This game is great. I just ran a game with some of the youth at our church and we all had a great time. It was the first time any of us have played a tabletop RPG, and the kids asked when they can play again.
Some questions came up during play and in thinking about where the next session will go.
When can players initiate a check on the GM’s turn? The mice for Deliver the Mail appear to have goals (map the trail) or instincts (check the weather every morning) that seem to suggest that players can request a check on the GM’s turn. If that is the case, is a valid instinct or goal required to use the ability? For example, do you need something like “check the weather every morning” in order to call for weather watcher during the GM’s turn?
Does armor stack or does it work like conditions? If two weasels on a team have light armor, do both add their armor bonus to the starting disposition roll?
Getting captured is mentioned as a possible of a consequence at least once in the manual. Is it ever appropriate to have this end the GM’s turn (as a twist for the second obstacle)? On the one hand it seems like a good transition point, but I can see players not wanting to waste checks trying to escape.
Is something like “knife-wise” allowed? It seems boring, but I don’t see that it is against the rules.
Welcome to the board, sroper! Sounds like you had a fun session.
I’ll take a stab at your questions:
You’re talking about tests, not about checks, I think. Yes, you can use an instinct to do this. When the situation in question comes up in play, e.g., the GM describes a morning in camp, then the player gets to test weatherwatcher, or do whatever else his instinct says.
Each team rolls for one character to establish disposition; this is the guy who gets to add his armor. The other team members simply help with the roll.
To me, this sounds like a good point to switch to the Players’ Turn. It depends, though. If you think it’s just another obstacle to overcome, you can simply call for a test and push on until the patrol has reached their destination. Then you can hand over, giving the players a shot at fulfilling their mission.
However, if you want to make a big thing out of it and think the mission can wait a bit, or see a few goals or beliefs you can hit, do it! (In situations like these, it’s often a good idea to take a look at the goals and beliefs of the players’ mice.)
Check the guidelines for creating your own wises on p. 305; Knife-wise is not a good fit, I think. (I suspect the player is thinking of doing stuff already covered by Survivalist, Fighter and such.)
Oh, about that Wise again – I just remembered some of the sample mice have Wises like Axe-wise, so I think Knife-wise should be OK, too. At least after character generation.
Yes, I mean test rather than check! Speaking of checks, is there a single pool of checks, or does each train earn checks as they are used? I read through the manual thinking they were a single pool like Persona or Fate, but the layout of the character sheet suggests each trait earns them separately. I suppose this would only come into play when recharging or temporarily upgrading a trait.
Yes, I see now that one of the characters has Axe-wise. I guess that settles it.
In the case of this Instinct, I would allow the player to ‘demand’ the Weather Watcher test amidst the GM Turn–if I or another player specifically narrated that the patrol was doing something in the morning–without requiring it as part of an Obstacle or Twist. Now, I would allow other instant action Instincts within reason; for example, ‘If a patrol mate is hurt, I’ll try to heal them immediately,’ is reasonable for a free attempt at Healer about once per GM Turn, but I might feel a little frustrated if it were triggered and successful every time I gave Injured condition.
But, I like that you used the example of the trail mapping. If a player has listed a Goal which translates very clearly into a Skill, I expect they will be actively describing that behavior or conduct throughout the GM Turn, but they won’t get to roll that test until the Player Turn. So, the mapmaker will need to keep those narrations at the tip of the tongue: “I’m pacing off some distances when the patrol takes a rest,” “I’ll be along in just a minute–gotta sketch this landmark for my map!” “How many streams did we cross? Three just then, but a fourth behind that stoney outcropping, right?”
In the GM Turn, part of my role as GM is to disrupt and interrupt the mission. Another part of my role is to challenge, How urgent is your Goal? (pg 63)
Getting captured is mentioned as a possible of a consequence at least once in the manual. Is it ever appropriate to have this end the GM’s turn (as a twist for the second obstacle)? On the one hand it seems like a good transition point, but I can see players not wanting to waste checks trying to escape.
Well, your observation makes excellent advice. It can make a good transition between GM Turn and Player Turn: “That all went south quick; looks like the mission is off the to-do list until you get free. Player Turn!” However, it also places a serious challenge for players hoping to use checks in town, with relationships, doing crafts, etc.
It might be only one Check is needed to initiate a Chase or Fight conflict (or Negotiation or Argument conflict), so it may be reasonable and fair to expect one player to pay that Check and all others simply jump into the conflict.
On the other hand, they could potentially still recover from Conditions while captive and possibly fulfill a small number of other tasks. Let the players get creative about how they are weather watching while under watch, or carefully memorizing the path while being marched away, or foraging therapeutic herbs, minerals, or insects from niches in their prison.
Feel out the group and shoot from the hip. Sometimes that will work, and sometimes it will invoke complaints.
Is something like “knife-wise” allowed? It seems boring, but I don’t see that it is against the rules.
Sure, but is that the most interesting rendition? Maybe the patrol spends a season among a town with many mice carrying pugio (probably comparable to any knife) and see the distinct fighting style with such an iconic weapon; picking up Pugio-wise during Winter reports might be really good. Maybe they even used a Resources Check to buy their own pugio.
Now, I say this for two limits: they can’t simply use their wise with every task in which a knife (or other gear item) is used or not used (“Well, I know that a knife wouldn’t be used for this job; it calls for a fork”), and it requires a richer description of how that knowledge stands out (“With the wide blade, I can deflect swords more confidently and maintain a close combat style to still use my Sharp Tooth trait in this Defend!”).
I treat the Checks as one pool per player, per session. I note which Trait the check was earned, but that is largely for Winter session. If a player is frequently using a Trait to gain checks, and using the Trait to gain a benefit, that’s a sign this characterization is pretty healthy. If they are looking to get rid of a Trait, but it is frequently used, that would be a hard sell. Maybe if it is being used too frequently, a GM can remove it, but I’ve really never seen that case.