Rangers of the North (Peer Review)

Mouse Guard Hacks and Expansions
1

Saint&Sinner and I have been working on a hack for MG called Rangers of the North (or Realm Guard). We’re at the stage where we could use peer review to ensure the main nuts and bolts are locked down.

The file is about 4.5mb (PDF) and is at 36 pages right now.

I don’t want to make this widely available, so I’d like to have about 3 or 4 people checking it out. Not to call anyone out, but… Aramis, you seem to know MG really well and I respect your insights/advice on the forums. S&S and I would appreciate your insights, if you have the time. Others interested, please message me.

Specific things we’d like input on:

[ul]Natures: On p. 18 of the PDF, as well as all the creature Natures further on starting on p. 24. The rough rule is 3 descriptors per race and 4 per creature (including Orcs, etc.). Not concerned with gerunds, nouns… if you think something would work better, post here[/ul]

[ul]Traits: Additions or removals?[/ul]

[ul]Wises: Fleshing them out, though I’ve come up with a pretty decent list with ~90 wises[/ul]

[ul]Environment Nature: Whether or not specific ‘Places of Note’ (Moria, Ettenmoors, Dead Marshes, Fangorn Forest, etc.) should have a Nature themselves[/ul]

[ul]Tokens of Power: Does the concept make sense and is using a trait-like system the right way to go about it?[/ul]

[ul]Anything else you spot or can think of![/ul]

Please use this thread only for peer review feedback re: the PDF content. Please continue to use the hack thread (link at the top of this post) for contributing ideas to the hack concept itself.

2

Nobody? QQ and such.

3

Over at the Norwegian roleplaying boards we want to try out this hack, so if you want a playtest report, then I might be able to lead a group in about a week or two’s time.

4

Sounds good. I’ll fire you the link to the PDF later on this evening (my time). I need to re-upload the file but right now I gotta head out for a MG game. :slight_smile:

5

Cool, will post feedback after we’ve had a cajce to try this out, which will be in a week or so.

6

Here is the Rangers of the North hack PDF (4.56mb, 36 pages).

7

Thanks, had a chance to take a look at it and it looks great! Will bring further feedback after playtest, hopefully next week.

8

The Nature questions are backwards with the new Nature. I’d also add a question, “Have you ever lost someone you loved (parent, etc)?” If yes increase Nature by one, can’t take take Innocent or Extrovert traits.

I’d like to increase skills slightly. Maybe have a base of 2 rather than 1?

9

Haha! True. Good eye. I’ll reverse those that are backwards.

For the Nature question, there’s already one that excludes the player from taking Extroverted and Innocent. Might be able to boil that in with “Do you venture alone?” since a yes to that one excludes Compassionate or Extrovert. Or… we replace that question with “Have you lost someone close to you – a comrade, friend or family member?” We don’t want too many questions as we can’t count on someone not going for all "no"s or all "yes"s. If someone chooses to maximize the Nature questions, the ceiling has to be 6 and the “floor” has to be 2.

You mean have all skills start with base 2, then add char gen checks to that?

My worry is that people will just choose as many skills as possible, since checking a skill once would net you a starter skill of 3. Spread those checks out and that’s a lot of skills with a decent base. It will likely take away from the niche nature of MG and cause a lot of group overlap.

10

How about these (3 decrease, 3 increase):

Have you killed a creature of the Enemy or survived something in the wilds that could have killed you?

If so, decrease Nature by 1. You may not take the Fearful or Young traits.

Can you trace your lineage back to the Second Age?

If so, increase Nature by 1.

Have you ever lost someone close to you?

If so, increase Nature by 1. You may not take the Innocent trait.

Do you call the wilds home?

If so, decrease Nature by 1. You may not take the Open-Minded trait.

Are you married?

If so, increase Nature by 1. You may not take the Independent trait.

Is fighting the Enemy more important than maintaining close ties with friends and family?

If so, decrease Nature by 1. You may not take the Compassionate trait.

11

The chain and plate armor descriptions look identical. Plate or chain doesn’t make much sense unless there is a war situation anyway. What if Plate added more to Disposition but the -1D became -1s?

Also, I’ll have to think about the Nature questions but they look better.

12

Ah, I forgot the +1s Disposition in addition to the +1s Defend actions. Also forgot the penalty to skills which will be on top of the Maneuver and Feint -1D penalty, and the -1D Health to resist fatigue.

Changed it to:

Plated Armor
+1s to Disposition and Defend actions in a fight. Clumsy: -1D to Maneuver and Feint tests in a fight. -1D to Scout and Survivalist tests. Heavy: -1D Health tests to resist fatigue.