Roll20 Listing: <a href="https://app.roll20.net/lfg/listing/177830/mouse-guard#newtopic" rel="nofollow">https://app.roll20.net/lfg/listing/177830/mouse-guard#newtopic</a> Story Fall is reaching its end in the Mouse Territories. Busy mice harvest and forage to fill their storerooms, trailblazers store food and supplies along the many pathways both new and old, and distant families journey by escort to nearby settlements before the cold snap of Winter makes travel impossible. For all of micekind, Fall is a time of haste and concluding one's affairs. For all micekind, that is, except you. Your tale is only just beginning... Lockhaven, the stone keep central to the Mouse Territories, swells with new numbers. Escorted to the city by final seasonal patrols, a swathe of new recruits eagerly await the festivities that promise the beginning of the pursuit of their dreams: to become Mouse Guard. With bated breath, they gather in the Great Hall in wait for the ceremonial sorting into the one of the three Old Houses: Primrose, Dandelion, and Foxglove. Savory pies and baked morsels keep their idle hands and mouths busy, but none--not even the hungriest-- allow their attention long to leave the esteemed Matriarch, Gwendolyn. Soon, the pupils will embark upon an adventure. They will be tested and pushed to their limits. Together, they will grow-- and with the right grit, and no small portion of luck, they might one day become a part of something greater than themselves. However... As the hearthfires warm the stone halls and the tenderpaws begin their training, a separate flame kindles elsewhere-- the fires of rebellion. Whispers from the West speak of a growing discontent among the settlements along the scent border boundary. The taste of blood yet spilled wets the lips as old slights among rivals burn within passion-filled hearts. Unrest and uncertainty begin to boil. An unknown era threatens the already fragile political climate of the territories. And to the East, a lone survivor returning from an ill-fated patrol spreads word of the return of an ancient foe: a great beast from beyond the Scent Wall-- one whose very presence, if true, threatens the lives of all micekind... What is Mouse Guard? Mouse Guard is an RPG in which players take on the role of anthropomorphic mice in a dangerous and beautiful frontier. Rather than a world of fantasy with magic, elves, and dragons, players are faced with challenges from our own 'real' world. The fantasy of Mouse Guard is in its fantastical scale . You'll seek shelter from torrential spring rains under the cover of a maple leaf, fjord perilous streams with cattail watercraft, work as a team to slay a treacherous viper, and by night burrow beneath exposed roots to avoid the sharp, hunting eyes of an Owl. Yet, against all odds, mice have created settlements, fortresses, and established a way of life valuing freedom that must be vigilantly protected. As players, you'll be playing good-aligned characters in a game system that emphasizes teamwork, cooperation, strategy, wits, and survival. As far as game systems go, Mouse Guard is perhaps one of the most elegant systems I've come to learn. There are no strict classes or overpowered builds. It's a game system that mechanically encourages good roleplay, regular character development, and growth-- with a unique and exciting combat system. What is MY Mouse Guard Campaign? I've written roughly 50 pages of material for a comprehensive homebrewed story as an adaptation of a classic Shakespeare tale, with a plethora of lovable (And loathsome!) characters, factions, interests. While I do use many canon characters in the Mouse Guard graphic novel setting, I've taken a great number of creative liberties-- so please don't expect this to be a perfect extension of the books. With my Roll20 Pro Account and numerous marketplace purchases over the years, I've put together unique maps, tokens, and macros for ease of gameplay. We'll be using Discord for voice. The campaign will include challenging natural survival, dynamic personalized stories, political intrigue, war, romance-- and hopefully, a really cool game that gives everyone some awesome wholesome vibes. I mean, we're mice working together to overcome obstacles. If that's not charming I don't know what is. While players will definitely be playing good-guys, I'm going to constantly try to challenge character beliefs and immerse them into a world of difficult decisions and moral grays. Custom-Designed Prologue System One of my proudest features in this game is its hand-crafted character creation system. Since I'm expecting that most people are unfamiliar with the game itself (And since I originally designed this for my friends IRL, who definitely didn't know the game), I've created a way for you to create your character and learn to play in an organic, in-character prologue that will take place over the first few sessions. You'll each start as first year recruits in Lockhaven. You'll have a few simple character beliefs, and a light backstory (including family and hometown); and from there, we'll create your character based on how you've played him/her in the prologue. As a character, you'll go through classes, training, drills, and numerous social challenges. I'll closely watch how you roleplay and interact, and award your character with 'traits'. For example, if a player constantly inserts themselves into danger to protect their friends, I'll give them the ' Brave' trait. If your character arrived at Lockhaven and aspired to be a valiant swordsman, but you failed most if not all of your combat drills, you might just be better suited to books and people instead! By the end of the prologue, you'll have a complete character sheet as per normal rules. But don't worry! Nothing in Mouse Guard is locked into place! Any character can learn any skill with the right amount of time and determination. And I'm not a cruel monster-- if you disagree with an assigned 'trait' we can always talk about it. This is, ultimately, your story. The goal isn't to lock you into playing something you don't really want to. But I -would- encourage players to be open to letting RP organically develop their characters! In essence, we'll be creating character sheets as we go, and they will represent your character's habits, mannerisms, successes, and flaws as they've been portrayed. You create your character... by how you play your character! My DM Experience I've been roleplaying and playing tabletop games for more than 12 years. Most of my experience is in D&D (In particular, 5e), as well as 2e Ravenloft. I'm new to Mouse Guard, and I'm using this roll20 campaign to help me prepare for running an IRL game of the same story. Essentially-- you'll be my test mice! Hah! As a DM, I personally enjoy improvisation , and one of my favorite things is finding neat ways to give you personalized twists and engaging plots. I like to learn and discover who your characters are, and then give them opportunities to flourish individually and as a group . I have a budding passion for voice acting (though I don't require it for my players). I have also DM'd campaigns upwards of 2 years in the running, so I'm capable of the commitment needed. You as Players Most importantly, I want to find players who are excited to imagine, and supportive of other players Rp. No prior experience is required, whatsoever. Be that in Mouse Guard or otherwise. I'm also looking for players who can initiate Rp and drive their own stories too. While I have crafted a huge storyline, a lot of Mouse Guard is designed to be a kind of sandbox-experience. There are essentially two 'turns' in the game, the GM's turns, and the players' turn. During the players' turn, very similar to other games' "downtime", you'll spend actions earned from good roleplay on personal activities and pursuits. ALSO, I'm not demanding that players commit to playing a year+ long experience. I've very purposefully segmented the storyline into chapters so that there will be conclusive, climatic moments during the full story that... well, should allow you to feel pretty satisfied if you're only looking to play for a month or two-- and will give IC reasoning for a player disappearing and a new one arriving. Thanks for taking the time to read through. I look forward to seeing if there's any interest! Warm regards, James Discord: TheGrinningHound#6671
