Several Questions from my First Patrol

Mouse Guard Getting Started with Mouse Guard
1

So my Tenderpaw, Brannigan joined his first patrol last night.

Brannigan the Tenderpaw
Moustafa the Patrol Leader
Rosalie the Guardmouse

Our first mission was to go to Grasslake and drive off a Snapping Turtle. I suggested using Loremouse to tell the turtle to leave (“Tasty fish on the other side of the lake. Go away”). I use Beginner’s Luck and have 1 die to roll against Ob 5. I use my Bold/Inquisitive traits against me, and don’t roll. +2 checks.

I’m still not sure I’m getting the order of operations for Beginners Luck and negative Traits right. The book says to add bonuses from gear, help, and wises, then divide by 2, then add persona points or tapping nature. But where to positive/negative traits go?

Of course I fail, and the twist is that the turtle attacks us. The other two come to bail me out and we have three teams for the conflict.

Team 1: Brannigan (drive off the turtle)
Team 2: Moustafa/Rosalie (drive off the turtle)
Team 3: Snapping Turtle (eat a mouse)

Ending dispositions:

Team 1: 0/8
Team 2: 2/7
Team 3: 0/14

I’m still not sure how multiteam compromises should go. I’m starting to think that I should have been left for dead (-1 Resources/-1 Circles). The GM decided that I was injured and wanted to cut off my Longtail trait. But the table chatter was against that, so she said it could be sewn back on.

After the fight, we were asked by the townsfolk to help rebuild, so I suggested using my Carpenter know-how (2 +1 laborers +1 tools) to lead the efforts. I traded away two dice with Longtail/Bold and failed again. +2 checks.

Then in the player turn, I wanted to take every other turn since I had 4+1 checks, while everyone else had just their freebie. The GM thought it wasn’t fair. I’m pretty sure the book just says no consecutive turns.

After the session, the Patrol Leader’s player said that it didn’t seem right trading away dice when there was no chance of success to begin with. But he wasn’t any other time, either. I think he’s stuck in “Win Mode” from his time with D&D.

  1. Can you trade away 2 dice using two negative traits?

  2. Can you trade away dice when you can’t succeed?

  3. Can you trade away your last die?

  4. Can traits be taken away as part of a compromise or a DM imposed obstacle twist?

  5. How do multi-team compromises work?

  6. Can you take every other turn in the Player’s Turn if you have lots of checks?

  7. Do traits (positive or negative) apply before or after dividing by two when using Beginner’s Luck?
    a. (Will+Trait)/2
    b. (Will/2)+Trait

  8. How would you go about helping other players break out of their shell and try to fail more?

  9. Isn’t this game the best? Thanks Luke.

2

[quote=“neverstatic”]

You still get to roll, and in theory, you can drop a fate to open end. It is possible to have an Ob high enough that you must burn Artha to hit it.

As you set up, each team has a primary target.
As teams go out (Dispo=0), record the disposition of each team targeting them, and that of the one that they targeted.
Once all teams left are not aimed at each other, end.
At end, negotiate each resulting compromise individually.
Then apply them all.

Yes. Even points that out in the rules.

Make failure interesting.

Darned near. But it’s not great for everyone… some can’t handle it. My group flummoxed when I stopped being neurotic about narrating in conflicts.

3

You should have all been one team. You all had the same goal.

  1. You can only use one trait at a time.

  2. You always have a chance of succeeding, but you can make it harder on yourself.

  3. Sure, why not? Fun time with twists and conditions.

  4. No. Traits are gained and lost in the Winter Session. They can be temporarily neutralized in a conflict via the Disarm action.

  5. Everyone compromises based on the relative levels of their opponent. If the turtle loses but knocks one team down to 1, but only takes 2 points off another team, the first team owes a major compromise and the second team owes a minor.

  6. Sure, but you shouldn’t hog the spotlight. You should be generous and pass your extra checks around.

  7. Treat them like persona points. They come in after.

  8. I dive blissfully and willingly into failure myself. I don’t set myself up to fail, rather I enthusiastic take legitimate risks.

  9. Aw shucks. Thank you!

-L

4

Just to clarify, you can only hinder or help yourself with one trait at a time. Technically, you can hinder yourself with one trait, and help yourself with another.