Solo Mission ideas? My daughter's guardmouse

Mouse Guard Missions
1

Getting a group together to play has proven kinda difficult. My daughter really wants to play, so I’m trying to devise a mission or two for her. Her character is more intellectual, less martial. Very well-skilled in Survivalist, but a middling Hunter.
She wants to play a Tenderpaw, a less experienced young mouse(almost idealistic, imho). I think, however, that if she is to do primarily solo missions, she should be of higher rank.

  1. How difficult can it be to expect a single mouse to carry out missions? Any suggestions for possible solo shots?
  2. How do her Belief and Instinct stack up? I think they’re pretty good, but like all of my posts… I need advice.

Faelyn
17
Sprucetuck
Light grey fur
Tenderpaw
No cloak
Parents: Columbine and Catryn Satronio
Senior Artisan: Thryn the Harvester
Mentor: Gareth
Friend: Contro the Librarian
Enemy: Sabrin the Guardmouse from Lockhaven

B: The best Guardmouse fights with her thoughts, not with her weapon.
I: I will always think through the battle before anything happens.

Gear - Bow, cartography supplies

Traits - Nimble 1, Nocturnal 1

Nature:4
Will: 2
Health: 6
Resources: 5
Circles: 0

Healer: 2
Hunter: 2
Pathfinder: 2
Scout: 2
Survivalist: 4
Weather Watcher: 2
Cartographer: 2
Harvester: 2

Persuader: 2
Loremouse: 2
Flash-Flood Wise: 2

2

Hi Christopher,

I don’t have specific suggestions surrounding missions, but I’d focus on her relationship characters and see what comes out of it. In particular, the relationship with her mentor should remain significant, and he could be a good supporting character to accompany her on missions and offer the occasional helping die.

Her four ranks in survivalist is a big flag, so take every opportunity to twist failed tests in the direction of finding food or shelter, or make it a mission obstacle outright (e.g. jury-rigging a boat to escape a flash flood).

The Belief is fine, but I’d tighten up the Instinct. Either “Always think through the battle before anything happens” (my Burning Wheel patterning is showing), or make it more generic and broadly applicable with something like “Always have a plan.” Her Belief makes it clear she’s not eager to get into fights.

“Always have a plan” could be a nice contrast with relying on her wits as a survivalist, as well.

Good luck! How old is she? I’m interested to see how she takes to the game.

3

She’s 10. We started playing D&D last year, and she loves it (keeps bugging me to play more; I tailored a campaign for her, and she’s eager to get back into it). MG is new for us, but she really likes it. I LOVE it, but playing time is really hard to come by. I tried running a “Learn Mouse Guard” group, and the first session was good. The second session saw the parents dropping their kids off like I was a babysitter, and while the original 3 kids were kinda into it, the other 5 (!) couldn’t care less, and it got too crazy. I’m hesitant to do that again. That’s why I’d like to do stuff with my daughter and if they’re solo missions, so be it.

Thanks for the suggestions!!!

4

Is it unusual or taboo in any way to play an NPC mentor alongside the solo guardmouse? Any rules or suggestions for doing that?

5

It’s an acceptable practice as long as you keep the focus on the player and her character. Mouse Guard is designed as a team game, so one-on-one games are difficult but doable. I imagine you all will be fine. She’ll fail a lot of tests, but the game’s built to keep things moving. She’ll need all the checks she can muster for the Players’ Turn, though. I wouldn’t worry about checks and scenes for the character’s mentor.

Happy to help–your daughter’s about the same age I was when I picked up roleplaying games. Glad to see she’s excited to play.

6

Ive played with my 11 year old daughter. I usually play a GMPC alongside her charcter, but make sure she’s making all the meaningful decisions.

7

My daughter (11yo) and I just started playing within the last 24 hours. After reading through the rules and half/playing a practice game before the whole rulebook was digested. I was of the opinion the sample missions weren’t very conducive to soloing, so I took a little time and drew up the outline of the beginning of a campaign. something like…

Mission 1: Deliver urgent overwinter mail from Lockhaven to Thistledown (Obs 1). A sack of mail has been overlooked when the original delivery orders were issued to the larger patrols.

Season: Early spring (6 + #s). There is still patches of snow in the shadows of rocks and trees, melt water drips from thawing branches. The days are cool and damp, nights can be unbearably cold without a fire for warmth or shelter for protection from the elements.

Time: night
Obstacle1 – Travel - night (Obs +1), cold (obs +1), muddy (obs +1)
Conflict1 – Late winter storm (Spring 6 + #s) Attack(blizzard like conditions), Feint(swirling winds), Maneuver(reduced visibility), Defend(Lull)
Mouse: (#s Pathfinder + Health)
Obstacle2 – Having arrived in Thistledown, find the mail carrier (obs 1) depending on conditions and skill levels stumbling into an inn and convincing the innkeeper to send for the mail carrier, may be easier than finding him oneself

Mid Spring (or Summer if one mission per season): cool/clear
Mission 2: Escort the Bakers’ Representative from Thistledown to Ivydale and negotiate a contract to supply grain to Thistledown.

Time: morning
Obstacle1 – Find Representative (Obs 2)
Fail – conditions or embark later in day, can be tested and failed multiple times passed once
Obstacle2 – Travel to Ivydale (obs 1) – Thistledown to Lockhaven (obs +1) (weather? Time of day?)
Fail – Conflict1 (see storm above, similar)
Obstacle3 – Negotiation (Haggle vs. Haggle)
Fail – Conflict2 Having failed to convince the merchant quickly you enter into a long contract negotiation deep into the night. (#s Haggle + Will) see Negotiation in supplemental rulebook.

Representative: (used to “lend” dice to PC)
Nature (Mouse) = 3 Resources = 5
Will = 6 Circles = 6
Health = 3
Skills: Orator 5, Haggler 4, Administrator 3, Half-truth-wise 4
Traits: Quick-witted 1, Extrovert 1

Merchant:
Nature (Mouse) = 4 Resources = 10
Will = 6 Circles = 6
Health = 4
Skills: Haggler 5, Administrator 4, Persuader 3, Coin-wise 4, Trade-route-wise 3
Traits: Early Riser 1

Late Spring: (6) Warm/ Clear
Mission 3: Provide protection of the Grain delivery from Ivydale to Thistledown.

UNDER CONSTRUCTION
Obstacle1 – travel Ivydale to thistledown (obs 1), Ivydale to lockhaven (obs +1), cumbersome caravan (obs +1)
Obstacle2 - a downed branch. If scout branch obs 2 find unnatural cut, someone has purposely put this branch here, scout for clues obs 2 leads to confrontation (find and chase off bandits), if try to clear path obs 5 leads to ambush, if try to go around obs 4 leads to ambush (if ambushed - hold ground, protect grain caravan, representative hides, caravan driver disappears, further plot developments)

Bandit (x number of party): (#s Fighter + Health)
Nature (Mouse) = 4 Resources = 2
Will = 2 Circles = 3
Health = 5
Skills: Scout 5, Fighter 4, Deceiver 3
Traits: Young 1, Driven 1

8

OOOh!!! Looks cool! I may use this!