Join the Mouse Guard and defend the Mouse Territories against predators and dangers with this expanded boxed set of the Origins Award-winning Mouse Guard Roleplaying Game includes the original rules book, a 48-page supplement with all-new adventure scenarios, and a host of game aids, including a GM deck of 12 Action Cards, two Player Decks of 12 Action Cards, Condition Cards, Characters Sheets, Game Master sheets, a Game Master Screen, Mouse Dice, and a Map of the Mouse Territories.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
By Francisco
Format:Hardcover
You must know this: Mouse Guard RPG is awesome. Maybe one of the greatest RPGs out there. If you don't have hardcover version already, I recommend this one, but keep in mind: books printed colors are not as good as hardcover version. Mouse Pawns are oversized, you can't use them with the small map included. GM Screen has great artwork and info, but it could be sturdy like modern screens. Cards, dice and supplement are the best part, love them! I miss some tokens to count Fate, Persona and Disposition points and some "conflict cards" that are declared in the adventure booklet, but in fact are not included.
11 of 13 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
An engaging and beautiful RPG that proves innovation is still possible
November 13, 2011
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
If you have never played a tabletop RPG before or want to get friends or spouse or your kids interested in traditional RPG's this is possibly the best introductory RPG product ever made.
For experienced RPG players this game will wow you with its elegant simple-yet-deep system.
The production quality for this boxed set is off the charts. Even the top game companies in the world have never matched the beauty and quality of this set. From the moment you get the box you are greeted with beautiful art and design, sturdy production, and a box full of goodies that are also extremely useful in play.
Based on the charming (and somewhat grim) Mouse Guard graphic novels, this is an unrelenting world reminiscent of Secret of NIMH meets D&D. It is material perfectly acceptable for kids, yet also operates on a level that adults can appreciate and be engaged in.
For experienced RPG players this game will wow you with its elegant simple-yet-deep system.
The production quality for this boxed set is off the charts. Even the top game companies in the world have never matched the beauty and quality of this set. From the moment you get the box you are greeted with beautiful art and design, sturdy production, and a box full of goodies that are also extremely useful in play.
Based on the charming (and somewhat grim) Mouse Guard graphic novels, this is an unrelenting world reminiscent of Secret of NIMH meets D&D. It is material perfectly acceptable for kids, yet also operates on a level that adults can appreciate and be engaged in.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Mice with swords are cool.
But is an RPG based on that fact worth the investment?
Um....yes.
The arresting visuals and high production values of the Mouse Guard comics have been faithfully converted into a game that plays as beautiful as it looks.
High quality tokens, custom dice and a rulebook saturated with full color artwork is the immediate payoff when you first crack open the box. But the real value of the game is its ruleset. I'm a veteran of decades of roleplaying games, and reading the rule mechanics had me shaking my head in amazement. This is no thrown-together hash to capitalize on a popular brand - This is a REALLY good set of rules.
All RPGs have a success/fail mechanic to handle uncertain events - but Mouse Guard elegantly provides a mechanic for essential events.
I'll explain.
Say your adventure has your players chasing a low-level spy through the forest. The spy is carrying papers that will expose a traitor. The spy must be caught! In the classic succeed/fail mechanic of most systems, your players would come up with a strategy and you'd roll dice to see if they catch the spy.
If they succeed, the story moves on. But if they fail? Well, the spy should - in theory - get away. So now your story is stuck until you come up with a way to salvage things. Sometimes your story can't afford failure.
"You've only got one chance to grab him before he escapes!"
*Failed Roll*
"Okay, you got one more chance..."
Mouse Guard allows a failed dice roll to be converted to "success with a twist." Because the story demands that the low-level spy be caught, a failed roll could be converted into the players catching him but the spy was able to destroy important parts of the evidence. The story can continue, but the player's mission has become more difficult.
Experienced GM's can do this sort of thing in any rule system, but with option baked into MG's rules - the GM doesn't have to resort to subterfuge or a fudged die roll to keep the game going.
With Mouse Guard the opposite happens. The GM openly declares that the roll results in success with a twist. Then they announce a new complication or even ask the players to suggest one. Players could offer up injuries to their characters or help the GM come up with a new obstacle.
This makes for a more collaborative and (I would argue) more engaging gaming experience.
Also worth mentioning are rules that encourage players to fail. A player in Mouse Guard can choose to fail at something in exchange for an offsetting benefit later in the game. The skill advancement rules actually *require* that a character fail a set number of times in order to improve their skill rating.
As a GM, I love this. This adds new dimensions to party choices. Now a party could be tracking the spy and their lead scout is one failed skill check away from gaining a rank in Hunter. He needs to succeed at the check in order to catch the spy with no complications, but he really wants to level up.
Should he deliberately fail and level up? Oooh, the drama!
Players can even give bonuses to their opponents in exchange for "checks" that allow them more actions during the Player's Turn (another innovation where players gain more control the flow of the game).
Above all else, Mouse Guard encourages players to play their character. A lot. Players have to set goals for their character for each session. Goals like "I will protect my friend, Kenzie." At the end of the session, rewards are based on whether or not the group feels that this goal was met.
Too many role playing games are merely themed combat rules - but with Mouse Guard, you will figure out who your mouse is and what they believe. And then the game system will reward you for it.
The rulebook takes great pains to explain beginning concepts so newcomers won't feel overwhelmed. Rules are supplemented with examples that not only illustrate the rules, but are lifted from the storyline of the Mouse Guard comic. What better way to teach an RPG novice than by using the story that brought them to the game in the first place? Nice!
The simplicity of the system is not without its pitfalls - a system that converts any obstacle into a single value can suffer when too much gets abstracted.
"We travel through the snow to Lockhaven" could become a single die roll. In some circumstances this may be the best choice - but a GM who converts a mission into three dice rolls may find his players less than inspired by the experience.
Likewise a game that relies on collaboration to settle disputes ("What compromise is appropriate for just barely failing to defeat the snake?") or to give rewards ("Which player was the MVP of the mission? Vote!") could be utterly undone by petty bickering. While MG surely offers a troublesome player more opportunities to make mischief - it also allows the players to reward good gaming within the group.
I originally bought the hardcover book and was hooked by the rules. While running a session for my kids (who LOVED it) I saw an excellent example of the rules in action. As part of character creation, my 5 year old had chosen the "Brave" trait for her mouse. When her mouse ended up on the edge of a strange forest, she thought for a moment and said "My mouse is brave, so I will go first."
That's awesome for lots of reasons, but it's made more awesome because at the end of the session the rules rewarded her choice to play to her character trait.
The boxed set adds action cards to make the conflict rules more tangible as well as weapon cards for reference (and because they look cool). All are nicely rendered, useful additions to the game. Also included are pads of character/GM sheets, additional rules for using and training mounts, and new gear for non-violent conflicts. I'd worried that I'd be let down buying the boxed set - as I already owned the hardcover - but the opposite was true. Worth every penny.
Welcoming to novice players, rewarding for veterans - and great production values.
Well done.
But is an RPG based on that fact worth the investment?
Um....yes.
The arresting visuals and high production values of the Mouse Guard comics have been faithfully converted into a game that plays as beautiful as it looks.
High quality tokens, custom dice and a rulebook saturated with full color artwork is the immediate payoff when you first crack open the box. But the real value of the game is its ruleset. I'm a veteran of decades of roleplaying games, and reading the rule mechanics had me shaking my head in amazement. This is no thrown-together hash to capitalize on a popular brand - This is a REALLY good set of rules.
All RPGs have a success/fail mechanic to handle uncertain events - but Mouse Guard elegantly provides a mechanic for essential events.
I'll explain.
Say your adventure has your players chasing a low-level spy through the forest. The spy is carrying papers that will expose a traitor. The spy must be caught! In the classic succeed/fail mechanic of most systems, your players would come up with a strategy and you'd roll dice to see if they catch the spy.
If they succeed, the story moves on. But if they fail? Well, the spy should - in theory - get away. So now your story is stuck until you come up with a way to salvage things. Sometimes your story can't afford failure.
"You've only got one chance to grab him before he escapes!"
*Failed Roll*
"Okay, you got one more chance..."
Mouse Guard allows a failed dice roll to be converted to "success with a twist." Because the story demands that the low-level spy be caught, a failed roll could be converted into the players catching him but the spy was able to destroy important parts of the evidence. The story can continue, but the player's mission has become more difficult.
Experienced GM's can do this sort of thing in any rule system, but with option baked into MG's rules - the GM doesn't have to resort to subterfuge or a fudged die roll to keep the game going.
With Mouse Guard the opposite happens. The GM openly declares that the roll results in success with a twist. Then they announce a new complication or even ask the players to suggest one. Players could offer up injuries to their characters or help the GM come up with a new obstacle.
This makes for a more collaborative and (I would argue) more engaging gaming experience.
Also worth mentioning are rules that encourage players to fail. A player in Mouse Guard can choose to fail at something in exchange for an offsetting benefit later in the game. The skill advancement rules actually *require* that a character fail a set number of times in order to improve their skill rating.
As a GM, I love this. This adds new dimensions to party choices. Now a party could be tracking the spy and their lead scout is one failed skill check away from gaining a rank in Hunter. He needs to succeed at the check in order to catch the spy with no complications, but he really wants to level up.
Should he deliberately fail and level up? Oooh, the drama!
Players can even give bonuses to their opponents in exchange for "checks" that allow them more actions during the Player's Turn (another innovation where players gain more control the flow of the game).
Above all else, Mouse Guard encourages players to play their character. A lot. Players have to set goals for their character for each session. Goals like "I will protect my friend, Kenzie." At the end of the session, rewards are based on whether or not the group feels that this goal was met.
Too many role playing games are merely themed combat rules - but with Mouse Guard, you will figure out who your mouse is and what they believe. And then the game system will reward you for it.
The rulebook takes great pains to explain beginning concepts so newcomers won't feel overwhelmed. Rules are supplemented with examples that not only illustrate the rules, but are lifted from the storyline of the Mouse Guard comic. What better way to teach an RPG novice than by using the story that brought them to the game in the first place? Nice!
The simplicity of the system is not without its pitfalls - a system that converts any obstacle into a single value can suffer when too much gets abstracted.
"We travel through the snow to Lockhaven" could become a single die roll. In some circumstances this may be the best choice - but a GM who converts a mission into three dice rolls may find his players less than inspired by the experience.
Likewise a game that relies on collaboration to settle disputes ("What compromise is appropriate for just barely failing to defeat the snake?") or to give rewards ("Which player was the MVP of the mission? Vote!") could be utterly undone by petty bickering. While MG surely offers a troublesome player more opportunities to make mischief - it also allows the players to reward good gaming within the group.
I originally bought the hardcover book and was hooked by the rules. While running a session for my kids (who LOVED it) I saw an excellent example of the rules in action. As part of character creation, my 5 year old had chosen the "Brave" trait for her mouse. When her mouse ended up on the edge of a strange forest, she thought for a moment and said "My mouse is brave, so I will go first."
That's awesome for lots of reasons, but it's made more awesome because at the end of the session the rules rewarded her choice to play to her character trait.
The boxed set adds action cards to make the conflict rules more tangible as well as weapon cards for reference (and because they look cool). All are nicely rendered, useful additions to the game. Also included are pads of character/GM sheets, additional rules for using and training mounts, and new gear for non-violent conflicts. I'd worried that I'd be let down buying the boxed set - as I already owned the hardcover - but the opposite was true. Worth every penny.
Welcoming to novice players, rewarding for veterans - and great production values.
Well done.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Mouse Guard RPG Box Set
This product is top of the line.
It isn't cheap, but considering that quality of it's components, I'd say the official price is adequate. Read more
It isn't cheap, but considering that quality of it's components, I'd say the official price is adequate. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Helder Araújo
5.0 out of 5 stars
Amazing world. Amazing game.
I originally bought the hardcover edition of the Mouse Guard game and loved it yet found myself wanting more resources and game aids. Read more
Published 9 months ago by James Neil Rickmond
5.0 out of 5 stars
Whimsy at it's best
Ahhh... the trials and tribulations of a mouse!
This wonderful box set really brings the game together. Read more
This wonderful box set really brings the game together. Read more
Published 9 months ago by von Steuben
5.0 out of 5 stars
Don't overpay for this
Don't overpay for this. Do a little research online and you can find this for under $60.00. It's deplorable that some sellers are charging over $100 for this product.
Published 10 months ago by Ryan
5.0 out of 5 stars
Perfect as Promised
Package arrived on time in mint condition and made a great Christmas gift for my husband, who (along with myself) is a big fan of Mouse Guard graphic novels! Thanks!
Published 16 months ago by Cynthia Lyles Scott
3.0 out of 5 stars
Save your money and buy the hardback
I already owned the hardback (beautiful), and misread the back of the box. There are NO mouse miniatures in here. There are mouse PAWNS. What a waste of plastic. Read more
Published 19 months ago by Fred Ramsey
5.0 out of 5 stars
Little mice big game
This box set is really well done. The art is great the dice are a fun extra as are the cards. The meat of the box set is a soft cover version of the hardback rule book and an... Read more
Published 19 months ago by Mine all Mine...Don't Touch
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