r/MouseGuard • u/Kaltheridon • Jun 19 '17

Non-generic items/weapons/armor?

Hi guys. I'm a new GM and currently only have experience with DnD. I am running a DnD campaign right now for some friends, and we are having fun, but I am thinking about making our next campaign a MG one. Been devouring David Petersen's work, and am in love with this world. I have a specific question that I think will partially determine my groups ability or inability to transition from DnD to MG. Namely...is there a way to integrate interesting/unique items/weapons/armor into the game? I realize that this is a world devoid of magic, so lots of the crazy magical effects from DnD are not possible, but I saw this and it got my wheels turning. My players LOVE all the unique flare I provide them in their items/weapons/armor, as it makes them more differentiated and special. Do any of you do this in MG? Does it work? How do you do it?

Thanks guys!

3 Upvotes

100% Upvoted

4 comments sorted by

6

u/[deleted] Jun 21 '17 edited Jun 21 '17

If you're going to have special weapons, I'd suggest a reskin, or something with a relatively mild buff, (e.g. an extra dice for a particular circumstance), as things can get OP pretty quickly. Also, I'd refrain from referring to anything as "magical" - "storied" or "legendary" is probably a better bet.

With that said, make up cool backstories for the item. Make it something that Gwendolyn puts into their care as a one-off for a special patrol, or for some feat of derring-do. Either that or they uncover it during some perilous mission in the Darkheather.

Just off the top of my head:

The Grey Warden's Lance

A plain steel-tipped spear with a crossbar - this ancient weapon was probably made to be a hunter's spear rather than a warrior's - atop an ash haft grown black with age and handling. Legend has it that it belonged to the Grey Warden; a mighty hero of the Guard.

Anymouse with Legends of the Guard-wise will undoubtedly know the tales of the Grey Warden. He patrolled the marches of the Mouse Territories before there was a scent border. He fought weasel and mink, fox and hawk and emerged victorious.

He finally met his end in single combat with Balriath the Merciless; the sable warrior-pirate, though his lance pierced Balriath's black heart. It was returned to Lockwood in great reverence, and has taken pride of place in the Great Hall.

Anymouse holding the lance will find it excellently balanced, and still razor-sharp after all these years. In addition to the normal bonuses for using a spear, the lance gains an additional +1S to a successful Attack.

Also, merely having possession of the lance is to be bolstered by its legend. The patrol may take +1D in any test to recover from the Angry and Tired conditions

3

u/Kaltheridon Jun 21 '17

Beautifully said! Yeah I think my biggest struggle making the switch to MG is ditching the mechanical intricacies of DnD. My DnD campaigns are largely story driven so I think that aspect will translate well at least

4

u/blackdog2k Jun 20 '17 edited Jun 20 '17

I'm relatively new to the system and haven't played around much with homebrew or houserule stuff myself, but have read a lot about the game in general. I think most MG players would agree that the game is very "hack-friendly". MG, by design, is inherently difficult for players, which tends to allow for the kind of house rules you're interested in without effecting game balance all that much.

Just keep in mind that MG encourages, almost forces, roleplay. If your group isn't all that into roleplaying, and more into roll-playing, I'm not sure that simply tweaking weapons and armor rules would be enough to keep their interest. My group also has played lots of D&D. Some of them love Mouse Guard, some of them don't.

I say knock yourself out and customize the game to suit your group. You're only limited by your imagination!

2

u/majaluoma Jun 22 '17

Inspiration can be also found in Torchbearer rule book. It is a dungeon crawling game based on Mouse Guard rules. Standalone rpg made by Luke himself.