Mouse Guard Roleplaying Game (Hardcover)

~ Luke Crane (Author), (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Join the Mouse Guard and defend the Mouse Territories against predators and dangers, in this roleplaying game based on the acclaimed Mouse Guard comic book series! Players form their own Mouse Guard patrol and attempt to complete missions while the Game Master takes on the roles of the weather, animals, and the wilderness, all trying to thwart the fearless mice. Designed by Origins Award-winning game designer Luke Crane for beginners and veterans alike, the game comes complete with three sample patrols and three sample missions, so you and your friends can get started playing right away. Includes art and extensive background material on the Mouse Territories specially prepared by Mouse Guard creator David Petersen, as well as character sheets and maps.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: ARCHAIA STUDIOS PRESS (January 30, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1932386882
• ISBN-13: 978-1932386882
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 8.1 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #11,455 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Mouse Guard - Burning Wheel for the Rest of Us!, February 19, 2009

By	William F. Hostman (Eagle River, AK United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Mouse Guard is a simplified cousin of the Burning Wheel RPG (and Burning Empires). The game is about semi-anthopomorphized mice in a medieval society; essentially, mouse-sized & shaped people in an apparently human-free world. The players play members of the Mouse Guard, a non-governmental body of troops which protect the main habitation from the worst of the predators.

There is enough information to run the game without reference to the comics. The comics will help to visualize the world, but there are plenty of old and new illos in the book.

Having run the game for several months (thanks to a preorder special), I can say with confidence the game is suitable for children and adults alike. most teens should be able to run the game, and just about any literate child should be able to play. The game is more structured than more traditional RPG's, and is mission focused. My group has had players from age 9 to 50, all enjoying it.

Basic Dice mechanic: (skill)d6, counting successes (the number of dice which rolled 4,5 or 6), versus a difficulty number. It helps if everyone has 10 or so d6's, and it's nice if everyone's dice are distinctive.

There are several reward cycles in the game engine: Fate and persona for playing beliefs, roleplaying well, and having been a moving force in the plot, which allow improved chances on challenges. Skills require both successes and failures to go up, and can only go up if used. Traits have to be used against one's self to earn checks, which allow a variety of actions during the player turn, and allow players to heal during the GM turn.

Narrative structure: The game has a default mission-based play narrative structure. Here's an outline:
(1) Recap prior session
(2) Get mission briefing
(3) Write goals for this session
(4) GM Turn: 2-4 challenges
(5) Player Turn: 1 challenge per trait check earned in play
(6) Rewards: check beliefs, instincts, and goals for whether they earned fate and persona points.

The system works really well. My 9yo can play it comfortably, and understands the rules; my 50yo friend who has been gaming since 1978 also enjoys it quite a bit.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars an accessable and revolutionary roleplaying game, March 21, 2009

By	Jacob Waltier (Seattle, WA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Whether you're approaching Mouse Guard Roleplaying Game as a fan of the Mouse Guard comics or a fan of roleplaying games, there is something new and interesting here for you. The game uses a simplified and streamlined version of Luke Crane's Burning Wheel system, but while Burning Wheel has been criticized by some for having too steep a learning curve, Mouse Guard is a breeze to read and understand. The game is clearly presented with lots of examples, including an ingenius example of play that shows the events of the first comic as though they unfolded naturally during a game session. The book contains several character archetypes to be used to immediately create player character, and a few sessions worth of missions for the Guardsmice, so it's great for beginners. Visually, the book is stunningly beautiful. Color and visual texture practically pop off of each page, and the book is filled with art both from the comics and created specifically for this product including the cover, which shows the entire cast of Fall 1152 and Winter 1152. Or, as my female gamer friends have said, "Mousies!!" The only downside to this game is persuading people who are used to playing big, tough heroic types in RPGs to play a game about mice with swords. If you can get past that hurdle, you will be blown away by this game. Luke Crane and David Petersen have really made something special here, and if you are a big fan of the comics or of roleplaying games and are looking for a novel experience, you owe it to yourself to buy this book.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Wonderful Treat for a Spectacular Series, February 19, 2009

By	Anthony Wright (Pittsburgh, PA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

The Mouse Guard Roleplaying Game presents and elegant yet simple system that pays great homage to its source materials. Everything is well written and easy to understand, with ample pictures to draw on the charm of David Petersen's excellent artwork. The system itself is laid out to provide ease-of-play for quickly jumping into a campaign, while keeping true to the perils of a Mouse in the world Mr. Petersen has crafted, and harkening always to the adventures of the comic series. I look forward to many hours spent with friends clutching a handful of die and enjoying how awesome mice with swords are!