Mouse M.D. - aka. Healing Conflict?

Mouse Guard Missions
1

Or should that be Greyfur’s Anatomy? :wink:

I want to give a healing conflict to a player.
Background information: the player is playing a character based off of the Nathaniel template and is currently getting ready to look in to some rumors of unrest in the western part of the territories.

He is going to run into some sick/poisoned mice. The local healer is sick and her apprentice is in way over her head - so here is where the character gets to step up and shine (with some helping dice from the apprentice healer and healing herbs).

My questions:
1. What should the poison’s Disposition be based off of?
2. What would be some good descriptive obstacles for the poison to take?
3. Any other good general advice (what would you do kind of stuff)?

2

One possibility is that the local healer isn’t sick, but is totally incompetent! This is obvious to the players, and so the first obstacle is clearing him or her out of the way (intimidation, persuasion, going over his/her head to secure a charter from the mayor, etc.)

My first reaction for the disease itself was to do it in one roll… but then I started thinking how much fun it could be if - instead of healing some sick mice that you’ve found - the Conflict represents the guardmice trying to fight a wildfire epidemic as it spreads through the area.

Epidemic!
Attack (Healer, Instructor) = “Tell everyone what to look out for! Stop anyone else getting infected.”

Defend (Healer, Cook, Survivalist, Carpenter) - “What are we going to do with all these sick people?”

Feint (Instructor, Scientist) - “What do you think is causing it? There has to be a better way to fight this disease!”

Maneuver (Administration, Brewer, Carpenter) - “We’ll use diluted beer, anything instead of this well water! Convert the town hall into a second ward for the new arrivals.”

Lambert’s Pox
Pox Nature 5: Infecting, Sickening, Blinding
Pox Weapons: Long Incubation Period - +2D to Defense. Transmitted by Air - +1D to Feint.

3

Thanks Fuseboy!

Those are the type of descriptive Actions I was looking for.

So just make a “Poison Nature”. Thanks!

Oh and thanks for the alternate skill use ideas as well. Very helpful.

I think this will really show the player how the MG mechanics can work for any Conflict - and he expressed an interest in the disparity of Nathaniel being a Healer and yet also being rather aggressive (which he ramped up on the character sheet).

Tangent: it is important that I can show how cool the Mouse Guard game is because he is the only player that was willing to give it a try. So if I can show him how nice the Conflict mechanic is - he enjoys descriptions and high energy action scenes that aren’t necessarily combat - and really get him excited it should bode well for convincing the rest of the group. /tangent.

As an aside I’m using Jonathan Walton’s brilliant idea. I particularly like the song of Caroline. And tying it to Midnight’s rebellion.

4

Actually, now that I think about it…

I like the idea of using a DoW Conflict (with the Healer).
Followed by a Conflict of organizing the town against the infection (as Fuseboy suggested).
And then finally having a Conflict with the disease/poison/infection (a la medical TV shows).
There’s a whole GMs Turn.

I really like the idea of highlighting Nathaniel’s Healer skill directly against the poison.

So musing farther on this I’m wondering what types of (descriptive) Actions the poison/infection would take?

EDIT: The purpose for the duel of wits being that the Healer is a rebel and is actually the original poisoner. Although initially I like the idea of him/her pretending to be incompetant.

5

Here is the Mission template I’m thinking of using:
(I’m usually less organized than this).

Gwendolyn is sending Nicodemus to White Pine because there has been rumors of unrest: in particular there is a song that has been circulating that seems rather anti-Guard. Another small patrol of guardsmice will be sent shortly after Nicodemus is sent out - once the patrol returns to Lockhaven. The Guard leader, named Thom, will arrive in White Pine with further instructions from Gwendolyn.

Goal: Find out what the source of this unrest is before the other guard company arrives. (Obviously the player may take any angle on this and make it in to his personal Goal).

Scene 1: Pathfinder test (find the settlement of White Pine) - Simple Obstacle.
GM: Failure introduces a twist. You arrive late, after dusk, and encounter Midnight and Abigail, fellow Guardsmice, meeting outside…

Scene 2: Duel of Wits with the local healer who is, apparently, incompetant and going about things wrong.
GM: The local healer, named Jace, has an outbreak on his hands. He is doing everything wrong on purpose. Unfortunately Nicodemus has arrived. Jace’s goal in the DoW is: “I know what I’m doing! Help don’t hinder my healing efforts.” Failure causes an enemy (Jace) and/or Angry Condition. Depending on what happens this influences the next 2 scenes.

Scene 3: Complex Obstacle - organize the town against the epidemic.

  1. Orator/Instructor: “Tell everyone what to look out for! Stop anyone else getting infected.”
  2. Carpenter/Survivalist: “What are we going to do with all these sick people?”
  3. Scientist/Healer: “What do you think is causing it? There has to be a better way to fight this disease!”
  4. Brewer/Cook/Carpenter: “We’ll use diluted beer, anything instead of this well water! Convert the town hall into a second ward for the new arrivals.”
    GM: Abigail’s Poison is Nature 5. Failure causes the mouse to become Tired.

Scene 4: Conflict - Fight the Infection/Poison!
GM: Poison Nature 5 - Act like a disease, Sickening, Blinding. Weapons: Long Incubation Period - +2D to Defense. Acts like a disease/Hard to diagnose - +1D to Maneuver. (This is to showcase the Conflict rules and to spotlight Nicodemus’ healing skill).

Player’s Turn. Once the poison has been dealt with the player’s turn begins. Good time to ask the local’s about the Tragic Tale of Caroline and complete the Mission Goal.

Continuing the Adventure: The healer’s apprentice has seen Jace talking with Abigail in the dark outside town in secret, and although she is loyal to her mentor she could be persuaded to fess up.

If Jace was ousted he leaves to Elmwood with the last of his poison to meet up with Midnight’s rebels there - and then on to Barkstone. (Eventually he will do this anyways, this just happens sooner).

Thom will arrive with another guardsmouse and instruct Nicodemus to pursue Jace with the other guardsmouse (next player) and him. In Elmwood they can uncover the plot with the grainmouse (which is how Gwendolyn finds out about it and sends Kenzie’s patrol after him).

Backstory Notes: It is the early summer of 1152. Midnight has yet to attack Lockhaven. Abigail is in contact with Jace. This will eventually lead to the Guard suspecting the grain merchant and the events that transpire in the fall of 1152 with Kenzie’s Patrol.

Any thoughts on this scenario? Anything that could be better or more interesting?

6

I think you should combine Scene 3 and Scene 4. Rather than having them be separate, the players are racing against time against the poison (which could be a sickness deliberately introduced into the well).

The epidemic by doing things like overwhelming the PCs and those they’re coordinating with the horror of the symptoms, like bleed-outs, agonizing deaths, whole households found contorted and stiff (Attack). Then seeming to abate, while it’s really incubating in record numbers of victims (Defense); suddenly a rash of infections turn up in the outlying areas of the settlement (Feint). Perhaps it gets into the food supplies, or even some of the medical supplies the players have been using (Maneuver).

If they do poorly, the epidemic wins. They may still figure out that it was poison, but the town has been decimated so badly that by next Spring it won’t even be a town.

If this is the first time you’re using Conflict, I’d be careful, though. It’s already somewhat abstract, and I wouldn’t rely on it being exciting the first time the group fumbles through the rules.

7

This was really cool. I might steal it if I can’t get my own idea work properly. This seems better. :slight_smile: