Mouse Guard – Summary Rules

Game Structure
Mouse Guard is more structured than other roleplaying games, but most follow a similar pattern of
some scenes set by the Game Master and some left up to the Player’s choice.

1. (Subsequent sessions) Chosen Player delivers a Prologue – Retell the last mission. Recover from
Hungry/Thirsty, Angry, or Tired, or regain a point of lost Nature.
2. Game Master assigns the Mission.
3. Player’s write session Goals.
4. Game Master’s turn
a. Introduce two obstacles to overcome: weather, wilderness, animals, mice.
i. Obstacles may be simple (a single test), complex (multiple tests), or a conflict.
ii. Players earn trait checks by using traits against their tests.
b. Failures lead to twists (another obstacle) or conditions.
5. Player’s turn
a. Players get 1 free check each, plus trait checks they earned during the GMs turn.
b. Players spend checks to take whatever actions they choose, to pursue beliefs and goals, or
other activities; or they can spend checks to recover conditions.
i. Try and involve other characters in your action scenes (to give you help).
ii. Conditions are recovered in order: Thirsty, Angry, Tired, Injured, Sick.

Tests (for simple or complex obstacles)

1. Base dice pool. Select Skill/Ability or Nature.
2. Use Trait Against to earn checks. If you have relevant Trait to Use Against, then take -1D to gain
one trait check. Or, if a versus test, you may give opponent +2D and gain two trait checks.
Gaining trait checks is important, to use them for later actions.
3. Use Trait For. If you have relevant unused level 1 or 2 Trait to Use For, then add +1D. Check the
trait as used.
4. Help. Helpers may add +1D for a relevant Wise or Skill/Ability.
5. Add Nature. Spend 1 Persona to add Nature to any roll (except Resources or Circles).
6. ROLL THE DICE! (GM rolls first)
7. Use Wises. If you have relevant Wise, Spend 1 Fate to reroll one failed die (Deeper
Understanding), or 1 Persona to reroll all failed (Of Course!). Check as used (Fate or Persona).
8. Exploding sixes. Spend 1 Fate if you have any axes (sixes) to roll additional dice.
9. Level 3 Traits. A level 3 Trait adds +1s.
10. Breaking ties. If versus test is a tie, then a level 3 Trait breaks the tie in your favor. Otherwise
unused Trait can be Used Against to break in opponents favor and gain two trait checks.
Otherwise roll tiebreaker Will/Health/Nature. If a second tie, count as failure.
11. Result. If you meet or exceed Obstacle, you succeed. Check skill/ability/nature as passed. Also
check any helping Wises as passed.
12. Otherwise GM decides failure with a Twist or success with a Condition. Check as failed. Also
check any helping Wises as failed. Ability/Skill helpers (but not Wise) suffer any Condition.

© Sly Gryphon, version 2018.08.20. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. To
view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.
 Conflicts
1. Decide the type of conflict, and the skills that will be used.
2. Determine teams and the Players elect a conflict captain.
3. State the goals for each team.
4. The conflict captain rolls for your starting Disposition. Everyone else helps. Modify
Disposition for any Conditions.
5. Game Master secretly selects 3 Actions.
6. Player captain discusses with team and chooses 3 Actions, as well as who will perform them
and in what order (assign each other team member one action).
7. Reveal first Actions.
a. Consult the action table to see how the Actions interact.
b. Make Action Tests (follow Test rules).
i. Add any modifiers from gear or weapons.
ii. Twists and Conditions do not apply to individual Tests during a conflict.
iii. Only check a skill/ability/nature the first time it is used in a conflict.
c. Change Dispositions accordingly. If either side’s Disposition is reduced to 0, stop.
8. Reveal and test for second and third Actions.
9. If teams still have Disposition of 1 or more, go back to step 5 and choose three more Actions.

Work out compromise:

a. Won
i. You lost nothing from your starting Disposition – no compromise.
ii. You lost less than half – minor compromise: Tired or Angry; minor twist (follow -
up conflict).
iii. Lost about half – compromise: Injury; Thirsty and Angry; Thirsty, Tired or Angry
and other terms.
iv. Lost most – major compromise: two of Tired, Angry, Injured; Sick and Tired;
Injured or Sick and other terms; major twist.
b. Lost
i. Opponent lost most of their starting Disposition – major compromise: most of
your goal; major twist; extract promises.
ii. Opponent lost about half – compromise: half of your goal; player creates twist;
opponent only got half their goal.
iii. Opponent lost less than half – minor compromise: small part of your goal.
iv. Opponent lost nothing – no compromise.

Character Advancement
• Fate is earned for using Beliefs and Instincts, and pursuing Goals.
• Persona is earned for going against Believes and accomplishing Goals, as well as Workhorse,
MVP, and Embodiment of conditions.
• To advance an ability (including Nature) or skill, you need a number of successes equal to
your current rating, and failures equal to current rating – 1.
• Wises and Traits can change during a Winter Session.

© Sly Gryphon, version 2018.08.20. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. To
view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.