[RECRUITING CLOSED] [Mouse Guard PbP] The Long Road to Copperwood - OOC

milk ducks · June 2012

It's not what you fight, but what you fight for.

Following on the heels of the sudden and treachous winter of 1153, spring has come again to the Territories. Yet even within the heart of Lockhaven, surrounded by wood and stone and friends, there are places where a mouse can still see his breath. Gwendolyn's chambers, stocked full of maps and charts and written promises far too valuable to risk an open flame, is one of those places. The Matriarch of the Mouse Guard is bent over a large table when you arrive, studying a map of the Territories that has been intricately carved onto its surface. Wooden figures checker the map like game pieces, and as Gwendolyn turns to face your patrol, you notice she's holding one final piece.

The greatest adventure of your life is being held in the palm of her paw.

Hey guys, I've been playing games like D&D for the better half of a decade, but I've recently made the switch to more RP-centric games like Mouse Guard. Honestly? I'm absolutely loving it. I'm currently running a game with 3 players, but I'd like to get some additional Mouse Guard action in, if that's possible. I'm looking for 3 (maybe 4) players, already familiar with Mouse Guard and its rules, to do a Play-By-Post here on the Penny Arcade forums. If that's something you're interested in, let me know. Don't start working on characters now, though -- I don't want everyone's Mice to be created in vacuums. I'd like character creation to be a bit of a collaborative effort between myself and the rest of the players.

If you're interested, please let me know.

milk ducks · June 2012

Bumping once, then I'm gonna let this die if there's still no interest.

Rius · June 2012

Ducks your new mouse avatar is super cute.

I'd be interested in this sort of thing, as would probably a lot of people, but I'm unfamiliar with Mouse Guard. It's possible that's your stumbling block right there.

milk ducks · June 2012

The thing is, I'm pretty new to the system as well. Mouse Guard has a really neat system, and I don't think it's all that complicated, but it's a bit abstract. I just worry that if I bring in a bunch of people who aren't familiar with it, the whole thing might get a bit confusing. I'm willing to take that shot, though. If you're interested, I'm certainly willing to give it a shot. Might be a bit slow-going at first, but we can work something out.

Rius · June 2012

Mostly I just have fond memories of the Redwall books!

milk ducks · June 2012

Well, I'd be happy to talk you through the character creation process, man. And it really is something you "talk your way through": you don't roll any dice, or anything like that. You literally sit down and answer a few questions about where you came from, what trade your parents were in, etc. You pick a few skills to advance from a list, as well as a trait or two, and you're basically done.

It's very much a "roleplaying" game, man: characters advance by using their skills, completing their goals, and working toward (and against) their beliefs and instincts.

Marshmallow · June 2012

I'd probably be interested in some Mouse Guardin', especially since I missed out on this one.

I've got the book and made characters before. I wouldn't say I'm any sort of veteran because I've never actually played, per se, but I've got a decent prior understanding the rules since it's a darn interesting system and I've used bits and pieces of it in houserules before.

milk ducks · June 2012

Marshmallow wrote: »

I'd probably be interested in some Mouse Guardin', especially since I missed out on this one.

I've got the book and made characters before. I wouldn't say I'm any sort of veteran because I've never actually played, per se, but I've got a decent prior understanding the rules since it's a darn interesting system and I've used bits and pieces of it in houserules before.

Would you say you're familiar enough to take on the role of the Patrol Leader? I can certainly run the game in such a way that it's accessible to someone that doesn't own the book, but I'm a little hesitant to saddle someone with Patrol Leader status if they're unfamiliar with Mouse Guard in general.

Marshmallow · June 2012

Well, I've read the first couple comic books (which the game is supposed to faithfully emulate with its rules) and know the rpg book front and back just from prepping for playing in other games that unfortunately never got off the ground.

If I remember right, most of the Patrol Leader's actual responsibilities are related to the roleplaying business of keeping his patrol safe and on track. The only mechanical bits are delegating rolls to the other mice and deciding teams in Conflicts which doesn't seem too arduous a task.

So yes, I don't think that kind of responsibility would be beyond me, if no one else is comfortable donning the big-mouse boots.

milk ducks · June 2012

I'm in a pretty similar situation to you, Marsh. I've read the book cover-to-cover, because my group's been wanting to play it for over a year, but it's only something we've actually done once. Our first session took forever; not because we didn't know the rules, but because we've never had to use them before, if that makes sense. Actually using everything in the book is interesting at first, but I think it's a really good system.

One of the reasons I'm interested in running a PbP Mouse Guard game is straight-up because I want to be more familiar with the system so I can run our regular game better. Right now, I feel like I'm kind of fumbling around when I have to do it "live", and I think doing a PbP game where I can more-or-less take my time both describing situations and ruling on issues would help me a lot.

Marshmallow · June 2012

The thing that hit me the worst was the Conflict rules. Just the whole idea of forming teams and rolling Disposition and doing actions in sets of three and having Compromises ruin your day even if you "won" confused the heck out of me coming from a D&D heavy background.

That and how unexpectedly "rigid" the rules ended up being. It doesn't seem to be a system where you can easily get away with a loosey goosey style of play, what with the very specific GM/Player turn business and all that weird Burning Wheel-esque jazz.

milk ducks · June 2012

I agree, 100%. Maybe that's because I also come from a D&D-heavy background. I think that Goal-centered conflicts, along with actions in sets of three, is actually pretty cool. I also like compromises, twists, and conditions. It just ... takes a while to get used to, especially when you come from an "all or nothing" skill system like D&D.

I love that characters in Mouse Guard can "fail" a skill test to cross a river, and actually succeed (but now they're all Angry, or Injured). That's a feature that really helps to keep the pace of the game moving forward. There's nothing I hate more than repeatedly throwing dice at an obstacle in D&D until I pass it. It's just boring, and I don't feel like there's any sense of accomplishment. In MG, though, when a character fails a Pathfinder test, to try and locate a short-cut from Lockhaven to Ivydale, and the GM introduces a "twist" where the patrol happens upon a nesting snake?

That's pretty bad ass.

Rius · June 2012

That bit about failing, yet still passing a skill test with an eventual drawback is pretty brilliant. Especially if the passing/failing is not implicitly known from the player's rolls.

milk ducks · June 2012

Yeah, you can fail a test but actually still pass, albiet with a Condition (now you're Angry, which imposes a penalty to Will-based tests, like arguments or negotiations). The GM can also introduce a Twist, which is sort of like what I was describing before: maybe you were trying to use Pathfinder to find a short-cut between Lockhaven and Appleloft, and you failed - as a Twist, I could say that you discover an overgrown short-cut that will cut the travel-time in half, but that it runs through a snake's nest. Now you have to fight.

The Everyman · June 2012

I have read the Mouse Guard comics and own the RPG pdf. I've read over the rules a few times, but have never actually played the game. If that's no problem, I would definitely be interested in a pbp game.

Smoogy · June 2012

I need to become familiar with this game, as everything reminds me of Redwall and that is awesome in itself.

milk ducks · June 2012

@Smoogy, if it's something you're interested in, I can definitely walk you through the character creation process. It's not hard at all. If @Rius, @Marshmallow, @The Everyman and @Smoogy are interested, that works out pretty well. Conflicts (Fights, Negotiations, Chase scenes, etc) might be a little interesting, since 4 players must be split up into 2 groups of 2, but if we've got 4 people then it is what it is, heh.

It's not a particularly complicated game. In fact, I'd describe it as pretty "rules light", but a lot of the action is abstract. It's hard to explain without actually showing it to you. If you come from a D&D background, it's likely you'll struggle a bit at first. But that's okay.

There are a number of Mouse Guard ranks, but for the purposes of this game, you'll be able to select from 4: we'll have one (1) Patrol Leader, a maximum of one (1) Patrol Guard, Guardsmice, and Tenderpaws.

Patrol Leaders are seasoned soldiers, and almost certainly veterans of both the Winter War against the Weasles (3-4 years ago, in game), and Midnight's Rebellion (a year or 2 ago, in game time). Only one player can be the Patrol Leader. This player is in command of the patrol, and is handed down missions directly from Gwendolyn, the Matriarch of the Mouse Guard.

I'll allow one player to be a Patrol Guard, if they're interested. Patrol Guards are one step below Patrol Leaders. They're basically veterans who are trusted to do independent missions for the Guard, but haven't proven that they're capable of leading a patrol on their own yet.

Guardsmice are the foot soldiers of the Mouse Guard. They're the standard, basically.

Tenderpaws are fresh-faced recruits. They haven't earned their cloaks yet. Essentially, they're apprentices. When they've put in enough time, and proven themselves worthy, they'll swear an oath and become Guardsmice. I'll allow one (1) player to be a Tenderpaw, but one of the other members of the group has to be your Mentor, who is responsible for watching out for you, and teaching you the ways of the Guard.

Let's talk about which positions appeal to which people, and then we'll get down to character creation.

[edit] In general, the higher up the totem pole you are, the more skills you have. Character creation isn't totally "balanced", and that's okay. It's not really meant to be. Also, ranks are typically associated with a mouse's age: the lower the rank, the younger the mouse. Usually, anyway. So the lowest ranks (Tenderpaw, Guardmouse) have higher Health scores (because they're quicker, tougher, etc) and lower Will scores (because they're undisciplined). Higher ranks have higher Will, but lower Health.

So there's a bit of a trade-off.

The Everyman · June 2012

I was interested in playing a Patrol Guard. I'm thinking a bit of a greyfur who has long been in the Guard but never made it as a Patrol Leader.

Rius · June 2012

I feel like this would be a lot of fun; for now, I've bookmarked the thread. Let me look into Mouse Guard some more tomorrow? Perhaps find a book for it?

the_jake_1973 · June 2012

I am very interested in playing. My local group has not cottoned to the mechanics of MG. They are DnD people through and through.

I have a Guardmouse in mind from Flintrust with a questionable background. Times are hard in that area after all. He was ordered into the Guard to redeem himself, however he has an enemy in the form of the patrol leader who arrested him.

Thanks for the consideration.

Jake

milk ducks · June 2012

@the_jake_1973 , I definitely know where you're coming from. My typical group is pretty much a "D&D through and through" type of group, as well. We're slowly but surely gaining ground in MG, though. That's sort of why I wanted to run something in a PbP format, by the way. I'm pretty new to MG, myself, and I'd love the opportunity to run another game, just so I've got a bit more experience under my belt. I have a feeling this will be a little slow-going at first, especially with folks who aren't familiar with the setting or the rules, but that's okay. As long as everyone's patient while we get things off the ground, I think it could end up being something really fun.

If everyone who's posted so far decides to make a character, that'll put us at 5, which is 1 person more than I'd ideally prefer. I don't expect anyone to bow out, or anything like that. But recruitment is officially closed, for the time being.

I will post some character creation information tonight, maybe, but likely tomorrow morning. I'll basically go through character creation from start to finish, for everyone that doesn't have the books.

NotoriusBEN · June 2012

I've decided to look through a Mouse Guard RPG book at the comic shop and this looks fantastic. The art style has something of an FF:Tactics feel to it.
Since you closed recruitment, I'll just bookmark it and remain interested in the story you guys cook up.

Zombie Hero · June 2012

I'm looking forward to spectacting this as well.

milk ducks · June 2012

@NotoriousBEN @Zombie Hero, if any spots open up, and you're interested in playing, I'll absolutely get ahold of you. I'm glad that people are taking an interest in the game; I just wish I were a bit more confident in my ability to GM for so many players.

milk ducks · June 2012

UPDATED TO INCLUDE RESOURCES, CIRCLES, AND TRAITS - FINISHED!

Character Creation Mega-Post!
I'm basically just going to outline the entire character creation section of the book. It isn't tremendously long or anything, but it might take me a while. So I'll probably be adding to this post in installments. It very likely will not be finished tonight, but I may surprise myself.

Guard Rank
Tenderpaw (Age 14-17) WILL: 2 / HEALTH: 6
Guardmouse (Age 18-25) WILL: 3 / HEALTH: 5
Patrol Guard (Age 21-50) WILL: 4 / HEALTH: 4
Patrol Leader (Age 21-60) WILL: 5 / HEALTH 4

We currently have 0/1 Tenderpaws in the patrol.
We currently have 2/* Guardsmice in the patrol.
We currently have 1/1 Patrol Guards in the patrol. (No more Patrol Guards!)
We currently have 1/1 Patrol Leaders in the patrol. (No more Patrol Leaders needed!)

Okay, so the firs thing we need to talk about is Nature. Basically, your Nature score determines how "mouse-like" you are. In-game, you can "tap" your Nature to give yourself bonus dice under certain situations. That's not important now. All you need to know is that the higher your Nature is, the more "like a mouse" you are. Higher scores mean you're more skittish and timid, but also that you're great at foraging, climbing, etc.

Everyone starts off with a base Nature of 3, and that score is modified by the following questions:

1. Do you save for winter, even if it means going without something now? Or do you use what you have when you need it? -- If you save for Winter, increase your Nature by 1, and you may not take the Bold or Generous character traits. (That's later)

2. When confronted, do you stand your ground and fight, or do you run and hide? -- If you run and hide, increase your Nature by 1, but decrease your starting Fighter skill (if you take it), by 1.

3. Do you fear owls, weasels, and wolves? -- If you do, increase your Nature by 1, but you may not take the Fearless character trait.

Now, where is your character from? Don't worry too much about this. I know you guys that don't have the books won't know any of the locations, but I'll provide a brief description. You will gain 1 rank in one of the skills associated with the town you're from, because you grew up around it. Be sure to note it. You will also gain a character Trait associated with your town (they're pretty self-descriptive, but I'll include full descriptions of all the Traits later).

Barkstone - A busy, hard-working town.
Skills: Carpenter, Potter, or Glazier (Glazier is working with glass to make lenses, vessels, windows, etc)
Trait: Steady Paw

Copperwood - One of the oldest cities and home to one of the two mines in the Territories.
Skills: Smith or Haggler
Trait: Independent

Elmoss - A once prosperous city, known for its medicinal moss.
Skills: Carpenter or Harvester
Trait: Alert

Ivydale - Renowned for its bakers and bread.
Skills: Harvester or Baker
Traits: Hard Worker

Lockhaven - The home of the Mouse Guard.
Skills: Weaver or Armorer
Traits: Generous or Guard's Honor

Port Sumac - A busy little port town between Darkwater and Rustleaf.
Skills: Boatcrafting or Weather Watcher
Traits: Tough or Weather Sense

Shaleburrow - A simple town, known for its delicious drinks!
Skills: Mason, Harvester, or Miller
Trait: Open-Minded

Sprucetuck - Known for its scientists, medicine, and scent concoctions.
Skills: Scientist or Loremouse (Loremouse has to do with understanding animals, and even speaking to them in their languages)
Traits: Inquisitive or Rational

Now we get to talk about Life Experience. Now, look. I'm going to throw a lot of skill names at you. Some of them are pretty straight-forward, and others may sound confusing. I'll do my best to clarify anything I think isn't obvious. Basically, I'm going to ask another series of questions, and you pick skills as answers. You can pick a skill multiple times. When this is all over, you count the number of times each one of the skills you selected was "checked" as an answer, and you add 1 to that number. So, if I checked Fighter 3 times at the end, I add 1 and have a total of 4 ranks in that skill. Remember when you picked a skill associated with your home town? That skill has one "check".

No skill may start above 6 (actually 5, since you add 1 to all of your skills at the end -- make sense?)

Sounds easy, right? Well, it is. But be sure to let me know if you're confused at any time.

Pick an area in which you are naturally talented.
Tenderpaws get to pick 2 skills here - everyone else gets 1.
Administrator (managing towns, cities, and mice)
Apiarist (working with bees, who provide honey and defense for mousy cities)
Archivist (study of old books and history)
Armorer (forge weapons and armor - different from Smith, which is making tools)
Baker
Boatcrafter
Brewer, Carpenter
Cartographer
Cook
Deceiver (Bluff, for you D&D folks)
Fighter
Glazier
Haggler
Harvester
Healer
Hunter
Insectrist (working with bugs, which do a lot of labor-work for mice)
Instructor (teaching other mice skills)
Laborer (basic labor work)
Loremouse (understanding animals, and even speaking their languages)
Militarist (military strategy)
Miller
Orator (moving crowds and giving speeches)
Pathfinder (finding ... paths, blazing trails, etc)
Persuader (Charisma check, or similar to Diplomacy from D&D, as a "good" kind of Bluff)
Potter
Scientist
Scout
Smith (creating tools - Armorer is for creating weapons and armor)
Stonemason
Survivalist
Weather Watcher
Weaver

What was your parents' trade?
Apiarist
Archivist
Armorer
Baker
Boatcrafter
Brewer
Carpenter
Cartographer
Glazier
Harvester
Insectrist
Miller
Potter
Smith
Stonemason
Weaver

How do you convince people that you're right, or to do what you need?
Deceiver
Persuader
Orator

With whom did you apprentice for the Guard? What was that mouse's trade?
When a mouse wants to join the Guard, they're given over to a tradesmouse or senior artisan in Lockhaven for 2 seasons, to act as an assistant, laborer, and apprentice. In this way, the Guard always has a ready supply of skilled workers.
Apiarist
Archivist
Armorer
Baker
Brewer
Carpenter
Cartographer
Glazier
Harvester
Insectrist
Miller
Potter
Smith
Stonemason
Weaver

What did your Mentor stress in training?
Every Guardsmouse was a Tenderpaw once, and they had a Mentor who showed them the ropes. But everyone's Mentor is different: some focus on Fighting, others on Scouting or Healing. What did yours stress?
Fighter
Healer
Hunter
Instructor
Pathfinder
Scout
Survivalist
Weather Watcher

What kind of experience do you have in the Guard?
Tenderpaws may check 3 skills; Guardsmice may check 6; Patrol Guards may check 8 skills; and the Patrol Leader may check 9. Remember: you may check a skill more than once, but no starting skill may be above 6 (actually 5, since you add 1 to all your skills at the end!)

Updated!
Tenderpaws may consider Laborer part of this list.
Guardsmice may consider Haggler part of this list.
Patrol Guards may consider Cook part of this list.
Patrol Leaders may consider Persuader and Loremouse part of this list.

Fighter
Healer
Hunter
Instructor
Pathfinder
Scout
Survivalist
Weather Watcher

What's your Specialty?
Tenderpaws may not select a Specialty. Everyone else gets 1 check, and no two players may have the same Specialty. That's important, so I'll say it again in caps: NO TWO PLAYERS MAY HAVE THE SAME SPECIALTY, so work it out amongst yourselves.
Fighter
Healer
Hunter
Instructor
Pathfinder
Scout
Survivalist
Weather Watcher

What are you particularly knowledgeable about?
There's a special sub-set of skills called "wises", and you basically make them up. They're specialty skills, or skills that don't fit in anywhere else. For example: maybe your character has Brewer, right? He loves making beers, and he loves to hang out in taverns. Maybe he's got "Tavern-wise", or "Celebration-wise", or "Booze-wise". Be creative here, but don't pick something that's never going to get used, you know what I'm saying?

Tenderpaws may select 1 wise; Guardsmice may select 2; Patrol Guards may select 3; the Patrol Leader may select 4 wises.

You may pick the same wises multiple times, in which case, it will start at a higher rank.

Now remember, once you've finished your skills, go back through and tally them all up. Once they've all been counted, add 1 rank to each skill you checked off. So, if you checked Fighter a total of 3 times, it becomes a Rank 4 skill. No skill may begin higher than 6.

So, now we get to talk about Resources and Circles, which are both pretty neat. Resources represent the Guard's pay, but also how resourceful and clever the mouse is with his possessions and material goods. Circles represents how well-connected your mouse is. If you need to consult a Weather Watcher, let's say, or find a technical Fighter to teach you a few moves, you would test your Circles. Any mice who get brought into the game via Circles are added to your mouse's Contacts.

Resources
Tenderpaws start with 1 as a base; Guardsmice start with 2; Patrol Guards start with 3; the Patrol Leader will start with 4 as a base Resources.

In Winter, do you still practice a trade like weaving, smithing, or pottery for the Guard? - If so, increase your Resources by 1. You must have the skill for the trade in question. You may not take the Leader trait to start off with (although, you may still acquire it later), because you're too busy.

Are your parents smiths, politicians, merchants, or apiarists? - If so, increase your Resources by 1. Your parents must be of the noted trade, and may not be in the Guard.

Do you like to buy gifts for yourself and your friends? - If so, decrease your Resources by 1.

Are you thrifty?
If so, increase your Resources by 1. You may not take the Generous trait to start off with (although, again, you may still acquire it through play).

Have you ever been in debt? Or are you generally bad with money?
If so, decrease your Resources by 1.

Do you always pack carefully for a journey, ensuring you have everything you need?
If so, increase your resources by 1. You may not take the Bold or Fiery traits to start off (again ... ).

Circles
Tenderpaws start with a Circles rating of 1; Guardsmice start with a Circles rating of 2; Patrol Guards and Patrol Leaders start with a Circles rating of 3 - Answer the following questions. The minimum starting Circles is 1.

Is your mouse gregarious? Does he have lots of friends? Does he make friends easily? - If you answered yes to one or more of these, increase your Circles by 1. You may not take the Bitter or Jaded traits.

Do you have strong ties to the Guard? Perhaps a family tradition, or allies within the Guard? - If so, increase Circles by 1. Either your parents must be in the Guard, or your Mentor must be family.

Has your character accomplished some great task in the Guard? Does he already have a reputation? - If so, increase Circles by 1.

Does your character have powerful enemies in the Territories? - If so, reduce Circles by 1.

Has your character ever been convicted of a crime? - If so, reduce Circles by 1.

Is your character a loner, tough and cool? - If so, reduce Circles by 1. You may not take the Extrovert trait.

To finish it all off, we're going to talk a little about Traits. Traits are important, because they help to represent who your mouse is. I will be writing up a complete list of all the Traits, along with quick descriptions, very soon. It will be its own post. They're pretty straight-forward, so you can go through this final step without reading that first, but if you want to wait on me, that's cool too. Here's what you need to know, though: Traits can help you, and traits can hurt you, and those are both good things.

In Mouse Guard, you can use your Traits against yourself (and you really want to do this, but I'll get more into the process and reasoning later) for a temporary disadvantage and a long-term bonus. Basically, they exist as role-playing tools, things you'll tap into when you want an edge on a skill, and potential drawbacks (but again, this is a good thing).

All of you have a Trait already, provided by the town you grew up in. In the following section, you'll get to pick 1, or maybe a few, more. You can choose to reinforce your home town trait, or you can pick entirely new ones. Traits have 3 ranks (your home town trait is Rank 1, right now - choosing it again will make it Rank 2, and so on): at Rank 1, once per session, a mouse can call upon a trait to give him a +1 die bonus to a test; at Rank 2, a mouse gains a +1 die bonus to any and all tests associated with the Trait; at Rank 3, a mouse can re-roll any dice that come up as failures on a test appropriate to the trait description.

Again, more on that later. Here are the questions:

What quality were you born with?
All players get to choose 1.

Bigpaw
Bitter
Bodyguard
Bold
Brave
Calm
Clever
Compassionate
Cunning
Curious
Deep Ear
Defender
Determined
Driven
Early Riser
Extrovert
Fat
Fearful
Fearless
Fiery
Generous
Graceful
Guard's Honor
Innocent
Jaded
Leader
Longtail
Lost
Natural Bearings
Nimble
Nocturnal
Oldfur
Quick-Witted
Quiet
Scarred
Sharp-Eyed
Sharptooth
Short
Skeptical
Skinny
Stoic
Stubborn
Suspicious (of others)
Tall
Thoughtful
Tough
Weather Sense
Wise
Wolf's Snout
Young

Choose something you learned or inherited from your parents.
Tenderpaws only, choose 1.

Bigpaw
Brave
Calm
Clever
Compassionate
Curious
Deep Ear
Defender
Determined
Early Riser
Extrovert
Fearful
Fearless
Fiery
Generous
Graceful
Longtail
Lost
Natural Bearings
Nimble
Quick-Witted
Quiet
Scarred
Sharptooth
Short
Skeptical
Skinny
Stubborn
Suspicious (of others)
Tall
Tough
Wolf's Snout

Life on the road
Patrol Leaders only, choose 1.

Bitter
Bodyguard
Brave
Calm
Clever
Compassionate
Cunning
Curious
Defender
Driven
Early Riser
Fearful
Fearless
Jaded
Leader
Natural bearings
Nocturnal
Oldfur
Quiet
Scarred
Sharp-Eyed
Skeptical
Skinny
Stoic
Thoughtful
Tough
Weather Sense
Wise

The Everyman · June 2012

Here's where I'm at. I'll wait until Ducks posts more before continuing.
Updated. Finished sheet. Will write up my backstory in the next couple days.

Name: Lane Sounder
Age: 54
Home: Port Sumac
Fur Color: Black, greying at the chin, chest, and paws
Rank: Patrol Guard
Cloak Color: Maroon

Parents: Ambrose & Lynda Sounder (Cartographer)
Senior Artisan: Joan Liddle (Cartographer)
Mentor: Rowan Copperpaw, “You can't help no one if you're dead, so don't be afraid to shed some blood if it means getting back here alive.” (Fighting)
Friend: Guardmouse Brandt Sesame, Archivist at Lockhaven
Enemy: Huck Morrow, Armorer from Copperwood

Fate 1 / Persona 1

Belief: You can only rely on yourself.
Goal: --
Instinct: Protect the weak and young at any cost.

Abilities
Nature 5
Will 4
Health 4
Resources 5
Circles 4

Nature
Save for winter? Yes (+1)
Stand and fight or run and hide? Fight (+0)
Fear owls, weasels, wolves? Yes (+1)

Resources
Patrol Guard (3)
In Winter, do you still practice a trade like weaving, smithing, or pottery for the Guard? No (+0)
Are your parents smiths, politicians, merchants, or apiarists? No (+0)
Do you like to buy gifts for yourself and your friends? No (+0)
Are you thrifty? Yes (+1)
Have you ever been in debt? Or are you generally bad with money? No (+0)
Do you always pack carefully for a journey, ensuring you have everything you need? Yes (+1)

Circles
Patrol Guard (3)
Is your mouse gregarious? Does he have lots of friends? Does he make friends easily? No (+0)
Do you have strong ties to the Guard? Perhaps a family tradition, or allies within the Guard? Yes (+1)
Has your character accomplished some great task in the Guard? Does he already have a reputation? Yes (+1)
Does your character have powerful enemies in the Territories? No (+0)
Has your character ever been convicted of a crime? No (+0)
Is your character a loner, tough and cool? Yes (-1)

Skills
Fighter 4
Healer 3
Pathfinder 4
Survivalist 4
Weather Watcher 2
Persuader 2
Cartographer 3
Herb-wise 2
Trail-wise 2
Night-wise 2

Where is your character from?
Port Sumac (Weather Watcher / Tough)
Pick an area in which you are naturally talented.
Survivalist
What was your parents' trade?
Cartographer
How do you convince people that you're right, or to do what you need?
Persuader
With whom did you apprentice for the Guard? What was that mouse's trade?
Joan the Cartographer
What did your Mentor stress in training?
Mentor Rowan stressed Fighting
What kind of experience do you have in the Guard? (Patrol Guard: 8pts)
Fighter x2
Pathfinder x2
Healer x2
Survivalist x2
What's your Specialty?
Pathfinder

Traits
Tough 1
Oldfur 1

Gear
Hook and line, shield, light armor, pipe, papers and ink

milk ducks · June 2012

Looks good, man. He's got kind of a "ranger" feel to him (Fighter, Scout, Pathfinder, Survivalist, Weather Watcher, with Night/Herb/Trail-wises). Looks pretty solid!

I'm going to the Zoo with my family later today, but I've got some time this morning, while everyone's still in bed, to flesh out a bit more of that character creation post. Also, regarding character ranks? I just want to emphasize, while I've got the opportunity, that the ranks are intended to be a little unbalanced. If someone plays a Tenderpaw, they will find themselves with fewer ranks in their skills than other characters. I only bring that up because, well, some people might find that frustrating, I suppose.

Just remember that Mouse Guard is primarily a role-playing game, and the goal is really to just have fun and advance the plot. Unlike in D&D, the story can move forward in fun and interesting ways very easily, even when you "fail" a check or Conflict. It doesn't just mean "dead end", or death (in fact, it rarely means death, but we'll get into that later).

milk ducks · June 2012

Okay guys, the character creation post is complete. Rather than writing out a whole post about traits, I think I'd rather just answer any questions people have about them as they come. So if you're not sure what a Trait looks like on paper, like, what it's description is, just ask, and I'll provide the answer. Remeber: You're looking for Traits that can both help and harm your character. You want something that can be a drawback, as well as a benefit. Hurting yourselves with Traits is actually something that's really beneficial to yourself and the group in the long run, so you'll want to try and do it often. Don't pick a Trait that you don't think you can use against yourself.

Marshmallow · June 2012

I'll likely have a character up sometime this evening.

I think I'm still on track to make the patrol leader, yes? Probably going to go for a very chatty, planning, at-home-in-the-towns kind of leader over an awesome fighter or survivalist.

milk ducks · June 2012

Sounds good, Marsh. I think Patrol Leaders can add Persuade to the list of skills they have access to.

Actually, that reminds me: I forgot to add that stuff into the Character Creation thread.

Shit. Thanks, lol.

The Everyman · June 2012

Interested to see Marsh's leader and Jake's criminal guardmouse. I have a decent of idea of what Lane's personality and motivations are going to be like, but I want to see everyone's mice before I decide anything. Have @Smoogy and @Rius reported in? Either of you thinking about playing a Tenderpaw?

milk ducks · June 2012

I know they're watching the thread, but I haven't spoken directly to either of them. We'll give them a few days, to see if this is something they're going to be interested in. If it is, then awesome. If it isn't (and that may be the case, since I think MG is totally new ground for both of them), or if they'd rather just watch and follow along, that's cool, too. If that were the case, I'd likely open up recruitment again, and invite some of the folks I had to turn away.

I'm imagining that character creation is going to take about a week. I'm not sure everyone checks the thread every day, and we've got folks who are learning this from scratch. Plus, it'll take us about that long, realistically, to piece together everyone's back-stories. If at all possible, I'd love for all the characters to be connected in some way or another (aside from simply being in the same patrol): maybe Character A's Mentor is Character B's Cousin, or Character C's Rival is Character D's friend, etc.

Marshmallow · June 2012

Speaking of such, do you want Parents, Gear, and Fur and Cloak Color, or we adding that later? I got some ideas but they can wait.

Also, gonna steal Everyman's formatting.

Name: Roric
Age: 50
Rank: Patrol Leader

Save for winter? No (+0)
Stand and fight or run and hide? Run and Hide (+1) (Fighter -1)
Fear owls, weasels, wolves? Yes (+1)

Nature: 5
Will: 5
Health: 4

Where is your character from?
Lockhaven (Weaver / Generous)
Pick an area in which you are naturally talented.
Deceiver
What was your parents' trade?
Brewer
How do you convince people that you're right, or to do what you need?
Deceiver and Persuader
With whom did you apprentice for the Guard? What was that mouse's trade?
Dwight the Brewer
What did your Mentor stress in training?
Mentor Beverly stressed Instructor
What kind of experience do you have in the Guard? (Patrol Leader: 9 pts)
Persuader x3
Instructor x2
Fighter x1
Scout x 1
Healer x 1
Weather Watcher x1
What's your Specialty?
Instructor!

Instructor 5
Persuader 5
Brewer 3
Deceiver 3
Weaver 2
Healer 2
Scout 2
Weather Watcher 2
Fighter 1

Alcohol-Wise 3
Poison-Wise 2
Mouse Guard-wise 2

Resources 5
Patrol Guard (4)
In Winter, do you still practice a trade like weaving, smithing, or pottery for the Guard? Yes, Brewing (+1, Cannot take Leader)
Are your parents smiths, politicians, merchants, or apiarists? No (+0)
Do you like to buy gifts for yourself and your friends? Yes (-1)
Are you thrifty? No (+0, Can take Generous)
Have you ever been in debt? Or are you generally bad with money? No (+0)
Do you always pack carefully for a journey, ensuring you have everything you need? Yes (+1, Cannot take Bold or Fiery)

Circles 5
Patrol Guard (3)
Is your mouse gregarious? Does he have lots of friends? Does he make friends easily? Yes (+1, Cannot take Bitter or Jaded)
Do you have strong ties to the Guard? Perhaps a family tradition, or allies within the Guard? Yes, Family in the Guard (+1)
Has your character accomplished some great task in the Guard? Does he already have a reputation? No (+0)
Does your character have powerful enemies in the Territories? No (+0)
Has your character ever been convicted of a crime? No (+0)
Is your character a loner, tough and cool? No (+0, Can take Extrovert)

Traits
Generous 1
Extrovert 1
Cunning 1

milk ducks · June 2012

By the way, I touched base a little bit on this during my opening post, but I think it's best for me to reveal a bit more about my imagining of the game world. It might help to get the creative juices flowing.

The Winter War of 1149 was a massive blow to both the Territories and the Mouse Guard. Although they were successful in driving the Weasels back beyond the Scent-Border, the mice of the Territories faced staggering losses. It would take years to finally account for all the dead and missing mice.

In 1152, the Territories once again faced the harsh winds of War. Only this time, it began from within, rather than without: a mouse by the name of Midnight, himself an armorer in service of the Guard, began to question Gwendolyn's leadership. He argued that predators should be exterminated, rather than endured. He wanted to hunt down the remaining pockets of Weasel resistance and crush them. He felt that what the Territories needed most was a strong centralized government, and he believed that he himself should control it.

He raised an army called the Axe, and led his forces against Lockhaven, carrying with him the mythical Black Axe of a long-forgotten hero.

In the end, his army was defeated by what remained of the Guard. Fearing that simply executing Midnight would turn him into a martyr, Gwendolyn chose instead to exile him beyond the Scent-Border. The remainder of his army was disbanded, and largely forgiven for their crimes. Over a hundred surviving members of the Axe were allowed to return to their lives. Only three were ever punished by local magistrates for their part in Midnight's rebellion.

The current year is 1154, and Spring has come again to the Territories.

The Guard has been hardened by years of war and bloody conflicts, and now lack heartfelt compassion for the mice of the settlements. Lockhaven, the capital of the Territories and headquarters of the Mouse Guard, remains in a state of martial law.

The settlements in some areas of the Territories are in shambles. The community structure of mice has been damaged by war. There is a need for mice that truly desire to rebuild homes, inns, barns, bridges, and farms (as well as other structures). There is also a need for mice that truly want to preserve communities, arts, societies, and free rights (as well as other cultures).

The Guard is in need of good mice to serve in the ranks. The number of lost mice is horrific to consider. The number of currently serving Guard mice is unsettling. Too many rooms in Lockhaven rest empty now. Gwendolyn must have new recruits.

The Territories remain a very dangerous place for mice. Travel among the settled regions has plummetted to all-time lows. Trails, roads, and paths may go unused and untended for several more years. There is an ever-present need to move news through the settled regions and to Lockhaven.

During our adventures, Gwendolyn will have a standing order (as in a duty which always takes precedence over anything else) of Observe & Report.

Observe: The few mice still serving must be preserved. When possible, avoid confronting predators except in self-defense.

Report: The secrets of Darkheather were among the greatest dangers during the war. The Guard must not keep secrets from each other or from settlement mice.

milk ducks · June 2012

I do want that stuff @Marshmallow , yeah. It can wait, though, if you want other people to flesh out their mice a bit more, first. Also, your character looks great. I'll go ahead and lock you in for the Patrol Leader position.

Marshmallow · June 2012

Cool, I'll lay low until some more mice get in here. Just in case I get some better ideas or spot a good opportunity to tie some background up with another fella's character.

milk ducks · June 2012

The group seems to be coming along pretty nicely: Lane's a hell of a fighter, and he's got some solid survival skills to back it up, so he'll be useful in Fight and Journey Conflicts, for sure; Roric, on the other hand, has incredible social skills, and a knack for teaching others all the things he's learned. He'll be a lot of fun in Argument and Negotiation Conflicts.

So, even just between the two of you, most of the major Conflict types seem pretty good. If I could make some suggestions for additional characters? We could maybe use a dedicated Scout (for recon and Chase Conflicts), as well as someone skilled in Haggler (as it's used for both offense and defense in Negotiation Conflicts).

Looks solid.

Marshmallow · June 2012

I was considering trying to fit some haggling into Roric's skillset but couldn't manage it without trashing both his Deceiving skill and Lockhaven ties due to it not being a Leader skill.

I imagine Roric is just way too used to having Lockhaven pay for his room and board to bother with it.

Also, Instructor can be used with another, skilled mouse in order to teach a skill the Instructor doesn't actually know! A Lane/Roric team up has the potential to turn out some very potent Mouse Guards between Lane's uncommonly strong fundamentals and Roric's ability to get recruits to pay attention.

The Everyman · June 2012

Going off Milk's desire for us to be connected: since Lane and Roric's ages are so close, I figure they might know each other from long before the war. Maybe they served as tenderpaws/guardsmice together in their younger days?

Rius · June 2012

I'll be weighing in to this tomorrow; today has vanished rather quickly

the_jake_1973 · June 2012

Name: Basil Ironheart
Age: 19
Home: Flintrust
Fur Color: Grey with a rust splotch on his chest
Guard Rank: Guardmouse
Cloak Color: Dark Forest Green
Belief: Trust the Guard, never a politician.
The situation in Flintrust is lagely one of political and trade corruption. At least, this is what Basil has been told growing up. Nothing he has seen since has changed his mind on that matter.
Goal:
Instinct: Provide for those in need.
This is the instinct that drove Basil into a shortlived life of crime. His desire to provide for his family made him pursue desparate ploys. He can get distracted by this desire to help, although he would never admit to it. He has a rough persona to maintain after all.
Gear: Two daggers, rope made from spider silk.
Fate Points: 1
Persona Points: 1
Parents: Alistair and Machiela - Insectrists
Senior Artisan: Joachim Fordham - Insectrist
Mentor: Reginald Morton - Survivalist
Friend: Thaddeus MacGregor
Enemy: Patrol Guard Haddock Sorrel

Nature: 4/4
Will: 3
Health: 5
Resources: 2

In Winter, do you still practice a trade like weaving, smithing, or pottery for the Guard? Yes, Insectrist (+1)
Are your parents smiths, politicians, merchants, or apiarists? No (+0)
Do you like to buy gifts for yourself and your friends? No (+0)
Are you thrifty? No (+0, Can take Generous)
Have you ever been in debt? Or are you generally bad with money? Yes (-1)
Do you always pack carefully for a journey, ensuring you have everything you need? No (+0)

Circles: 2

Is your mouse gregarious? Does he have lots of friends? Does he make friends easily? Yes (+1, Cannot take Bitter or Jaded)
Do you have strong ties to the Guard? Perhaps a family tradition, or allies within the Guard? No (+0)
Has your character accomplished some great task in the Guard? Does he already have a reputation? No (+0)
Does your character have powerful enemies in the Territories? No (+0)
Has your character ever been convicted of a crime? Yes (-1)
Is your character a loner, tough and cool? No (+0, Can take Extrovert)

Traits:
Bold 1
Nimble 1

Skills:
Tools-Wise 2
Scout 4
Insectrist 3
Deciever 2
Survivalist 3
Fighter 4
Healer 2
Crime-wise 2
Beetle-wise 2

Life is tough in Flintrust. Basil knows this all too well. His parents tell of a time when the town was booming and mice lived in the limestone rather than scattered among the trees and stone caves outside. The limestone structure fell into neglect which echoed the economic downturn in the town. Many families now live hand to mouth, barely getting through the winter season. The Guard has been responsible for helping the town through summer droughts or winter blizzards. Even with the help from the guard, some mice turn to crime in order to feed themselves or their families.

Basil's parents had a beetle farm since before he was born. A disease sturck hard and decimated their stock three years ago. Left with a couple male beetles, they had to resort to hiring out the beetles as transport. An unfortunate incident with an agressice blue jay left Basil's father without a leg and one of the beetles. Although trained as in insectrist, Basil was more comfortable in the wilderness. In order to feed his family, he started to hire himself out to merchants who were unable to secure Guardmice. The jobs were not bringing in enough money because of the lack of merchant traffic to Flintrust. Basil's longtime friend, Thaddeus, approached him with a proposition. He should have known better than to entertain Thad's job proposition. It was just a lookout job and the money was good. It was that appeal that got the better of Basil's judgement.

Had the job not gone so easily, Basil would not have been tempted to do another job.....and another.....and another. Basil was a year with the crew before he knew it and had developed a strong loyalty to them. They did pride themselves on not hurting any mouse and Basil was able to take care of his parents. He even got them a second beetle, a female. Then the wheels came off.

A milk run job was what was promised. Grab the taxes coming from Appleloft and melt back into the wilderness. The Guard was waiting for them. Even Basil was not able to spot the trap until it was sprung. Thaddeus was able to get away along with a young member of the crew. Basil and two others got nicked and were taken back to Flintrust for trial. Patrol Guard Haddock Sorel tried to get the three to break and name the others. When it became obvious that the other two criminals were lost to the Guard, the trial proceeded. Basil's two accomplices, older criminals both, got sentenced to iron duty in the caves for 20 seasons. They would not be seeing the light for some time. The judge hearing Basil's case had known Basil's father many years ago. He decided on an unsusal way to determine Basil's sentence.

A rust colored spot decorated Basil's chest. His mom used to tell him that he has a heart of iron and the marking was it showing through, like on Flintrust's limstone. The judge decreed that the spot be shaved off his chest. If Basil's spirit was true, the spot would grow back as it was and he would be sent to join the Guard. If it did not grow back, Basil would be mining alongside his criminal cohorts. After a nervous couple weeks, the spot grew back as vivid as it was before. Basil was then ordered to join the Guard as so many of Flintrust's sons and daughters had before him. This was Basil's second chance, his chance to do right by his parents and his city. It is said that the protests of Patrol Guard Sorrel's could be heard back at Lockhaven. Even though this was Basil's chance at redemtion in the service of mousekind, an enemy had been made. Haddock Sorrel would never speak well of Basil in private or public and would take any opportunity to humiliate him.

The next two years passed first in the service of insectrist Joachim Fordham and then with his survivalist mentor, Reginald Morton. Reginald knew about Basil's history, as did many at Lockhaven, yet he did not hold it against him. At least it seemed so. Whatever Reginald's feelings, he recommended Basil for his cloak after a particularly harrowing patrol where Basil's scouting helped the patrol avoid a close call with a marauding fox.

The cloak color recommented by Reginald was one of dark forest green. He said that it showed that although Basil carried a shadow around, he still had a vital role to play in the Guard as a scout. Reginald continued to say that as the cloak lightened with age, so too would the shadow. Basil inteds to live up to his mentor's expectations and not squander the chance he has been given.

Penny Arcade

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