I created this mission to be played at the upcoming QCC convention in Buffalo NY.
Have trouble with cut/paste. To be continued…
>_< haha!
i opened this with child like glee… im like all those videos of kids opening iPads at Xmas and finding some “clever” prank from thier dad
Intro: the patrol is located at an outpost in the wilds just outside of Copperwood. In the previous mission they oversaw the outpost’s construction. Now they await the arrival of the guardmouse who will be stationed there. They plan to orient him or her and then be on their way.
But early this morning, the mice are awakened by a loud BOOMING sound and the ground shaking. They can’t figure out what it was. But an hour later, a mouse arrives and urgently pleads for the guardmice to come at once. There’s been a cave in at the Copperwood Mine. Several miners are trapped inside.
[Pause for players to write goals]
1st Challenge:
The patrol arrives at the mine entrance and meet with the Foreman. A group of miners gather around and an argument breaks out among them over which way to go after the trapped miners: through the collapsed tunnel itself or through a roundabout way, by entering a non-collapsed mine shaft and hopefully finding a connecting passage deep inside the mine.
This is a VS test for PERSUADER. The guardmice can choose a side and argue their point. The Foreman will argue the opposite point. He has PERSUADER 4 and has two strong supporters who lend him +2 helper dice. The guardmice have one strong supporter, +1 helper die.
Whoever wins, that will be the point of entry that the guardmice must take, but potentially with a condition if they lose.
CHAOS IN COPPERWOOD
A custom Mouse Guard adventure by zzzman74
Official Scenario for use at Queen City Conquest, Buffalo NY
BACKGROUND:
The players are on layover after completing a mission to oversee construction of an outpost in the rocky crags north of Copperwood. The construction is complete and the first mouse sentry, Brodie, is due to arrive any day. The Patrol will orient him upon his arrival. One player starts with a point of taxed nature from the start and he may electively narrate a PROLOGUE to eliminate that one point of TAX. He can make up a story about the construction of the outpost and the problems the mice encountered. If he chooses to not do the PROLOGUE, he keeps the tax and the GM narrates a brief background.
INTRO:
The team is startled to hear the sound of a terrible rumbling one morning. An hour later, a young mouse arrives begging for the Mouse Guard’s aid. “There’s been a cave in at the Copperwood Mine. Shaft #3 has collapsed and miners are trapped inside. Hurry!” The young mouse, Trey, leads the guardmice to the scene of the collapse at the mines.
AT THE MINE:
Carlton, the Foreman, is busy organizing work teams. Everything and every mouse is covered with a fine brown dust. There is a sense of urgency in the air. Trey eagerly announces the arrival of the Mouse Guard. Scattered cheers emerge from the crowd along with hopeful looks from the gathered miners. Carlton gets right down to business briefing the patrol on the situation:
• All the miners are accounted for except for the team in Shaft #3
• Shaft #2 is currently not collapsed but shows signs of instability. It might collapse at any time.
• Shaft #3 is completely sealed shut by rocks and rubble. There is no contact at this point with the mice inside.
• It is known that deep inside the mines, some passages from mines 2 and 3 connect. It might be possible to enter Shaft 2 and locate the miners in Shaft 3, but it isn’t certain.
• Carlton wants the MG to go in and rescue the trapped mice or at least recover their bodies.
• Either way, a dispute breaks out between the gathered mice over which point of entry is best. The dangerous but direct Shaft 3 or the easier but potentially fruitless Shaft 2.
This is a quick PERSUADER VERSUS TEST. It will be one guardmouse’s PERSUADER skill + helper dice VS Longtooth, a vocal miner who argues in opposition. Longtooth has PERSUADER 4
• If the MG wins, the miners support the MG plan and the MG will get +1SUCCESS on their next test roll.
• If the MG fails, the miners convince them to choose their option, but the MG and helpers become ANGRY. But the MG still gets +1DICE on their next test because the miners help them.
[Go to the description for the Mine Shaft based on the outcome of the persuader test]
MINE SHAFT 3: The dark, deep hole into the side of the mountain is surprisingly hot, dusty and confined. The miners lead the way in, lighting the way with lanterns and carrying some basic tools such as shovels, pickaxes and rope. They quickly reach the site of the collapse. This will be an OB4 LABORER test to safely clear away the rubble. Remember to add the bonus from the previous persuader test. Either way, the miners stop here to maintain the exit way.
• Pass: A hole is cleared into the darkness beyond! Voices echo from beyond. Some of the miners must still be alive! Go to 4A.
• Fail (apply a twist): A hole is cleared into the darkness beyond, but the mice are greeted with only silence. There is no evidence of life beyond. Go to 4B
MINE SHAFT 2: The wide spacious mine shaft slopes gently down into the mountain. The miners lead the way in, lighting the way with lanterns and carrying some basic tools such as shovels, pickaxes and rope. They quickly reach an area where the wooden support beams are visibly broken and show signs of impending collapse. The miners know that these supports must be built up or else the whole tunnel may give in. This is an OB 4 CARPENTER test to safely shore up the weakened tunnel. Remember to add the bonus from the previous persuader test. Either way, the miners stop here to maintain the exit way.
• Pass: The MG proceeds on and soon hears the sounds of voices in the distance! Some of the miners must be alive! Go to 4A
• Fail (apply a twist): There is no signs of life as the MG continues deeper into the mountain.
4A The Miners are (mostly) Safe!: Three trapped miners are found huddled together. Nesbit “Nes” is the team leader. Filbert and Ruffo are his teammates, Ruffo being injured but capable of walking. A fourth miner, “Jibbles” has been captured and dragged off, screaming, into the darkness by an enormous hairy spider! The miners beg that the MG rescues Jibbles before they leave.
4B Signs of Trouble: The patrol discovers evidence of a struggle. Equipment lays scattered about and there are spots of blood on the floor. Footprints are scattered everywhere in the dust. A trail of blood, many strange footprints (not mouse) and the marks of something being dragged away disappear down a dark corridor ahead.
THE SPIDER DEN: Either way, the patrol follows the footprints to the source: the den of a large hairy spider! This will be a good-old-fashioned FIGHT CONFLICT.
HAIRY SPIDER:
Nature 5
Long Legs: +2 to maneuver, +1 to feint
Disposition 7
Goal: capture one of the MG mice to save for a later meal
• MG wins: the spider is defeated, Jibbles is located alive, all the miners are rescued.
• MG loses: the spider grabs one of the MG mice and drags him off into the darkness. The guardmice are forced to accept defeat. They return to the miners without Jibbles but are able to rescue the three.
• Compromise ideas: Jibbles’ could be injured or sick, and he could be related to one of the MG friends or contacts. MG may take conditions depending on the degree of compromise. Allow players to help brainstorm compromise ideas.
• Either way, it is now the PLAYERS TURN
**NAME LIST (I include this to help me have a large number of names available in case I need to introduce new characters on the fly):
Male: Tyndall, Bryce, Xavier, Josef, Martin, Sven, Adyll, Alex, Kenneth, Landin, Glenn, Tall Jim, Short Jim, Corron, George
Female: June, Karynn, Kristina, Lora-Lee, Whisp, Penelope, Glenda, Lucinda, Tamarin, Belle, Marjorie, Annabelle, Gwen, Trina, Ophelia
Feedback is always welcome.
firstly - i now know exactly how to plan sessions! haha! its almost like a choose your own adventure, but left a little more open
secondly - i really like it!, i love the fact that if they do well they still go into the conflict, just not blind.
i really like how mouseguard almost IS rail roaded… but not in a bad way, i imagine a whole ton of RP around this, especially the arguement with the miners
really nicely done
Who are the mice and how do their BIGs go into this?
Good question. I haven’t created my pregen characters yet. I will be using pregen from the rulebook and modifying their BIGs to fit this mission. If you have any ideas let me know, otherwise, I’ll be sure to post the character info as soon as I get them ready.
Maybe one of the guardmice could have a pre-existing relationship with one of the trapped miners–good or bad.
I like it. I like it!
Hey Everyone,
My name’s Drew, Im a friend of Zzzman74 and had the luck of playing in this particular adventure at QCC. I have read the rules, but never had a chance see an example of play. I’m sure he’ll agree, this was a near perfect RPG session. I now feel that I’ve got the experience to confidently run an MG adventure for my friends at home!
This was a solid adventure that left us with lots of “loose ends” in the Players Turn to keep us engaged and interested. From reading the rules, I had gotten the impression that the Players Turn was generally going to be “in town” and players persuing a lot of mundane things, that The Action of the adventure was over after the GM’s turn. This adventure changed my thinking on that. While we saw the Climax of the Action in the Conflict during the GM’s Turn, we had so many loose ends and goals resulting from the reveal of information during the GM’s turn that we were fully engaged until the end of the session.
This leads me to think that there is much potential for “investigations” during the Players Turn. A common theme in spy-thrillers is that Dangerous Situations are rewarded with Information/Investigation… which leads you into more Danger. I see a similar set up with GM Turns as the Danger, and Players Turn rewards you with Information which heads right back into the next GM Turn’s Danger. The Players goals will motivate them to follow those leads in their Turn.
bah!, i’ve gone off topic. Point Is: This is a solid adventure from an insightful author. 
I love the session prep for this freakin game!
This is a very well thought out and constructed Session. Would it be alright if I used it myself sometime?
Of course! It’s free for all to use and modify. Enjoy!
Hi Zzzman and Drew, I really like this scenario.
Can I use it for something? Please email me at burningwheel@burningwheel.com
Thanks!
-L
So how did the BIGs for the pregens end up? Color me very interested.