanksAbility RanksAbility Ranks
You need to assign a rank to each of these
abilities. The higher the rank (or the lower the
number), the better and more experienced your
mouse is in that area.
There are 5 ranks, each with its own D6 target
number listed, they are: Pinkie, Fuzzy, Crawler,
Hopper, and Adult.
Pinkie (6+):Pinkie (6+):Pinkie (6+):Pinkie (6+): Pinkies are helpless newborn
mice without any fur. Needless to say, if you
are pinkie rank in an ability, you arent very
good at it.
Fuzzy (5+): Fuzzy (5+): Fuzzy (5+): Fuzzy (5+): Fuzzies are just getting their fur,
but are still fairly helpless. Youre not as
pathetic as a Pinkie, but still not very good.
Crawler (4+): Crawler (4+): Crawler (4+): Crawler (4+): Crawlers are still young, but
moving around and gaining experience. You
are learning things but still have a long way to
go.
Hopper (3+):Hopper (3+):Hopper (3+):Hopper (3+): Hoppers are young mice. They
have some real experience. Hoppers are
competent, but not yet great.
Adult (2+):Adult (2+):Adult (2+):Adult (2+): Adults are fully matured mice
that have been surviving in the cruel world
for a while. If you are adult rank in an ability
you are pretty darn proficient at it.
Now that you know what the abilities are and
how they are ranked, you can actually go about
ranking your own MCs abilities. Assign one rank
to each of the abilities. You may only use each
rank one time, so choose your strengths and
weaknesses wisely to portray the type of MC you
want to play.
For ExampleFor ExampleFor ExampleFor Example
In following our vision of Frit, we assign his
abilities in the following way:
Muscle:Muscle:Muscle:Muscle: 6+ Pinkie
Outwit:Outwit:Outwit:Outwit: 2+ Adult
Unnoticed:Unnoticed:Unnoticed:Unnoticed: 4+ Crawler
Skitter:Skitter:Skitter:Skitter: 3+ Hopper
Energy:Energy:Energy:Energy: 5+ Fuzzy
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LuckLuckLuckLuck
Under abilities you will see boxes labeled luck.
Each and every MC has 5 luck to use per game
session (which should about 2 hours of real time
spent playing the game).
Luck is a mouses single most important resource!
You can use each of your points of luck to
automatically succeed at an ability roll (even if
you already rolled and failed).
Color Your MouseColor Your MouseColor Your MouseColor Your Mouse
Finally, the moment you have been waiting for!
Now that your MC is almost complete you can
finish the final stepcolor your mouse. Using
colored pencils or crayons, color the mouse on
the character sheet to fit the description you
wrote down.
Your mouse character is now ready to play.
Heres mine!
FRITFRITFRITFRIT MMMM OOOO UUUU SSSS EEEE 6+ 2+ 4+ 3+ 5+
Luck: Luck: Luck: Luck:
Doing StuffDoing StuffDoing StuffDoing Stuff
Most of the time, when role playing, you are
simply going to tell the MM what your MC is
doing and he will tell you the results. Sometimes
things wont happen the way you hoped, and the
MM will tell you why. Together you will build
the majority of the story this way without ever
rolling any dice.
Sometimes, however, there is a real question as
to weather a MC can accomplish a task, and what
failure or success will mean to the story. When
this is the case you roll a die to determine success
or failure, and go from there.
Ability RollsAbility RollsAbility RollsAbility Rolls
Whenever a MC tries to do something, or tries to
avoid something happening to him, the MM may
ask for the player to make an ability roll. The
MM will choose the ability that is most
appropriate for the task at hand, and the player
will roll a D6. If the roll is equal to, or greater,
than the number indicated by the abilities rank,
the action is a success. A roll of 1 is always a
failure while a roll of 6 is always a success. The
MM will narrate the results and affects of failures
or successes.
For ExampleFor ExampleFor ExampleFor Example
Frit is trapped on the kitchen table by a house
cat. If Frit can jump from the table to the
counter by the sink he can chew a hole through
the screen of the open window and escape. Its a
long jump and the MM feels that that Frit is
going to have to make an ability roll to succeed
since success or failure will have dramatic story
repercussions. The MM decides the ability that
this action tests is skitter, so he asks the player to
make a skitter ability roll. Frits skitter ability is
ranked at hopper (3+), so he rolls a D6 and must
get a 3 or better. Frits player rolls the D6 and
gets a 3, a success! Frit successfully makes the
dramatic leap from the table to the counter. If
Frit had failed, he would have plummeted to the
floor, possibly getting injured, and be forced to
face one hungry cat.
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Reactive Ability RollsReactive Ability RollsReactive Ability RollsReactive Ability Rolls
Sometimes the roll the MC will be making will
be a reaction to something that is happening to
him, or something an NPC is trying to do to him.
This is handled the exact same way as any ability
roll.
For ExampleFor ExampleFor ExampleFor Example
Frit has just gorged himself out of the Cats dish
and is feeling pretty content. Unfortunately, the
cat is on his way into the room at the moment
and sees the mouse there. The MM asks Frit to
make an outwit ability roll to notice the cat. Frit
fails the roll so the cat sneaks closer before Frit
can do anything. Then the cat pounces on poor
Frit. The MM asks Frit to make a skitter ability
roll to avoid the pouncing cat. If he makes this
roll, he doges out of the way at the last instant, if
not the cat has him and he might possibly be
hurt.
Opposed Ability RollsOpposed Ability RollsOpposed Ability RollsOpposed Ability Rolls
Opposed rolls are called for only when a MC
wants to do something and that action is directly
opposed by another MC. In this case, both MC
make the appropriate ability roll. If one succeeds
and the other doesnt, the successful mouse wins!
If both succeed or both fail the roll, then the one
with the higher ranked ability wins. If both
abilities are the same it is a tie or stalematefor
now. The struggle may possibly continue until
there is a distinct winner.
For ExampleFor ExampleFor ExampleFor Example
Frit sees a nice chunk of cheese just sitting there
and plans to take a bite. He is about to do so
when his friend Sophie notices what he is doing.
Sophie has seen a mouse trap before and tries to
quickly grab Frit. Frit thinks Sophie is trying to
get the cheese for herself and tries to grab it and
stuff it in his mouth before she can grab him.
What Sophie is trying to do is more of an
attack type action that requires physical
strength, so she makes a muscle ability roll. Frit
is doing something that requires quickness, so he
makes a skitter ability roll. How the story
proceeds will depend on who wins the roll.
Getting HurtGetting HurtGetting HurtGetting Hurt
The most severe consequence of failing an ability
roll is the possibility of getting hurt (or maybe
even killed). Whenever you fail a roll that the
MM determines would cause your MC some sort
of injury, you must immediately make an energy
ability roll. If you make the roll you manage to
shake off any injury. If you fail the roll you are
hurt, maybe even enough to get killed.
If a MC fails his energy ability roll to determine
damage, roll a D6 and consults the Getting Hurt
Table below to determine what the effects of the
damage are (this is the one time a MC wants to
roll low).
Getting Hurt TableGetting Hurt TableGetting Hurt TableGetting Hurt Table
D6 RollD6 RollD6 RollD6 Roll ResultResultResultResult
1-4 Incapacitated
5-6 Killed
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IncapacitatedIncapacitatedIncapacitatedIncapacitated The MC is hurt badly or unconscious. The
mouse can not do anything for the rest of the
scene or encounter except roll around in pain or
lay unconscious.
KilledKilledKilledKilled Sadly, the MC is led by the Great White Mouse
into the Realm of Cheese. The player must
create a new MC and the MM must think of a
way to incorporate the new character into the
story.
For ExampleFor ExampleFor ExampleFor Example
Lets go back and say Frit wasnt so lucky in that
leap before. Maybe he rolled a 2 on the D6,
failing the ability roll and plummeted to the
ground. The MM determines that the fall to the
floor is going to cause poor Frit some damage.
Frit must immediately make an energy ability
roll. If Frit succeeds at the roll he is a little hurt,
but shakes it off and can immediately start doing
other things. If he fails the roll he must roll on
the Getting Hurt Table. Well say Frit fails the
energy ability roll and subsequently gets a 3 on
the Getting Hurt Table indicating he is
incapacitated. The MM describes the scene, Frit
falls to the floor with a thud! He is knocked
unconscious and the cat begins to stalk the
helpless mouse. You better hope your friend
Sophie gets here soon!
InitiativeInitiativeInitiativeInitiative
Sometimes there is going to be a question as to
who gets to do something first. This is most
commonly a factor when there is going to be a
confrontation, contest, or fight of some sort.
Most of the time the MM will simply say who
goes first based on the situation and common
sense. If it is not easily apparent, the MM and
each MC should roll a D6. The highest roll goes
first, working your way down to the lowest roll.
If there are more than 1 NPC involved in the
scene, all of the Mice Masters NPCs act on the
same initiative roll.
For ExampleFor ExampleFor ExampleFor Example
Frit dives into the garbage can and falls plop on
Dung, the rat! Dung is mad and wants to scratch
at Frit, but Frit wants to run away. Frit and the
MM roll a D6 for initiative since we dont really
know who should get to go first. Dung gets a 4
and Frit gets a 3. Dung gets to go first.
FightingFightingFightingFighting
Most of the opponents of a mouse are much
larger and tougher than them. A MC spends
most of his time trying to simply skitter as far
away as possible from these foes. Still, sometimes
a mouse has to stand up and fight. Fighting is
nothing more than a series of skitter and muscle
ability rolls. Skitter ability rolls to avoid being
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hit, bit, or clawed, and muscle ability rolls to hit,
bite, or claw your opponent right back!
Hurting & Getting HurtHurting & Getting HurtHurting & Getting HurtHurting & Getting Hurt in a Fight in a Fight in a Fight in a Fight
When a MC gets hit, he might get hurt just like
with any failed ability roll that might cause
damage (first he makes an energy ability roll,
then, if applicable, he rolls on the Get Hurt
Table).
If a MC succeeds in attacking an opponent, he
automatically hurts his opponent and the MM
must make a roll on their Get Hurt Table. Each
friend or enemy of a mouse has its own Get Hurt
Table to roll on when it is hurt by a mouse (this
is detailed in the Mice Master section of the
rules).
For ExampleFor ExampleFor ExampleFor Example
Frit has just landed on top of the rat, Dung, in
the garbage can and they rolled for initiative.
Dung gets to go first and he takes a bite at Frit.
Frit rolls his skitter to avoid the bite and
successfully makes it. Frit is mad at Dung now,
and when he gets his turn he takes a bite at
Dung, rolling a muscle ability roll. His roll is a
success, so he automatically hurts Dung! The
MM rolls on the Get Hurt Table for rats, getting
a result of 1. Unfortunately for Frit, Dung is only
scratched and the fight continues.
These are all the rules a player of a mouse These are all the rules a player of a mouse These are all the rules a player of a mouse These are all the rules a player of a mouse
character needs to kncharacter needs to kncharacter needs to kncharacter needs to know. The rest of the Mouseow. The rest of the Mouseow. The rest of the Mouseow. The rest of the Mouse
Guide is for the Mice Master. Guide is for the Mice Master. Guide is for the Mice Master. Guide is for the Mice Master.
Mice MasterMice MasterMice MasterMice Master
Your Job as Mice MasterYour Job as Mice MasterYour Job as Mice MasterYour Job as Mice Master
The mice master is responsible for controlling
the flow and action, keeping the game from
turning into unorganized chaos while remaining
fair and impartial to all mice.
The most important aspect of being the MM is
the ability to tell a good story and present the
adventure to the players. The MM has to take
what the players decide to do and narrate how it
affects the story. This often involves a lot of
improvisation as players will often do the
unexpected.
The MM must also take on the roles of all the
adventures NPCs. This involves being able to
act differently for each to portray the various
personalities and motivations they posses and
being able to react to what the mice characters
might say or do to them. Getting into the role of
NPCs during the game session can be one of the
most enjoyable parts of being a MM. Dont be
afraid to ham it up. Use different voices, make
lots of facial expressions, yell, whisper, snarl,
caw, or meow if that is what the NPC is doing.
Finally, it is the job of the MM to entertain and
amaze his players. While the MCs are the stars
of the show, the referee is the director!
You are center stage and the players are counting
on you to make each and every game session fun
and memorable. Keep the energy level high,
know the rules, make the NPCs come alive, have
fun, and above all make sure the players all stay
involved, excited, and entertained.
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When to Ask for an ARWhen to Ask for an ARWhen to Ask for an ARWhen to Ask for an AR
A MM should be careful to only call for an
ability roll when it is important. Calling for one
every time a mouse tries to do some mundane
task will not only slow the game, but it will
become dull for everyone. This will also ruin the
drama when the players roll the dice for
something that is really important. Die rolls
should be called for when the outcome is going
to have game or story effects or is suitably
challenging.
Secret RollsSecret RollsSecret RollsSecret Rolls Occasionally, the MM will roll in secret for a MC.
There are times when even a failed roll would
give the player knowledge he wouldnt otherwise
have. Its sometimes better for the MM to make
the roll in secret, and only mention it on a
successful result.
For ExampleFor ExampleFor ExampleFor Example
The MM asks Frits player to make an outwit
ability roll to notice the hunting owl, and the
player fails, Frit doesnt see anything out of the
ordinary. But the player now knows that there is
something that Frit didnt notice.
Choosing Abilities for ARsChoosing Abilities for ARsChoosing Abilities for ARsChoosing Abilities for ARs
Besides actually determining when to call for an
ability roll, the most important job of the MM is
determining what ability is going to be used for
said roll.
Fortunately for you, the choice is almost always
going to be obvious if you use a little common
sense. To the right are some example actions
listed under the ability that you would most
likely use to resolve them. Use these examples as
a guideline when playing the game.
MuscleMuscleMuscleMuscle Fighting with tooth and claw
Struggling to escape a sticky trap
Trying to break through some thick
brambles
Attempting to roll an apple
A tug of war for a choice piece of food
OutwitOutwitOutwitOutwit Convincing a rat that you belong in his
sewer
Figuring out what a light switch does
Noticing the Hawk circling in the sky
Understanding why the human has placed
those tasty pellets under the sink
UnnoticedUnnoticedUnnoticedUnnoticed Sneaking past a dog sleeping on a porch
Pulling a key from a humans jacket pocket
without then feeling it
Hiding under a tea cup while a cat looks for
you
Quietly chewing through the box the owl
has imprisoned you in.
SkitterSkitterSkitterSkitter Avoiding being snatched by a predator
Dodge out of the way of an attack
Leaping across the kitchen sink
Climbing up the TV cord to the
entertainment center
Outrun a rat to the small opening in the
wall
EnergyEnergyEnergyEnergy Surviving after ingesting those tasty pellets
that you found under the sink
Holding your breath long enough to get out
of the cars Tailpipe
Running all night to get to the field before
the farmer starts plowing
Swimming across a river
Enduring pain and avoiding damage
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Working TogetherWorking TogetherWorking TogetherWorking Together
Sometimes two or more mice will be able to
work on a task together to make it easier. If the
MM decides this is possible he should then
determine if the task is automatically successful
with the additional help, or if the MC with the
highest ranked ability gets a +1 bonus to the D6
roll for each additional mouse helping with the
task (remember, a 1 is always a failure as usual).
Narrating ResultsNarrating ResultsNarrating ResultsNarrating Results
Rolling dice is fine and dandy, but it only tells
you if the result is a success or a failure. You, as
MM, are the primary story teller. It is up to you
to describe just what happens and how it
happens.
For ExFor ExFor ExFor Exampleampleampleample
Frit was asked to make an outwit attribute roll to
notice the hunting owl above. The player has
rolled successfully. As GM, you could simply
say, OK, you made it, there is an owl flying
above but, thats pretty dull.
With very little extra effort you could (and
should) say something more like, As you creep
along the forest floor a shadow falls over you and
you feel a chill creep up your tail. You look up
to see a terrifying owl flying above. His eyes are
scanning the wood with cold precision. You can
tell hes huntingprobably for you!
The Random RollThe Random RollThe Random RollThe Random Roll
At times the MM will be at odds how to proceed
with a MCs request or action. This answer may
or may not have story impact. In this case, the
MM should feel free to fall back on a simple
mechanic for making decisions. This mechanic is
simply the random roll. The random roll is
nothing more than rolling a D6 with a 1-3
indicating NO and a 4-5 indicating a YES.
For ExampleFor ExampleFor ExampleFor Example
Frit is in the refrigerator after gorging on some
cheese. He knows that he is going to have to
distract that darn cat to get out of the kitchen
without a fight. He attempts an outwit AR to see
if he knows of anything in the fridge that cats
really like. He makes the roll and knows that
cats love milk! Is there milk in the refrigerator?
Thats a good question. The MM decides to make
a random roll and gets a 4, indicating YES, there
is a gallon of milk in the refrigerator. Now, can
Frit succeed at the Muscle attribute roll needed
to tip it over onto the floor?
Mouse Tails SessionsMouse Tails SessionsMouse Tails SessionsMouse Tails Sessions
The Mouse Tails are played in sessions. Each
session is a story (or part of a story) that is
designed to be fit into around 2 hour of playing
time.
Feel free to play game sessions that last longer.
The standard 2 hour session is designed for a
parent playing with his childrenand we all
know how kids can get after sitting still for a
couple hours!
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Example of PlayExample of PlayExample of PlayExample of Play
I could blab until my whiskers pop out but, in
the end, the rules you will have to apply are very
simple. They do require a bit of common sense,
consideration, and improvising on the part of the
MM though. This example of play will go a long
way to showing how the rules are implemented
during a game session. You probably wont be
rolling dice this frequently during actual play,
but its a good way to show how the game
mechanics work.
Dave (the MM), has assembled his wife Noelle
(playing Sophie, a tough field mouse) and his son
Bennie (playing Frit). The mice have entered a
restaurant at night and are feasting on the scraps
of vegetables left on the table when they are
confronted by two scruffy looking grey mice.
Dave:Dave:Dave:Dave: The largest of the grey mice looks
menacingly at you and squeaks, Hey, thats our
grub!
Noelle:Noelle:Noelle:Noelle: We havent eaten all day, Im not in the
mood for this. Sophie says, Finders keepers,
and keeps right on eating.
BennieBennieBennieBennie:::: I really dont want a fight. Im going to
say, Hey, theres plenty for everyone, lets be
friends. We have enough enemies already,
especially with the cats in the ally on the
warpath.
Dave:Dave:Dave:Dave: The grey mice are both as large as you,
Sophie, so they arent really intimidated but,
when Frit speaks, you can tell that something is
bothering them. Bennie, give me an outwit
ability roll.
BennieBennieBennieBennie:::: OK (rolls a D6) I got a 3, and my outwit
is at adult rank (2+), so I make it no problem.
Dave:Dave:Dave:Dave: Alright, the two mice look at each other
as if considering something, then thy look back
at Frit and say, Your right, there is plenty for
everyone, and more every day. They give
Sophie a dirty look and starting nibbling at the
scraps of potatoes.
Noelle:Noelle:Noelle:Noelle: Hey, wasnt that chipmunk under the
porch going on and on about how much he loved
carrots? Im going to dig in the pile and see if
there is a carrot chunk in here. Maybe if we
bring it out to him hell have more to tell us
about why he fears the shed out back.
Dave:Dave:Dave:Dave: (Dave hasnt really determined exactly
what vegetables are in the pile. He could simply
decide on the spot, but he decides to leave it to
chance and makes a random roll. He gets a 4,
which indicates YES) Sure, Sophie, there is a half
a dirty carrot in the pile.
Noelle:Noelle:Noelle:Noelle: Half! Thats huge! Im going to bring
him the whole thing, his eyes will bug out.
Dave:Dave:Dave:Dave: Its bigger than you; Im going to need you
to make a muscle ability roll to drag it off the
table.
BennieBennieBennieBennie:::: What if I help?
Dave:Dave:Dave:Dave: OK, if both of you push it wont be a
problem. You roll it off the table and it lands
with a clunk on the floor. The two grey mice
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jump at the sound and dash off the table and
through a crack in one of the floor boards.
(Dave knows the manager has been working on
bills in the office, and the carrot hitting the floor
is a loud enough noise to attract his attention.
The nervous manager will cautiously enter the
kitchen and, seeing the mice on the table, will
grab a broom and try to smack them).
BennieBennieBennieBennie:::: Geez, whats their problem? Lets fill up
on these vegetables before we roll the carrot
outside, Sophie.
Dave:Dave:Dave:Dave: OK, both of you give me an outwit ability
roll. (Both players roll a D6. Sophie gets a 4
which is a success but, Bennie rolls a 1, an
automatic failure). Sophie, suddenly you notice a
huge human right behind you! His eyes are
staring evilly at you and his teeth are gritted and
he has just lifted a broom high in the air! Frit,
you are looking at the carrot spinning on the
floor and giggling. Sophie, you have one chance
to do something.
BennieBennieBennieBennie:::: Great!
Noelle:Noelle:Noelle:Noelle: Um, I squeak out a warning to Frit and
push him out of the way!
Dave:Dave:Dave:Dave: Well, that was awful nice of you. Frit,
you hear Sophie yell a warning and she gives you
a pushunfortunately you are standing on the
edge of the table! Give me a skitter ability roll.
BennieBennieBennieBennie:::: Thanks for the rescue Sophie. (Bennie
rolls a D6 and gets a 2) Arg! I failed, I only got a
2!
Dave:Dave:Dave:Dave: Sorry Bennie, Frit tumbles off the table
landing with a plot. Please give me an energy
ability roll to see if you are hurt.
BennieBennieBennieBennie:::: (Bennie rolls a D6 and gets a 2) Oh no,
another 2, its just not my day! I really dont
want to get hurt right now, so Im going to spend
a luck point to automatically succeed at the
energy roll I just took.
Dave:Dave:Dave:Dave: OK, cross off 1 luck box. Frit hits the
floor on all fours and ready to go.
Both of you roll a D6 for initiative so we know
who gets to go first, then well finish the scene
(Dave rolls a D6 for the human manager and gets
a 3. Bennie and Noelle each roll a D6. Frit gets a
5, and Sophie gets a 2. The initiative order is
Frit, the human, then Sophie).
BennieBennieBennieBennie:::: Frit yells, Run for it, and heads for
that crack the other mice ran into.
Dave:Dave:Dave:Dave: Since the human is pretty intent on
Sophie, you can make it to the crack with no
problem. You look back just in time to see the
broom coming down! Sophie, give me a skitter
ability roll to see if you get out of the way.
Noelle:Noelle:Noelle:Noelle: Ugh, I got a 3. Too bad Im only a pinkie
when it comes to skittering.
Dave:Dave:Dave:Dave: Smack! You get squashed by the broom!
That hurts, give me an energy ability roll to see
how bad.
Noelle:Noelle:Noelle:Noelle: (Fortunately Sophie has an energy at
hopper rank, so she only needs a 3+.
Unfortunately she rolls a 2) Ouch! I didnt make
it and Im all out of luck points.
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Dave:Dave:Dave:Dave: Thats too bad. Give me a roll on the
Getting Hurt Table please. (Noelle rolls and gets
a 3, which indicates that she is incapacitated)
You are really hurt bad. Everything gets blurry
and then goes dark. Bennie, you see Sophie get
smacked with the broom and then just lay still
on the table. The human manager looks satisfied
as he pokes her a little with the broom handle.
Then he looks in your direction.
BennieBennieBennieBennie:::: Im going to get into the crack fast!
Dave:Dave:Dave:Dave: You try, but the two grey mice are biting
and pushing you out. Youll have to make a
skitter ability roll to avoid getting bit, and then a
muscle ability roll to fight your way in the crack.
BennieBennieBennieBennie:::: (Rolls the D6 twice) Well, I made the
skitter roll, so I didnt get bit, but I fail the
muscle roll.
Dave:Dave:Dave:Dave: The grey mice push you out and then
wedge a wad of newspaper into the crack. The
human is creeping toward you with the broom
raised.
Noelle:Noelle:Noelle:Noelle: Um, Frit, remember your friend Sophie?
How about a little rescue action?
Dave:Dave:Dave:Dave: Hey you, youre unconscious! For all Frit
knows your dead.
BennieBennieBennieBennie:::: Well, she might still be alive. Im going
to try and lure the human away and give her
time to revive and hide. Im going to take off as
fast as I can, dodging and weaving to avoid the
broom, and then Im going to try and lose the
human.
Dave:Dave:Dave:Dave: Alright, first Im going to need a skitter
ability roll followed by an outwit ability roll and
then an unnoticed ability roll. Lets see what
happens.
And there you have it. That is just a few minutes
of play, but you can see how the game mechanics
work. You can also see how the MM uses the
results of character actions and die rolls to
narrate and direct the story.
Friends & EnemiesFriends & EnemiesFriends & EnemiesFriends & Enemies
Mice live in their own little world and society
quit apart from humans most of the time. Being
so small, they are often unnoticed by humans
and other animals (especially big ones). Still,
they are not alone and here we will cover some
animals that are friendly to mice, and some that
are predators of mice.
Bats (Friends)Bats (Friends)Bats (Friends)Bats (Friends) Bats are aloof creatures who often talk in riddles.
They think they are better than all grounded
creatures, but arent malicious toward them.
Birds of Prey (Enemies)Birds of Prey (Enemies)Birds of Prey (Enemies)Birds of Prey (Enemies) Birds of prey eat mice. They usually swoop out
of nowhere, snatch a mouse, and fly away with
them. Sometimes they kill and eat them right
away while sometimes they store them for later.
They usually only speak one or two words which
they repeat over and over again.
Cats (Enemies)Cats (Enemies)Cats (Enemies)Cats (Enemies) Cats are the arch enemies of mice, representing
the ultimate evil! Cats love chasing, killing, and
eating mice. They generally stalk their prey,
then pounce on it or play with it before killing it.
Cats speak the language of mice, but only so they
can taunt and torture them, not to discuss the
weather.
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Chipmunks (Friends)Chipmunks (Friends)Chipmunks (Friends)Chipmunks (Friends) Chipmunks are probably the closest friends of
mice, often inviting them into their homes and
helping them when they can. They are fairly sill,
hyper, and a bit dimwitted.
Foxes (Enemies)Foxes (Enemies)Foxes (Enemies)Foxes (Enemies) Foxes are savage killers of mice. They are very
stealthy and snatch, kill, and consume their prey
with evil relish. With blood on their fur, they
quickly look for more mice to consume.
Humans (Enemies)Humans (Enemies)Humans (Enemies)Humans (Enemies) Humans are completely weird and no one is like
another. Some humans will quickly attack a
mouse while others will actually appear afraid of
them. Humans do horde the most food, and they
leave tons of it just laying around for the taking.
Humans also live in homes with lots of extra
living space for mice. As dangerous as humans
are you can almost always find mice living close
by.
Rabbits (Friends)Rabbits (Friends)Rabbits (Friends)Rabbits (Friends) Rabbits are friendly toward mice, even though
they dont actually speak the same language,
communicating in broken phrases and words.
On occasion, Rabbits will give mice rides on
their backs.
Rats (Enemies)Rats (Enemies)Rats (Enemies)Rats (Enemies) Only slightly less feared than cats are rats! What
makes rats so terrible is the fact that they are so
similar to mice in appearance, but so dissimilar in
the way they act. Rats are cruel and disgusting.
They kill for pleasure and will eat mice, or even
other rats. They tend to live together in loveless
packs that spend as much time bickering and
fighting as they do spreading disease, and
hunting mice for food, slaves, or cruel torturous
entertainment.
Squirrels (Friends)Squirrels (Friends)Squirrels (Friends)Squirrels (Friends) Squirrels are silly, nervous, and unpredictable.
They are fairly friendly toward mice most of the
time, but are moody and easily offended.
Snakes (Enemies)Snakes (Enemies)Snakes (Enemies)Snakes (Enemies) Snakes are living nightmares who swallow mice
whole! They are charismatic, mysterious, vain,
and ultimately untrustworthy. They enjoy
tricking and deceiving mice for their own evil
ends.
Freinds & Enemies GFreinds & Enemies GFreinds & Enemies GFreinds & Enemies Get et et et HHHHurt urt urt urt TTTTablablablableeee
Each of the allies and enemies of the mice has
their own Get Hurt Table. The MM will roll on
the tables whenever one of these NPCs gets hurt.
Youll note that a mouse rarely kills these larger
opponents, even when an attack hits its mark.
Grazed:Grazed:Grazed:Grazed: The opponent is merely scratched
and suffers no ill effects other than
annoyance.
Surprised:Surprised:Surprised:Surprised: The opponent is surprised and
can do nothing the next turn, while the MCs
can still act to attack again or take some other
action.
Frightened:Frightened:Frightened:Frightened: The opponent is shocked by the
attack, and just wants to get away from the
mouse (although they may come back later).
Incapacitated:Incapacitated:Incapacitated:Incapacitated: Same as the incapacitated
result on the MCs Get Hurt Table.
Killed:Killed:Killed:Killed: Identical to the killed result on the
MCs Get Hurt Table.
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Enemies & Friends Getting Hurt TableEnemies & Friends Getting Hurt TableEnemies & Friends Getting Hurt TableEnemies & Friends Getting Hurt Table
D6 RollD6 RollD6 RollD6 Roll
1111 2222 3333 4444 5555 6666
BatBatBatBat G F F K K K
BirdBirdBirdBird G G S F F I
CatCatCatCat G G S S F F
ChipmunkChipmunkChipmunkChipmunk G F I K K K
FoxFoxFoxFox G G G S F F
HumanHumanHumanHuman G G G S S F
MouseMouseMouseMouse G S I I K K
RabbitRabbitRabbitRabbit G G S F F I
RatRatRatRat G S F I I K
SquirrelSquirrelSquirrelSquirrel G G S F I K
SnakeSnakeSnakeSnake G G S S S I
GGGG ==== Grazed:Grazed:Grazed:Grazed: The opponent is merely scratched and suffers no ill effects.
SSSS ==== Surprised:Surprised:Surprised:Surprised: Surprised and can do nothing the next turn.
FFFF ==== Frightened:Frightened:Frightened:Frightened: Shocked by the attack and just wants to get away.
IIII ==== Incapacitated:Incapacitated:Incapacitated:Incapacitated: Hurt / unconscious, can do nothing until end of scene.
KKKK ==== Killed:Killed:Killed:Killed: The opponent suffers a mortal wound and is killed.
Mouse Character SheetMouse Character SheetMouse Character SheetMouse Character Sheetssss
Name:Name:Name:Name:
Description:Description:Description:Description:____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Notes:Notes:Notes:Notes:________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
MMMMuscle 00000000+ + + +
OOOOutwit 00000000++++
UUUUnnoticed 00000000++++
SSSSkitter 00000000++++
EEEEnergy 00000000 ++++
Luck: Luck: Luck: Luck:
Wynther Knight (order #7651928)