Sword-and-whiskers

role-playing

Isaac Williams
Gear and prices Tools, human made Clothing
All prices are in pips, standard Available in mouse settlements near Poor 10p
currency of the mouse kingdoms. human populations. Standard 50p
Fishing hook 20p Noble 1000p
Tools, mouse made
Incense stick 20p Winter cloak 150p
Available in most mouse settlements.
Lens 200p Waterproof cloak 100p
These items are mouse-sized.
Necklace chain 40p
Bedroll 10p
Needle 20p Lodging and food
Bellows 10p
Matches, packet 80p Bunkhouse bed (per night) 1p
Book, blank 300p
Padlock and key, large 100p Private room (per night) 5p
Book, reading 600p
Twine, roll 40p Hot bath 2p
Bottle 1p
Soap, small block 10p Travel rations 5p
Bucket 5p
Thread, spool 20p Meal 2p
Caltrops, bag 10p
Mouse trap 100p Grand meal 50p
Chalk 1p
Poison 100p Night out on the town 100p
Chisel 5p
Cookpots 10p
Weapons and armour Transport hire
Crowbar 10p Prices are per mouse, per hex.
Improvised (twig, rock, etc.) 1p
Drill 10p Rabbit wagon 5p
Light (dagger, needle, etc.) 10p
Glue 5p River raft 10p
Medium (sword, axe, etc.) 20p
Grease 5p Pigeon flight 200p
Heavy (spear, hooklance, etc.) 40p
Hammer 10p
Light ranged (sling, hand
Horn 10p 10p Hired help
crossbow, etc.)
Hourglass 300p Heavy ranged (bow, cross- Prices are per day, not including food,
40p
Lockpicks 100p bow, etc.) supplies, shelter, etc.
Metal file 5p Arrows, quiver 5p Torchbearer 1p
Mirror 200p Stones, pouch 1p Labourer 2p
Musical instrument 200p Light armour 150p Tunnel digger 5p
Net 10p Heavy armour 500p Armourer/blacksmith 8p
Padlock and key, small 20p Silvered weapons (always Local guide 10p
x10p
Perfume 50p mark usage after fight)
Mouse-at-arms 10p
Pick 10p Repairs, per dot 10%
Scholar 20p
Set of loaded dice 5p Knight 25p
Light sources
Shovel 10p Interpreter 30p
Torches 10p
Tent 80p
Lantern 50p
Waterskin 5p
Oil, for lantern 10p
Whistle 5p
Electric lantern (has six
Wooden pole, 6" 1p 200p
usage dots)
Wooden spikes 1p Batteries, for electric lantern 50p
Mousy names Carried bric-a-brac
d6 d8 Item
Birthname Matriname
1 - d8 pips
1. Ada 51. Alder 1. Baiter 2 1 Dried five-leaf clover, carefully folded
2. Agate 52. Ambrose 2. Black
3. Agnes 53. Anise 3. Buckthorne 2 Stone pendant of the Mother
4. Aloe 54. Annotto 4. Burley 3 Stub of a pencil
5. April 55. August 5. Butterball 4 Dried herbs in waterproof bag
6. Azalea 56. Avens 6. Catreizen 5 Wire bent into the shape of a moth
7. Bay 57. Basil 7. Danger
8. Belladonna 58. Beryl 8. Deerider 6 Letter of writ from a noblemouse
9. Blossom 59. Birch 9. Grant 7 Smooth piece of coloured glass
10. Brie 60. Boldo 10. Halva 8 Half-eaten piece of cheese, wrapped in paper
11. Brynn 61. Bill 11. Maker 3 1 Smoke-blackened bat tooth
12. Cherry 62. Burdock 12. Pipp
13. Claire 63. Butter 13. Seedfall 2 Metal cup etched with hunting scenes
14. Crocus 64. Cassia 14. Snow 3 Oddly shimmering opal in silver wire setting
15. Dahlia 65. Chicory 15. Summerholme 4 Knife cut from a tin can
16. Daisy 66. Clive 16. Thorne 5 Clay jar of thick honey mead
17. Else 67. Colby 17. Tunneler
6 Bee stinger wired to wooden handle
18. Emerald 68. Dill 18. White
19. Erin 69. Dock 19. Winterholme 7 Piece of candied berry
20. Grace 70. Eared 20. Witter 8 Butterfly wings pressed between parchment
21. Gwendoline 71. Edmund 4 1 Map showing treasure hidden in a settlement
22. Hazel 72. Elmer
23. Heather 73. Ernest 2 Note from a cat lord regarding a player mouse
24. Hette 74. Fennel 3 Wooden idol of centipede eating its own tail
25. Holly 75. Festus 4 Tooth of a human child
26. Hyacinth 76. Francis 5 Pot of bright paint
27. Iris 77. Gil
6 Angry ant queen in a glass jar
28. Juniper 78. Hawthorn
29. Lavender 79. Heath 7 Rolled tapestry depicting ancient battle
30. Lily 80. Horatio 8 Ball of wet clay that never dries out
31. Magnolia 81. Jack 5 1 Lock of a faerie's hair
32. Marigold 82. Jasper
2 Vial of red ink
33. Marjoram 83. Konrad
34. Myrtle 84. Larkspur 3 Straw basket with leather carrying straps
35. Odette 85. Laurel 4 Fragment of a spell tablet
36. Olive 86. Lorenz 5 Dried, poisonous mushroom
37. Opal 87. Mace 6 Pink plastic furbrush
38. Pearl 88. Oliver
39. Pepper 89. Orin 7 Collection of dried leaves, bound with twine
40. Poppy 90. Reepicheep 8 Pipe carved of shell
41. Rosemary 91. Rowan 6 1 Scrap of sheepskin
42. Rue 92. Simon 2 Quiver of silver-tipped arrows
43. Saffron 93. Sorrel
44. Sandy 94. Stilton 3 Wreath of silver wire
45. Sassafras 95. Tarragon 4 Very strong magnet
46. Shale 96. Warren 5 Bouncy rubber ball
47. Susan 97. Wattle 6 Fish leather satchel
48. Thistle 98. Whitacre
49. Violet 99. Wormwood 7 Extremely spicy chilli pepper
50. Willow 100. Yarrow 8 Fly preserved in tree sap
Credits Acknowledgments
Writing, illustration and design These are games or blogs I have drawn inspiration or shamelessly
Isaac Williams stolen from to build Mausritter:
Editing and proofreading • Into the Odd for most of core rules
Matthew Pook • Goblin Punch for the magic and 3X usage
Development • Knave for characters defined by inventories
Andre Novoa • Mothership for densely-packed layouts
• Moonhop for just going and making your game
Playtesters and champions • Last Gasp Grimoire for arts-and-crafts inventories
Adelaide Orange, Nathanael Scott, Patrick • Coins and Scrolls for my re-introduction to the world of old-
Hayes, Sam Rankin, Alby Logan, Richard school role-playing games
Datson, Priscilla Samuel and the Train Dogs
The following have all inspired Mausritter’s theme, setting and tone:
© Copyright 2020 Losing Games
• Brambly Hedge (book series) by Jill Barklem
• Church Mice (book series) by Graham Oakley
• The Tales (book series) by Beatrix Potter
• The Rescuers (book) by Margery Sharp
• Arrietty (film) by Studio Ghibli
• A Distant Mirror (book) by Barbara Tuchman
• Mouse Guard (comic book series) by David Peterson
• Mice and Mystics (boardgame) by Jerry Hawthorne
 Table of Contents

Player Rules Game Master Resources

Brave mice, dangerous world.......4 7. Running Mausritter................20
What is Mausritter?..........................4 Best practices................................. 20
What you need to play....................5 Asking for a Save........................... 20
How to read this book.....................5 Luck rolls.......................................... 20
1. Make a mouse...........................6 Rulings.............................................. 20
Backgrounds......................................7 Exploration and time......................21
2. Inventory................................8 Overland travel.................................21
Conditions...........................................8 Encounters.........................................21
Usage....................................................8 8. Creatures..............................22
Encumbrance.....................................8 Language...........................................22
Banking................................................8 List of creatures..............................22
Weapons..............................................9 9. Hexcrawl toolbox...................25
Armour.................................................9 Making a hexcrawl..........................25
Essential items..................................9 Running a hexcrawl........................25
3. How to play........................... 10 Hex contents....................................26
Role-playing..................................... 10 Mouse settlements.........................28
Best practices.................................. 10 Factions............................................ 30
Saves.................................................. 10 Example: The Earldom of Ek........32
Combat............................................... 10 10. Adventure site toolbox.........34
Rest and healing.............................. 11 Adventure site theme....................35
Time..................................................... 11 Randomly stocking rooms...........36
Overland travel................................. 11 Treasure.............................................38
Advancement.................................... 11 Magic swords...................................39
4. Magic..................................... 12 Example: Stumpsville.................... 40
List of spells......................................13 11. Useful tables.........................42
5. Recruiting help...................... 14 Non-player mice..............................42
Hirelings............................................ 14 Adventure seeds.............................43
Warbands........................................... 15 Seasons............................................ 44
Constructions.................................. 15
6. Example of play..................... 16
Combat example..............................17
Magic example................................. 18
 Brave
mice in a
dangerous
world What is Mausritter?
Mausritter is a role-playing game. You and between two
and five friends play make-believe to create a shared
The mouse kingdoms survive on the edge of collapse.
A harsh winter or heartless cat could spell the end for world. The rules help keep the story you tell consistent,
all. The settled mice huddle together, hidden in their interesting and challenging.
settlements in trees and burrows and walls, scraping and One of you will take on the role of the Game Master (GM).
saving. A tenuous existence. They will invent and describe a consistent, believable
But you are not like those settled mice. world, complete with dangerous antagonists, wild lands,
and friendly settlements. They will also act as a neutral
By choice or by necessity you are an adventurer. referee of the rules, applying them fairly to player mice,
You live by your luck, your smarts, your bravery. along with the non-player characters within the world.
With your friends by your side, you will abandon the The other players take on the role of the mice. They each
warmth and safety of the mouse settlements and play the role of a small, brave and desperate adventurer,
venture forth into the dark and dangerous places where delving into dangerous places and exploring the world
other mice do not dare to tread. that the GM describes.
There is great wealth to be found by those that are will-
ing to take it. The world is old. Great empires of mouse What is a role-playing game?
and beast have risen and fallen. Role-playing games are a process of shared, collabora-
It's a huge and dangerous world out there. It does not tive storytelling and problem solving.
look kindly on a small mouse. But if you are very brave Role-playing games exist mostly as a conversation. The
and very clever and just a bit lucky, you might be able to GM will describe a situation, and the players will describe
survive. And if you survive long enough, you might even how the mice they control react and interact with it.
become a hero amongst mice. At certain points (such as when a mouse does something
risky), the rules of the game interject. Dice may be rolled
to see what happens. Then the conversation resumes.
4
What you need to play How to read this book
• A character sheet for each player The first part of this book (pages 6-18) is directed at the
• A session tracking sheet for the Game Master players, and here the ‘you’ is directed towards you, a
• A set of Item and Condition tokens player of a mouse in the game.
• Polyhedral gaming dice (d4, d6, d8, d10, d12 and d20) If you are playing a mouse in the game, you can just read
• Pencils and erasers the rules for character creation, and skim the ‘How to
• Spare paper for taking notes and sketching maps play’ section.
Dice notation The remainder of the book (pages 20-43) is directed
Mausritter uses standard RPG dice notation throughout. toward the Game Master, and here the ‘you’ is directed
towards you, the GM of the game.
For example:
If you are playing as a Game Master, you’ll need to read
• d20 means: Roll a single 20-sided die How to Play and Running Mausritter sections, and either
• 1d8 means: Roll a single 8-sided die prepare an adventure, or use a ready-made one, such as
• 3d6 means: Roll three 6-sided dice, add them together those included with this game.
For a d3 or d2, roll a 6-sided die and divide by two or three.
Making it your own
Downloadable resources Mausritter built on top of a long history of games.
For downloadable character, Item and Condition It is resilient to hacking. Many systems can be modified,
sheets, plus other resources, go to replaced or ignored entirely.
mausritter.com Please use this game as a toolbox to create your own!
5
 1. Make a mouse Birthsign
d6 Sign Disposition
The world is very big and very dangerous for a small
mouse adventurer. You will need to be very brave, and 1 Star Brave / Reckless
always keep your wits about you. 2 Wheel Industrious / Unimaginative
3 Acorn Inquisitive / Stubborn
1. Attributes 4 Storm Generous / Wrathful
Your mouse has three attribute scores. These measure 5 Moon Wise / Mysterious
their basic strengths and weaknesses. 6 Mother Nurturing / Worrying
• STR: physical strength and resilience.
• DEX: speed and agility. Coat
• WIL: strength of will and charisma. d6 Color d6 Pattern
For each of these attributes, in order, roll 3d6. 1 Chocolate 1 Solid
Keep the two highest dice results for a value between 2—12. 2 Black 2 Brindle
You may then swap any two attributes. 3 White 3 Patchy
4 Tan 4 Banded
2. HP, pips and background 5 Grey 5 Marbled
Roll d6 for your Hit Protection (HP). This is the damage 6 Blue 6 Flecked
your mouse can shrug off before taking serious harm.
Roll d6 for your mouse’s starting pips. These are the Physical detail
basic currency of the mouse kingdom. d66 Details
Cross reference the value of your HP with your pips 11 Scarred body 41 Groomed fur
on the Background table. This is what your mouse was 12 Corpulent body 42 Dreadlocks
before becoming an adventurer.
13 Skeletal body 43 Dyed fur

3. Starting equipment 14 Willowy body 44 Shaved fur

15 Tiny body 45 Frizzy fur
Your mouse starts with:
16 Massive body 46 Silky fur
• Torches
21 War paint 51 Night black eyes
• Rations
• Two items from their background 22 Foreign clothes 52 Eye patch
• A weapon of your choice (see p. 9) 23 Elegant clothes 53 Blood red eyes
If your mouse’s highest attribute is 9 or less, roll on the 24 Patched clothes 54 Wise eyes
Background table again and take either Item A or B. If 25 Fashionable clothes 55 Sharp eyes
your highest is 7 or less, take both. 26 Unwashed clothes 56 Luminous eyes
31 Missing ear 61 Cropped tail
4. Details 32 Lumpy face 62 Whip-like tail
Roll or choose birthsign, coat and a physical detail. 33 Beautiful face 63 Tufted tail
Choose a name appropriate for a brave mouse. 34 Round face 64 Stubby tail
35 Delicate face 65 Prehensile tail
Instant mouse generator 36 Elongated face 66 Curly tail
mausritter.com/mouse Tip: d66 means d6 x 10 + d6
6
Backgrounds
HP Pips Background Item A Item B
1 1 Test subject Spell: Magic missile Lead coat (Heavy armour)
1 2 Kitchen forager Shield & jerkin (Light armour) Cookpots
1 3 Cage dweller Spell: Be understood Bottle of milk
1 4 Hedge witch Spell: Heal Incense stick
1 5 Leatherworker Shield & jerkin (Light armour) Shears
1 6 Street tough Dagger (Light, d6) Flask of coffee
2 1 Mendicant priest Spell: Restore Holy symbol
2 2 Beetleherd Hireling: Loyal beetle Pole, 6"
2 3 Ale brewer Hireling: Drunken torchbearer Small barrel of ale
2 4 Fishermouse Net Needle (Light, d6)
2 5 Blacksmith Hammer (Medium, d6/d8) Metal file
2 6 Wireworker Wire, spool Electric lantern
3 1 Woodcutter Axe (Medium, d6/d8) Twine, roll
3 2 Bat cultist Spell: Darkness Bag of bat teeth
3 3 Tin miner Pickaxe (Medium, d6/d8) Lantern
3 4 Trash collector Trashhook (Heavy, d10) Mirror
3 5 Wall rover Fishhook Thread, spool
3 6 Merchant Hireling: Pack rat 20p IOU from a noblemouse
4 1 Raft crew Hammer (Medium, d6/d8) Wooden spikes
4 2 Worm wrangler Pole, 6" Soap
4 3 Sparrow rider Fishhook Goggles
4 4 Sewer guide Metal file Thread, spool
4 5 Prison guard Chain, 6" Spear (Heavy, d10)
4 6 Fungus farmer Dried mushroom (as rations) Spore mask
5 1 Dam builder Shovel Wooden spikes
5 2 Cartographer Quill & ink Compass
5 3 Trap thief Block of cheese Glue
5 4 Vagabond Tent Treasure map, dubious
5 5 Grain farmer Spear (Heavy, d10) Whistle
5 6 Message runner Bedroll Documents, sealed
6 1 Troubadour Musical instrument Disguise kit
6 2 Gambler Set of loaded dice Mirror
6 3 Sap tapper Bucket Wooden spikes
6 4 Bee keeper Jar of honey Net
6 5 Librarian Scrap of obscure book Quill & ink
6 6 Pauper noblemouse Felt hat Perfume
7
 2. Inventory
Inventory slots
Your mouse carries items in their inventory slots. Most items take up one inventory slot. Some larger items, such
as two-handed weapons and armour take up two slots.

Main paw Body Torches

1 2 3
OffArmour
Light paw Body Rations Dagger Exhausted
1 def
4 5 d6
6
Clear:
Light After long rest

Paw slots Body slots Pack slots

Items in these slots Worn items can be Items in these slots take time to retrieve when under pressure.
are carried. swapped with paw While in combat, your mouse must use an action (instead of
slots as a free action. attacking) to find an item in their pack.

Conditions Usage Encumbrance

Conditions are negative effects Most items have three usage dots. If your mouse is carrying more items
suffered by your mouse. When all three dots are marked on or Conditions than available invento-
Each Condition must be placed in an an item it is depleted or destroyed. ry slots, they are encumbered.
inventory slot. Mice may have mul- Usage dots can be cleared from While encumbered, your mouse
tiple copies of the same condition. weapons/armour for 10% of the cannot run, and makes all saves with
original cost per dot cleared. Disadvantage.
Some Conditions have additional
effects, which apply as long as the • Weapons/armour/ammunition:
Condition remains in your inventory. after a fight, roll d6 for each Banking
item that was used during the In a mouse settlement, pips and
Conditions can only be removed by fight. On 4-6, mark usage.
meeting their clear requirement — items can be stored in a bank or
• Torches/lanterns: mark usage safebox.
usually a short, long or full rest. every 6 Turns.
• Rations: mark usage after a Your mouse must pay a fee of 1% of
Hungry Injured meal. the value when retrieving the stored
Disadvantage on • Other gear: if used in a way that pips or items.
STR & DEX saves
could break or deplete it, the GM
Clear: Clear: may ask you to mark usage.
After meal After full rest
8
Weapons
Improvised Light Light ranged
d6 damage d6 damage d6 damage
Main paw/ Main paw/ Main paw
both paws off paw Cost: 10p
Always mark usage after If attacking with two weapons, roll Stones, pouch
a fight. both dice and use the best result. Body slot
Cost: 10p Cost: 1p

Heavy Medium Heavy ranged

d10 damage d6/d8 damage d8 damage
Both paws Main paw/ Both paws
Cost: 40p both paws Cost: 40p
Does d6 damage Arrows,
in one paw, quiver
d8 wielded in both. Body slot
Cost: 20p Cost: 5p

Armour Essential items

Reduces damage dealt to your
mouse by enemy attacks. Torches and Rations
lanterns Food for the road
Light armour
Provide light Eating a ration and
Prevents spending a Watch
1 damage Light sources mark
usage every 6 Turns. resting will heal all HP.
Off paw If your mouse doesn’t eat for a day,
and one Lanterns must be
refilled by oil. they gain a Hungry Condition.
body slot
Cost: 150p Electric lanterns
must be recharged Pip purse
by batteries, but
provide 6 usage Holds 250 pips
Heavy
dots instead of 3. Carried pips
armour require one inventory slot per 250,
Prevents barring the first 250, which are
1 damage carried in your mouse’s pockets.
Two body slots Mice in settlements mostly deal in
Cost: 500p barter and IOUs, and pips can be
stored at a bank.

9
 3. How to play Combat
The GM describes a situation. You describe what your Combat is dangerous business for mice, even brave
mouse does. The GM will describe the outcome. The adventurers. But sometimes it cannot be avoided.
conversation flows until the mechanics interject. If you attack unsuspecting foes, your mouse and any
allies aware of the plan go first. Otherwise, make a DEX
Role-playing save to act before your opponents. In following combat
You are in control of—and acting in the role of—your rounds, maintain this order.
mouse. You can talk in first, second or third person, or On your turn in a combat Round, your mouse can move
switch between them. You don’t have to do a silly voice, up to 12" and perform an action. Actions can be anything
but it certainly can’t hurt. from negotiating, attacking, fleeing or performing a risky
gambit (like tripping or disarming an opponent).
Best practices Attacks
If you’re stuck thinking of what to do when you’re play-
ing Mausritter, refer back to these guidelines. Attacks always hit. Roll your weapon’s die and do that
much damage to an opponent, minus their armour.
• Ask lots of questions. Make notes. Draw maps.
• Work together. Devise schemes. Recruit allies. When an attack is impaired, such as when firing into
• Dice are dangerous. Clever plans don’t need to roll. cover, or fighting while grappled, roll d4 for damage
• Play to win. Delight in losing. regardless of weapon. When an attack is enhanced by a
• Fight dirty. Run. Die. Roll a new mouse. gambit or vulnerable opponent, roll d12.

Hit Protection and damage

Saves Damage is dealt first to a creature’s Hit Protection (HP).
When you describe your mouse doing something risky This represents the creature’s ability to avoid or shrug
where the outcome is uncertain and failure has con- off real damage.
sequences, the GM will ask you to make a save against
either STR, DEX or WIL. Once HP is depleted, damage is dealt to STR.

To make a save, roll a d20. If the result is less than or After taking STR damage, the creature must make a STR
equal to the relevant attribute, your mouse succeeds, save. If they succeed, they are still able to fight. If they
and suffers no consequences. If the result is over the fail, they take critical damage.
attribute, your mouse fails, and suffers the consequenc- When a creature takes critical damage, they take an
es described by the GM. Injured Condition, and are incapacitated until tended to
by an ally and take a short rest.
Opposed saves
If an incapacitated creature is left untended for
If your mouse and another character are competing, you 6 exploration Turns, they die.
both make saves. The lowest successful roll wins.
Attribute score loss and death
Advantage and Disadvantage
If a creature has their STR reduced to zero, they are
If you roll a save and are particularly well prepared or dead. If DEX is reduced to zero, they are unable to
equipped, the GM may allow you to roll with Advantage. move. If WIL is reduced to zero, they are reduced to
Roll 2d20 and take the lowest result. insensibility.
The GM may ask you to roll with Disadvantage if you are When your mouse dies, roll up a new one. The GM should
in bad position or poorly equipped for your current task. introduce them as soon as possible. Getting back into
Roll 2d20 and take the highest result. the game quickly is more important than realism.
10
Rest and healing Advancement
There are three ways your mouse can rest and recover. Your mouse earns Experience Points (XP) by bringing
• Short rest: takes 1 Turn. A swig of water and a few treasure and useful goods back from places of danger
minutes of rest will restore d6+1 HP. to the safety of a mouse settlement.
• Long rest: takes 1 Watch. A meal and some sleep will For every pip-worth of treasure brought to safety (divid-
restore all HP. If HP was already full, restore d6 to an ed equally amongst the party), your mouse earns 1 XP.
attribute score. Your mouse can earn additional XP by spending
• Full rest: takes a week back in safety. their pips selflessly on improvements for the whole
This fully restores your mouse’s ability scores and community. For every 10 pips spent this way, your mouse
removes most long-term Conditions. A week of food earns 1 XP.
and board in a settlement usually costs 20p.
Level
Mice start at Level 1.
The following table shows the total XP required to
advance each Level.

Level Hit Dice Grit Experience points

1 1d6 0 0
2 2d6 1 1000
3 3d6 2 3000
Time 4 4d6 2 6000
For convenience and ease of reference, game time is 5+ 4d6 3 +5000
divided up into three time scales of expanding duration.
• Round: the timescale used during combat. Each When your mouse earns enough XP to advance to each
Round is less than a minute. Level, use the following procedure.
• Turn: the timescale used during adventure site • Roll for attribute increase: roll d20 once for each
exploration. Each Turn is around 10 minutes, and is of your mouse’s STR, DEX and WIL. If a result is higher
enough time to explore one room or perform an ac- than the attribute’s current value, increase it by one.
tion or two. A fight will almost always last one Turn. • Roll Hit Dice: roll the dice listed for the new Level’s
• Watch: the timescale used during wilderness travel. Hit Dice. If the value is higher than your mouse’s
Each Watch is 36 Turns, about 6 hours. There are 4 current HP, replace your HP with the rolled value.
watches in a day. You can usually travel 1 hex or mile Otherwise, increase your mouse’s HP by 1.
in a watch.
Grit
Overland travel Starting at second Level, your mouse has Grit. This
Your party of mice can travel one hex or mile per Watch. allows your mouse to ignore Conditions.
Difficult terrain (streams, human roads, large rocks, For each point of Grit you have, you may place one
hills, etc.) require two Watches per mile traveled. Condition into the Grit space on your character sheet.
Once placed into the Grit space, a Condition cannot be
Foraging removed until cleared.
In the wild, your mouse can spend a Watch foraging.
If they do, they will find d3 uses of rations.
11
 4. Magic Casting a spell
To cast a spell, your mouse must hold the tablet in a paw
Spells and read it aloud.
Spells are living spirits trapped by runes carved on When your mouse casts a spell, decide on the
obsidian tablets. Spells are usually found in deep and power to cast it with, up to the number of usage dots
dangerous places. The creation of spells is an art lost to remaining on the spell.
all but the most learned wizards, and they guard their Roll a number of d6 equal to the power the spell is cast
secrets closely. with. For each die which shows the value 4, 5 or 6, mark
Knock one usage on the spell.
Light
The spell has an effect, which varies depending on the
number of [DICE] invested, and the [SUM] of the rolled
dice.

Recharging a spell
Selling spells When a spell’s usage dots are filled, it is depleted and
If unwanted, a fully charged spell can usually be sold for cannot be cast. Each spell has a recharge requirement.
d6 x 100p in a settlement. A depleted spell’s value is Fulfilling this requirement will coax the spirit back to the
halved. spell and clear all of its usage dots.

Miscasts
Whenever one or more 6s are rolled when casting a
spell, the caster takes d6 damage to WIL for each
6 rolled. Then make a WIL save. If failed, take the
Drained Condition.

12
List of spells
Roll on this table of spells as loot, or use these spells as examples for creating your own.

2d8 Spell Effect Recharge

Shoot a fireball up to 24". Deal [SUM] + [DICE] Burn in the heart of a raging fire for three
2 Fireball
damage to all creatures within 6". days and nights.

Heal [SUM] STR damage and remove the Cut self for d6 STR damage, sprinkle the
3 Heal
Injured Condition from a creature. spell with the blood.

Deal [SUM] + [DICE] damage to a creature Drop from a height of at least 30ft.
4 Magic Missile
within sight. Touch the spell within one Turn.

Give the Frightened Condition to [DICE] Receive the Frightened Condition from a
5 Fear
creatures. hostile creature while carrying the spell.

Create a [SUM] x 2" diameter sphere of Leave uncovered in a lightless place for
6 Darkness
pure darkness for [DICE] Turns. three days.

Remove Exhausted or Frightened Condition Bury in a peaceful field or riverbank for

7 Restore
from [DICE] + 1 creatures three days.

Make your meaning clear to [DICE] crea- Give away freely to a creature of another
8 Be Understood
tures of another species for [DICE] Turns. species.

Create an illusory beetle that can carry 6

9 Ghost Beetle Bury in a beetle graveyard for three nights.
inventory slots for [DICE] x 6 Turns.
Force [DICE] creatures to make a WIL save
Catch in the first light of a sunrise and the
10 Light or become stunned. Alternately, create
last light of sunset for three days.
light as bright as a torch for [SUM] turns.
Creates [DICE] x 6" ring of force. It is invisi- Build an iron ring the same size as last cast.
11 Invisible Ring
ble and immovable. Lasts [DICE] Turns. Pass the spell though it. Dissolves the ring.

Open a door or container, as if a Save were Put in a locked box, inside a locked box,
12 Knock
made with STR score of 10 + [DICE] x 4. inside a locked box. Leave for three days.
Cover [DICE] x 6" area in slippery, flam-
Rub all over in animal fat. Leave until it
13 Grease mable grease. Creatures in the area must
putrefies.
make a DEX save or fall prone.
Grow a creature to [DICE] + 1 times its Leave in the highest branches of a tall tree
14 Grow
original size for 1 Turn. for three days.

Make creature invisible for [DICE] Turns. Go a day without opening your eyes once,
15 Invisibility
Any movement reduces duration by 1 Turn. while holding the spell.

Turn object into an irresistible lure for cats.

16 Catnip Give a cat a gift it truly desires.
Lasts [DICE] Turns.

13
 5. Recruiting help Hireling morale
A pair of helping paws might give you the edge you’ll When a hireling or warband is placed in a stressful
need to survive. Throughout the mouse kingdoms you’ll situation, made to go without pay or food, or asked to
come across other mice who are willing to explore the do something more dangerous than what they signed
vast unknown world with you and your party. on for, they must make a WIL save or flee.
Especially well-paid or loyal hirelings may make this save
Hirelings with Advantage.
In a mouse settlement, you can spend a day asking around Hireling
for mice looking for work. The size of the settlement Look Disposition

determines what types of hireling are available. Smaller Main paw

STR
settlements may not have skilled mice looking for work.
DEX
1 2
Make a WIL save or pay 20p. If successful (or 20p is paid),
WIL Off paw
roll the Number for the type of hireling you are interested
in employing to determine how many are looking for work. HP 3 4
Max Current
Typical hirelings will have:
d6 hp, STR 2d6, DEX 2d6, WIL 2d6 Hireling advancement
Hirelings have 6 inventory slots: two paw, two body, two pack.
Hirelings and warbands can improve in the same way
Hireling Number Wages/day that your player mice do.
Torchbearer d6 1p • Hirelings who receive a share of treasure gain 1 XP
Labourer d6 2p per pip they are given above their daily wage.
• Warbands who receive share of treasure will gain 1 XP
Tunnel digger d4 5p
per 10 pips they are given above their weekly wage.
Armourer/blacksmith d2 8p
Hirelings and warbands advance at the same rate as
Local guide d4 10p player mice, so once they get 1000 XP, they advance to
Mouse-at-arms d6 10p Level 2.
Scholar d2 20p Not receiving a share of treasure may cause resentment
Knight d3 25p amongst hirelings.
Interpreter d2 30p

14
Warbands Constructions
A mouse is very small, and many beasts cannot be de- The right to build on land cannot be bought. It can only
feated working alone. When mice work together, they can be given, or taken and defended.
form a warband, and act on a scale capable of facing A team of three tunnel diggers can excavate one 6" cube
other warbands or large beasts, like a cat or boar. of soil per day. Other materials take twice as long.
Forming a warband Rooms can be of any size — the following is the cost of
A warband is formed by 20 or more fighting mice, plus materials and fittings per 6" cube constructed. Labour-
one follower (luggage porter, cook, armourer) for every ers and diggers must be paid separately.
fighter. Room Cost
Your mouse can form a warband under their command. Tunnel, per 6" 10p
In a town or city, spend a week recruiting. Make a WIL
save or pay 1000p. Poor room, per 6" cube 100p

Warbands start with: Standard room, per 6" cube 500p

d6 hp, STR 10, DEX 10, WIL 10 Grand room, per 6" cube 2000p
Damage: d6 clubs and axes
All constructions require an upkeep of 1% of the total
Warbands require 1000p a week for upkeep and wages. cost per month.
Failure to pay may result in mutiny.

Battles
Battles between warbands and warband-scale creatures
function the same as fights between small individuals.
Attacks deal damage to HP, then to STR.
Attacks by a warband against a non-warband scale
creature are enhanced, any damage taken from
non-warband scale creatures is ignored unless it is
particularly destructive or large scale.

Casualties
When a warband takes critical damage, they are broken
and cannot act until rallied. At STR 0 the warband is
wiped out. At half STR, the warband must make a WIL
save or be routed.
Warbands recover HP and attribute score damage like
individuals do, with Short, Long and Full rests.

Equipping
Equipment improves a warband’s abilities the same way
as it does for individuals. Just multiply the purchase
price by 20.

15
 6. Example of play
The player mice (Pepper, Konrad and Brie) are investigat- The mice explore a little further, and are approaching the
ing the mouse village of Stumpsville, which has neglected entrance of the main hall within the Stumpsville courtyard.
to send its usual shipment of cheese to Oaksgrove. GM: You creep between the struts of the wall-mounted
GM: You make your way between the roots and into the houses surrounding the deep pond. (The mice have spent
entry tunnel. It’s dark here, but your torches cast a shift- 3 Turns in the site, so secretly rolls for encounter and gets
ing light that is enough to make out a large stone door a 1: A random encounter!) As you reach the other side, two
blocking the way. A pair of guardian statues lie on either rats swagger out of the doorway nearby, one carrying a
side of the door: fierce looking beetles. Both are toppled lantern. There’s still sounds of a raucous party inside.
over and one is smashed on the ground. Brie: Shoot, do they see us? I quickly douse my torch.
Pepper: Is the door damaged? GM: They’re having a heated conversation. Looks like
GM: The door itself looks fine. It’s a huge slab of dark they haven’t spotted you yet.
slate, big enough to fit a cart through. There’s a big Brie: Alright, let’s keep hidden behind the house struts.
iron handle in the centre. Looking closer, you notice the
hinges have been smashed out. There are rough wooden Konrad: I’ll creep a bit closer and see if I can make out
pegs behind the door, keeping it from opening inwards. what they’re saying.

Konrad: I’ve got a bad feeling in my whiskers. Looks like GM: Sounds good. Make a DEX save to see if you’re able
a trap to me. It’s gotta be a trap, right? to walk quietly on the gravel.

Brie: Or maybe the villagers have all fallen ill and really Konrad: (Rolls a DEX save.) Nice, got a 4! I creep real quiet.
don’t want visitors? GM: You do! You slip between the scaffolding and behind
Konrad: Hmf. I don’t think we’re that lucky. Any sound a carved stone plinth. The rats are just on the other side,
from the other side of the door? staring out over the water. You hear one of them say,
“Balthazar’s gonna luv these little ones, they make great
GM: (Makes a secret Luck roll to see if the mice can hear cheese”. The other grunts an affirmative.
the rats several rooms deeper) Hmmm... no it’s pretty qui-
et. Just the sounds of crickets chirping in the distance. Brie: Balthazar! They’re kidnapping the villagers!

Pepper: Alright, hopefully not an ambush waiting for us. Konrad: We’ve got to stop this. Maybe we can get the
I’ll try the handle... jump on these two and ask them some questions. Can I
push the one with the lantern into the pond?
Konrad: Wait! Didn’t I just say it’s a trap?
GM: You can give it a try for sure! You’re close enough.
Pepper: Gotta open it somehow. What do you suggest? Make an opposed STR save and let’s see what happens.
Brie: Oh, I’ve got a length of twine! I can tie it around the Pepper: Oh boy, here we go. As I see Konrad making a
handle and pull from a distance. move, I notch an arrow in my bow.
Pepper: Good idea! Aright, let’s back away from the door. Brie: I’ll get ready to rush over there as soon as Konrad
GM: Nice, so you loop the twine through the handle, back makes his move.
away then pull it downwards. You feel a pop of tension in Konrad: Alright, here we go. (Rolls STR save.) Oh, 11! I’ve
the twine then a sharp click and crack as the slab crash- got 11 STR, so it’s a success, but only just.
es forwards. Good thing you were out of the way!
GM: (Rolls STR save for the rat.) Oof, 12 so close! You rolled
As the dust clears, you see a mousetrap rigged to the lower so you win this contest. You rush forward out of the
back of the door. A piece of wire was connected to the dark and slam your shoulder into the big rat. He topples
handle. You can pull the twine free, but mark a usage backwards into the pond, yelling a nasty curse.
please. (Brie marks a usage dot on her twine)
16
Example of play — Combat
Pepper: I let my arrow fly at the other one! Pepper: (Rolls d8 for her bow.) 5! That’s more like it!
GM: Alright, I’ve got good news and bad news. The good GM: (The rat takes 4 STR damage! Then rolls STR save,
news is that you’ve definitely got the drop on them, so failing — this is critical damage!) The rat gives a yelp of
no need to roll for initiative. The bad news is, Konrad pain as an arrow bites into his shoulder, then tumbles
pushed the rat with the lantern into the pond and now backwards into the pond with a loud splash.
it’s very dark. Can you make an Impaired roll for damage?
Pepper: Oh yeah, didn’t think that one through. (Rolls a
d4 instead of d8 for her bow.) Urg, 2. Well that could have
gone better for a surprise attack.
GM: (The rat has 1 HP left.) Your arrow zips past the rat’s
head, shaving off a few of his whiskers. He’s in shock,
trying to figure out what is going on. Brie, what’s your
plan of action?
Brie: Well I don’t like the idea of fighting in the dark. I’ll
light my torch again, then start running over to where
Konrad is.
GM: Okay, that sounds like a full action to me. You can
make it most of the distance, and your torch is lit, cast-
ing a dim glow on the surrounds.
(The players have all taken an action, so now it’s the rat
side’s turn.) (The GM makes a morale check for the second rat, after
The rat in the water is... (Rolls successful DEX save) seeing his ally fall, and rolls a failed WIL save.)
clambering out of the pond, shaking off the water. The water-logged rat yells out, “They’re tuffer than
Konrad, the other rat sees you clearly now and snarls the others!” He starts making a break for the doorway,
“Anuvver one. Must av escaped!” He pulls a net from his trailing water behind him. There’s still sounds of a loud
belt (you know the ones that onions come in? Like that) party going on inside. Brie, what are you doing?
and throws it over you. Make a DEX save? Brie: We can’t let him alert the others! I don’t want to
Konrad: Come on dice, you haven’t failed me yet tonight. deal with a whole horde of rats. I guess I’ll run after him
(Rolls a DEX Save.) Urg, 20. No way I’m not stuck, I guess? and try to slash him with my dagger.
GM: Yep. You’re definitely stuck. The rat pulls the net GM: Aright, you can get close enough. Roll your damage.
tight around you. You’re going to miss your next turn, Brie: (Rolls d6.) 5! That’s pretty good!
sorry. Pepper and Brie, what are you up to?
GM: (The second rat takes 2 STR damage, then makes
Pepper: Ummm well, I could run over to try to free Kon- a STR Save, succeeding.) You slash at the rat, nipping
rad... or I could just take care of this rat and then free you. through the scavenged coat he’s wearing.
Sorry Konrad, I’m taking the sensible option.
(It’s the rat’s turn now.) He’s too fast though. The rat
Konrad: Fine. Just don’t forget about me! makes it to the lighted doorway and runs into the corri-
Pepper: I’ll string another arrow and fire it at the rat. This dor, yelling, “HEEELLLP! HEEELLP! Scary mice!” at the top
time there’s enough light, right? Thanks Brie! of his lungs.
GM: There is! Roll your damage. Brie: That’s not good. I guess asking questions is out.
17
 Example of play — Magic
GM: There’s a loud clattering from inside, where the rat Konrad: I’ll use all three Power available, trying to scare
ran. The sounds of hoots and yelling come to an abrupt the three new ones off. I hope this doesn’t backfire!
stop. What are you all doing? Konrad, you’re still stuck (Everyone at the table grimaces in anticipation as Konrad
in the net. rolls 3d6.) Okay... I got a 2, a 3 and a 5. Nice! So, I give
Brie: Can I run over and cut him free? a Frightened Condition to the three rats and mark one
usage (Marks off a usage on the Fear spell).
GM: Yep, you can do that. You quickly snip the net open
with your dagger. GM: Nice one! As you read the strange runes on the spell
you see the three rats’ faces change from anger to terror.
Konrad: Phew, thanks!
Konrad: Okay, time to get out of here! I’ll start running
GM: You hear a couple of shouts from inside the doorway to the dark doorway.
and the patter of large paws on stone floor.
Brie: I’m following!
Brie: Oh dear. Let’s get out of here!
Pepper: I'm just behind Konrad's tail too!
Pepper: Is there anywhere else we can go from here?
GM: The waterlogged rat snarls at the others, “They’re
GM: There’s the little wall-mounted houses dotted gettin away! Don’t lettem run!” (Makes a WIL save for
around the courtyard, or there’s another doorway just each of the Frightened rats.) Two of the terrified rats
a bit further around from where rat just ran. This one is start turn and head the other direction, back into the
dark and quiet. well-lit hallway. The third one stumbles out in your
Pepper: Good enough for me! direction, but slows as he sees his friends flee.
Brie: Agreed! Pepper: Nice!
GM: As you’re deciding what to do, you see a number of GM: You all run headlong into the dark, open corridor.
large rats burst out of the doorway. There’s four of them The sound of the rat footsteps quickly peter out behind
now! The still-soaking-wet one is bringing up the rear. you. You barrel out of the corridor into a large natural
Konrad: That’s too many! Oh, I’ve got the Fear spell — cavern. Rows of vats line the walls. On your left you see a
hopefully that can buy us some time. Can I cast that? large shape moving, with a low, ominous hiss.

GM: Go for it! How much Power are you using? Konrad: Oh no. That’s a bad sound.

18
Game Master
Resources

19
 7. Running Mausritter
Best practices Asking for a Save
The following are guidelines for playing the role of the Saves should only be asked for as the result of a player’s
Game Master for Mausritter. action or choice. Mice can do anything that seems rea-
sonable and safe, but when they do something danger-
Make the world seem huge ous, ask for Save to avoid the possible consequences.
Mice are small. Be on the lookout for opportunities to • STR Saves: avoid harm through physical power and
remind the players of the small-scale characters they endurance
are playing. • DEX Saves: avoid harm through quick reaction,
Create situations, not plots speed and agility
• WIL Saves: avoid harm through strength of will and
Let the players find their own adventure. Don’t railroad force of personality
them onto a particular path. Give the players the space
to choose the challenges they are interested in. Consequences of failure
Present the world honestly The consequences of a failed Save should be obvious
and telegraphed. Remember that Saves should only
As the GM, you are the eyes, ears and nose of the play- occur when a player wants to avoid a negative outcome.
ers and their mice. Don’t unnecessarily hide things from
your players. Make sure they have all the information Some options for consequences are:
they need to make meaningful choices. • Damage: ranging from d4 to d20. d4 is minor, d6 is
Make the world a consistent, understandable place. dangerous. d8 is enough to seriously injure a Level 1
Don’t shy away from magic and weirdness, but maintain character. d20 damage is rare but deadly.
a logic behind it that can be decoded. • Condition: Exhausted or Frightened are good options.
• Lost time: Each action takes a Turn. Lost time can
Be an impartial arbiter of the rules of the game and the burn torches and cause random encounter rolls.
world. Let the dice fall as they may. Follow the goals and • Loss of random item: Roll d6 for inventory slot.
actions of antagonists to their logical conclusion. • Mark usage on item: Mark 1-3 usage dots.
Telegraph danger
Luck rolls
Give the players ample warning of the dangers they
face. Make traps obvious, deadly puzzles. Give warning of Luck rolls are for events that have an unpredictable
the dangerous beasts that hunt the mice. outcome is outside the remit of a STR, DEX or WIL Save.
Assign an ‘X-in-6’ chance to the outcome occurring (low
Don’t pull your punches. for unlikely, high for likely), then roll a d6. If the result is
The only way for danger to be meaningful is if the equal to or less than the chance, it happens.
outcome of failure is meaningful. When the players face
off against dangerous foes, or fall into a deadly trap, do Rulings
not shy away from the consequences. The rules of Mausritter will not cover every situation you
Reward bravery and the players come across, and some parts have been
kept intentionally vague.
When the players have been smart and brave and
followed good leads, give them the rewards they have When this happens, adapt one of your existing tools to
earned. Don’t be miserly when the players face down the purpose, or create a new one. Make a note of the
great dangers and succeed. ruling for future use.

20
 Exploration and time Encounters
When exploring in a dungeon or adventure site, a party When the mice are exploring a dungeon or adventure
of mice can perform one major action per Turn. Major site, roll for encounters every three Turns, or whenever
actions are things like moving to a new room, examining they create noise or mayhem that could draw attention.
a trap or engaging in a fight. When they are exploring the wilderness, roll for encoun-
To easily record Turns, use ters at the start of the Morning Watch and the start of
the Turn tracker on the the Evening watch. If an encounter occurs, roll d12 to
GM Session sheet. Each find what hour it occurs in.
time the party performs a To roll a random encounter, roll d6. On a 1, an encounter
major action, mark the occurs. On a 2, an omen occurs (signs or hints of an
Downloadable from mausritter.com next empty box. encounter).
Overland travel Encounter tables
When traveling in the wilderness, the mice can travel a For each major area, prepare a table of d6 encounters
single one-mile hex per Watch. Hexes containing difficult that express the theme of that area. Give each entry
terrain (streams, human roads, large rocks, hills, etc.) something they are already doing as the players arrive.
require two Watches to cross.
• Entries 1-3 should be variations of a common encounter.
Rest • Entries 4-5 should be variations of an uncommon
If the mice do not spend at least one Watch per day encounter, something slightly unusual.
resting, give them an Exhausted Condition. • Entry 6 should be a dangerous or weird encounter.

Weather Reactions
Roll 2d6 for weather each day. When the mice encounter a creature whose reaction to
the party is not obvious, you may roll on the following
Weather that is highlighted are poor conditions for table for their disposition.
travel. For each Watch spent traveling under these
conditions, a mouse must make a STR save or gain an 2d6 Reaction
Exhausted Condition. 2 Hostile. How have the mice angered them?
2d6 Spring Summer Autumn Winter 3-5 Unfriendly. How can they be appeased?
Rain Thunder Wild Snow 6-8 Unsure. What could win them over?
2
storm storm winds storm 9-11 Talkative. What could they trade?
12 Helpful. How can they help the mice?
3-5 Drizzle Very hot Heavy rain Sleet
Morale
Bitter
6-8 Overcast Clear, hot Cool Whenever an antagonist is in a battle with the mice and
cold
reaches one of the following conditions, it must make a
Bright Pleasantly Patchy WIL save. On failure, the creature must flee or surrender.
9-11 Overcast
and sunny sunny rain
• Is obviously outmatched at the start of a battle
Clear and Beautifully Clear and Clear and • Takes critical damage for the first time
12
warm warm crisp crisp • Sees an ally flee or fall
21
 8. Creatures List of creatures
Use these creatures in your campaign, and as examples
Language for creating new antagonists for your players.
As a general rule of thumb, the more closely related two When a creature lists critical damage in its stat block,
creatures are, the more likely they are to understand this occurs instead of the standard critical damage
each other. Magical or highly intelligent creatures may effect.
break these rules. Example: a spider attacks Burdock the mouse and does 4 damage.
The Burdock has 2 HP, so 2 of the damage is passed through to his
• Other mice: Can easily communicate. DEX. Burdock must make a DEX Save, but fails, so the spider quickly
• Other rodents: Can speak and communicate, wraps the him up in its web and starts to escape. Hopefully Burdock’s
friends are quick in their pursuit!
with some difficulty and difference of custom.
• Other mammals: Make a WIL save to see if
communication is possible. Cat
• Otherwise: Can’t directly communicate. Warband scale
15hp, STR 15, DEX 15, WIL 10, Armour 1
Attacks: d6 swipe, d8 bite.

Wants to be served. If mice pledge fealty and give bribes,

they may be allowed to live
Cat lords
1. Balthazar — Loves to eat the finest delicacies
2. Melchior — Loves gold, jewels and wealth
3. Solomon — Plays cruel games with captives
4. Hammurabi — Rules with harsh, unbending logic
5. Nefertiti — Loves art, poetry and beautiful things
6. Zenobia — Forming an army of conquest, wants to rule

Centipede
8hp, STR 10, DEX 12, WIL 8, Armour 1
Attacks: d6 venomous bite (damages DEX instead of STR)
Critical damage: Venom takes effect, d12 damage to STR

Wants to wander and devour

Chilling centipedes
1. Giant — As big as a snake. 12hp, STR 15, Armour 2
2. Swimming — Drags prey under water
3. Tiger — Yellow and black bands, d8 damage bite
4. Glutton — Always hungry, never stops growing
5. Racer — A delicacy, if you can catch them
6. Feathered — Can glide short distances

22
Crow Frog
12hp, STR 12, DEX 15, WIL 15, Armour 1 6hp, STR 12, DEX 15, WIL 8, Armour 1
Attacks: d8 peck Attacks: d10 spear or d6 tongue
Flies 3x normal speed, knows two songs Critical damage: Leap out of reach
Always goes first unless surprised, leaps 2x normal speed
Wants to protect the secret hallowed places from those
that would do them harm Wants to gallantly complete their quest
Crow songs Frog knights-errant
1. Dawn — Create a blindingly bright light 1. Gwal — Strong, kind of heart and simple of mind
2. Sorrow — All who hear: Make WIL save or take Frightened 2. Phillip — Cursed human, searching for a cure
3. Sight — Vaguely foretell a future event 3. Lurf — Unsound sense of honor, rash in anger
4. Wind — Powerful gust. Make STR save or knocked down. 4. Slup — Set on slaying a great beast, no matter the cost
5. Past — See past event concerning those present 5. Uuu — Desperate to prove their strength at jousting
6. Truth — All who hear: Cannot lie while the song lasts 6. Puc — Searching for the legendary Mug of Truth

Faerie Ghost
6hp, STR 10, DEX 15, WIL 15 9hp, STR 5, DEX 10, WIL 10
Attacks: d8 silver rapier Attacks: ghostly power, d8 chilling touch (damages WIL)
Knows one spell Critical damage: Possess the creature
Only harmed by silver or magic weapons
Wants to further the Faerie Queen’s strange agenda
Faerie agendas Wants freedom from the pain that binds them to the
1. Kidnapping baby mice, to raise as their own mortal realm
2. Giving gifts that cause violent jealousy Ghostly powers
3. Playing music that bewitches mice into their service 1. Shimmer — Create d3 illusions of itself
4. Using a glamour to appear as a mouse in distress 2. Poltergeist — Throws a creature/object d6 x 6"
5. Rotting the food in winter storehouses 3. Entrap — Pull a creature into the spirit realm for a Round
6. Tricking a settlement out of their legal standing 4. Doom — Give Frightened Condition to a creature
5. Rot — Destroys all rations carried by a creature
6. Incorporeal — Float into wall/floor, reappear elsewhere

Mouse
3hp, STR 9, DEX 9, WIL 9
Attacks: d6 sword or d6 bow

Wants to feel safe

Rival mouse adventurers
1. Thistle — Disgraced knight, still haughty
2. Belladonna — Off-kilter wizard, looking for spells
3. Hayseed — Trying to steal enough to buy back their farm
4. Mandrake — Con artist. Appears unthreatening
5. Marigold — Loves fire. Fears its absence
6. Leif — Massive mouse exiled from far away land

23
 Owl Snake
15hp, STR 15, DEX 15, WIL 15, Armour 1 12hp, STR 12, DEX 10, WIL 10, Armour 2
Attacks: d10 bite Attacks: d8 bite
Flies 3x normal speed. Knows two spells Critical damage: Swallow whole, d4 STR
damage per Round until rescued or escape
Wants to collect rare knowledge and spells
Owl sorcerers Wants to sleep undisturbed
1. Bezalel — Builds mechanical servants Strange snakes
2. Morgana — In league with a faerie kingdom 1. Wood — Carved stick of wood, ensorcelled into life
3. Prospero — Creates chimeric servants 2. Shadow — Slithers always just out of sight
4. Sparrowhawk — Can shape-shift into any other bird 3. Bone — Snake skeleton, raised from the dead
5. Crowley — Binds ghosts into spells 4. Eel — Lives underwater. Raises stolen snake eggs
6. Lechuza — Human witch trapped in owl form 5. Scroll — Born with a spell etched into its scales
6. Drake — Has wings, breathes small gouts of fame
Rat
Spider
3hp, STR 12, DEX 8, WIL 8
Attacks: d6 cleaver 6hp, STR 8, DEX 15, WIL 10, Armour 1
Attacks: d6 poison bite (damages DEX instead of STR)
Wants easy wealth, to take from the weak Critical damage: Carry away in web
Rat gangs
1. Dedratz — Construct elaborate scavenged traps Wants to feed its babies
2. Water Rats — Expert riverboat navigators Spider species
3. Lab Rats — Bizarre looks, innate magical abilities 1. Widow — Bright red markings, d10 damage bite
4. Trashknights — 1 armour tin breastplates and helms 2. Wolf — Furry, hunts in packs of d6 spiders
5. Gentlerats — Top hats and rumpled suits 3. Longlegs — Mostly peaceful, can walk on water
6. The Kings — Tails locked together in gordian knot 4. Architect — Weave confusing tunnels of webs
5. Blink — As an action, can teleport d6 x 10"
6. Ghost — Can only be harmed by silver or magic weapons

24
9. Hexcrawl toolbox
Making a hexcrawl
1. Fill hexes
Start with a 5x5 map of one-mile hexes.
Place a friendly settlement (p. 28) in the centre.
Fill the remaining hexes. Roll on the hex contents
tables (p. 26) or use them as inspiration. Write a one-line
description for each hex. Running a hexcrawl
2. Create factions (Optional) First session
Factions (p. 30) are the major powers within your hex In the first session, pick one of the adventure sites
crawl. They help set the stakes of the players choices, you’ve detailed and start the players at the entrance.
and create the feeling of a living world going on outside Give the players a reason why they should care about
of the game sessions. the adventure site. Use the backgrounds of their mice
3. Detail adventure sites and theme of the adventure site as hooks, or use the
table below if you’re stuck for ideas.
Adventure sites (pp. 34-41) are the dangerous places
where brave adventurers find the wealth they seek. d6 Starting adventure site hook
Where settled mice, more careful and less desperate, do 1 Searching for a lost family member
not dare to scurry.
2 Investigating on orders of a noblemouse
Pick 2-4 of the of the landmarks and detail them as 3 Mouse wizard requires a certain spell component
adventure sites. Spread them out, to give the players
4 Site is lair of a creature harassing a settlement
good reasons to criss-cross the map.
5 Following an inherited treasure map
Decide the theme for each, then fully detail one of
them. You can detail the others now, or wait until the 6 Seeking shelter from a terrible storm
players are closer to encountering them.
Exploring the map
4. Seed rumours Once the players are done exploring the adventure site,
Create a table of d6 rumours. As the players explore or need to retreat back to a friendly place for supplies,
adventure sites or rest in settlements, use this table show them a blank version of your map.
to give hints of other locations and of the activities of Mark the friendly settlement and the adventure site,
factions within the hexcrawl. plus a couple of other well-known places.
• Entries 1-3 should be true Allow the players to find their own way through the
• Entries 4-5 should partially true map. As the party of mice move through each hex, they
• Entry 6 should be false should automatically encounter the major landmarks
5. Create encounter table you’ve created, as long as they are fairly obvious.

Based on the factions you’ve chosen and other inhab- Expanding the map
itants of the area, create a table of d6 encounters, As the players uncover new leads and the world changes
following the structure outlined on p. 21. around them, create some more adventure sites and
start expanding the map.
25
 Hex contents Hex type
For each hex on your map, roll, choose or invent: d6 Type
• Hex type 1-2 Countryside
• Landmark (depending on hex type) 3-4 Forest
• An interesting detail for that landmark 5 River
Write a one-line description for each hex. 6 Human town

Landmarks
d20 Countryside Forest River Human town
1 Anthill Abandoned shack Canal lock Abandoned car
2 Beech, lightning split Bright clearing Converging tributaries Apartment balcony
3 Bone-white tree Cascading waterfalls Draping willow Blackberry hedge
4 Cow skeleton Cliff face Eroded riverbank Busy road
5 Field of flowers Cold, fresh spring Fallen tree crossing Drainpipe outlet
6 Field of wheat Dense underbrush High waterfall Dumped furniture
7 Hedge row Face in ancient oak Huge boulder Greenhouse
8 Hollow tree stump Fox hole Huge concrete dam Mouse ruins
9 Huge flat rock Grove of ferns Isolated island Newly built house
10 Lily-lined pond Hollow tree stump Muddy flats Overgrown garden bed
11 Massive fallen tree Huge pine tree Rocky rapids Pigeon nest
12 Old craggy oak Human walking track Row of dead trees Pile of trash
13 Old farmhouse Human-made clearing Silty dam Rocky riverbed
14 Quiet dirt road Meandering brook Stepping-stones Shopping trolley
15 Rabbit warren Overgrown ruins Stone bridge Stagnant pond
16 Sparrow nest Ring of stones Stony shallows Steel bridge
17 Stand of pine trees Rocky outcropping Submerged trash Trash-filled skip
18 Steep hill Sunken hollow Sunken barge Tree-lined footpath
19 Stone wall Tangle of roots Twisted roots Underground car park
20 Tangle of fig roots Termite-riddled tree Wooden bridge Woodshed

26
Landmark details
d6 d8 Detail
1 - Mouse settlement... (Details on p. 28)
2 1 Small mouse farm (What threatens their crops?)
2 Noblemouse’s castle (What does it defend against?)
3 Friendly mouse roadhouse (What is in the basement?)
4 Mouse hunting lodge (What is their quarry?)
5 Mining outpost (What have they uncovered?)
6 Mouse hermit’s hut (Why do they shun society?)
7 Natural caves (What is living here?)
8 Hedge-knight’s tower (What is their quest?)
3 1 Songbird’s nest (What sad tales do they sing of?)
2 Tribe of huge, peaceful beasts (What do they fear?)
3 Rat bandit hideout (Who do they prey on?)
4 Crow coven’s spire (What spells do they caw?)
5 Hive of insects (What do they hunger for?)
6 Den of a great predator (What treasure do they guard?)
7 Frog fortress (What lies hidden in the dungeon?)
8 Mouse wizard’s tower (What is spell almost finished?)
4 1 Dangerous natural feature (How can it be avoided?)
2 Lonely shrine (Who maintains it? What do they worship?)
3 Noblemouse’s manor (Why was it abandoned?)
4 Abandoned settlement (What clues did they leave?)
5 Ruined watchtower (What did it guard from?)
6 Natural feature, peaceful and safe (Who gathers here?)
7 Natural feature, out of place (How did it form?)
8 Rickety bridge (What does it cross over?)
5 1 Ancient bat cult temple (What was summoned?)
2 Faerie ring (What business do the faeries have here?)
3 Beetle graveyard (What do the ghosts want?)
4 Mouse witch’s hut (What does she brew?)
5 Small, deep pond (What is at the bottom?)
6 Out-of-season plantlife (Why are they growing here?)
7 Owl sorcerer’s nest (What are they searching for?)
8 Strange magical anomaly (Why is it spreading?)
6 1 Crashed Lilliputian airship (How can it be repaired?)
2 Humming stone (What happens when touched?)
3 Completely lifeless (What disaster has occurred?)
4 Regularly used by humans (What do they do here?)
5 Damaged by humans (What have they done?)
6 Ancient ruins of a past civilisation (Who built this?)
7 Cat lord’s hunting ground (What trophies remain?)
8 Repurposed human construction (How is it used?)
27
 Mouse settlements
Settlement details
What habits and customs do the mice have? What feature sets this settlement apart? Cities have two.

d20 Inhabitants d20 Notable feature

1 Shave elaborate patterns in their fur 1 Maze of defensive, trap-filled tunnels
2 Intoxicated by strange plants 2 Exceedingly comfortable, well-appointed inn
3 Wary of doing business with outsiders 3 Shrine carved of black wood
4 Curious for news from afar 4 Meditative mushroom garden
5 Believe grooming their fur is bad luck 5 Cow skull, repurposed as a guildhouse
6 Wear finely embroidered clothes 6 Mess of closely packed shanties
7 Brew honey-mead, flavoured with pungent herbs 7 Neat rows of hanging wooden houses
8 Cover their faces with long hoods 8 Ornate gate, guarded by statues
9 Impoverished by a cat lord’s tithes 9 Secret bat cult temple
10 Ceremonially crop their tails 10 Beetle racing rink
11 Brave hunters of large beasts 11 Storehouse, stocked with preserves
12 All descended from single matriarch 12 Hidden riverboat dock
13 Bake delicious berry pies 13 Crumbling marble palace, built by ancient mice
14 Lab escapees, naive about the world 14 Scavenged human machine, working
15 Spend their days lazing by a stream 15 Wooden bridge connects the settlement
16 Long-standing blood feud with another settlement 16 Unnervingly tall, twisting tower
17 Dig grand tunnels, overseen by the guild 17 Beautiful flower garden
18 Wear large, wide-brimmed hats 18 Pigeon rider’s roost
19 Have laws and customs confusing to outsiders 19 Overgrown statue of an ancient hero
20 On friendly terms with a predator 20 Spiral stairwell, leading deep underground

Settlement size Governance

Most mouse settlements are no more than a handful of Most settlements pay taxes to (and are protected by) the
families in an oak hollow or in an old farmhouse wall. local noblemouse. Free settlements keep their own guard.
Roll 2d6 and use the lowest value. Roll d6 + Settlement size (1 for Farm, 6 for City)

d6 Size d6+ Size

1 Farm/manor (1-3 families) 2-3 Guided by village elders
2 Crossroads (3-5 families) 4-5 Administered by a knight or lower-caste lord
3 Hamlet (50-150 mice) 6-7 Organised by a guild committee
4 Village (150-300 mice) 8-9 Free settlement, governed by council of burghermice
5 Town (300-1000 mice) 10-11 House of an upper caste noblemouse
6 City (1000+ mice) 12 Seat of baronial power

28
What trade do the mice work? Towns and cities have two. What is happening as the player mice arrive?

d20 Industry d20 Event

1 Farmers, tending to towering crops 1 Disaster, everyone packing to leave
2 Woodcutters, with saws and harnesses 2 Wedding, streets decked in flowers
3 Rough and scarred fishermice, with nets and rafts 3 Preparing for grand seasonal feast
4 Dark and musty mushroom farm 4 An illness has struck
5 Grains drying on every flat surface 5 Storehouse has been plundered by insects
6 Pungent cheese, cured for years 6 Market day, farmers flock to the settlement
7 Gardens of rare herbs. Drying racks are guarded 7 Mice are at each other’s throats
8 Hive of bees and their veiled keepers 8 Warband forming to defeat a beast
9 Merchants and traders, often in need of guards 9 Several children have gone missing
10 Stonemasons, working a nearby quarry 10 Noblemouse makes a frivolous demand
11 Flour mill, driven by a large water-wheel 11 Traveling theatre troupe arrives
12 Deep mine for iron, silver or tin 12 Funeral, streets thick with smoke
13 Keep silkworms and weave fine cloth 13 Conman whips up an irrational scheme
14 Expert explorers of caves and tunnels 14 Pet beetle gone mad, attacking mice
15 Kiln-fired pottery, glazed in cheerful colours 15 Faerie emissary with an impossible request
16 Wool mill, draped in bright cloth 16 Strangely quick-growing plant nearby
17 Excellent school, rowdy pupils 17 Valuable heirloom has a been stolen
18 Bustling, well-stocked market 18 Cat lord demands a heavy tithe
19 Smelly scavenged trash pile, carefully picked over 19 Coming of age ceremony for the young mice
20 Beautiful furniture of carved and polished wood 20 Wizard tower arrives on tortoise-back

Settlement name seeds Taverns and inns

Roll d12 twice. Hamlets and larger settlements will furnish a friendly
Choose a start and an end. Massage until it sounds nice. tavern or inn for locals and traveling mice.
Start A Start B End A End B Name A Name B Specialty meal
1. Oaks 1. Swamp 1. thorpe 1. stand 1. White 1. Beetle 1. Spiced baked carrot
2. Berry 2. Owl 2. ville 2. hill 2. Green 2. Fox 2. Boiled worm broth
3. Willow 3. Fox 3. mill 3. tower 3. Black 3. Wedge 3. Blackberry pie
4. Stump 4. Acorn 4. dale 4. farm 4. Red 4. Kernel 4. Pungent aged cheese
5. Pine 5. Copper 5. grove 5. bridge 5. Silver 5. Rat 5. Barley porridge
6. Moon 6. Robber 6. town 6. gate 6. Crooked 6. Cheese 6. Thick river-fish steak
7. Green 7. Colby 7. vale 7. creek 7. Friendly 7. Eagle 7. Baked apple
8. Black 8. Drain 8. seed 8. pond 8. Hidden 8. Worm 8. Fried, crumbed insect legs
9. Stone 9. Rose 9. ashe 9. nest 9. Wiley 9. Bee 9. Fresh buttered bread
10. Hill 10. Copper 10. bush 10. ford 10. Glass 10. Lantern 10. Scavenged candy
11. Fig 11. Friend 11. stitch 11. grave 11. Thorny 11. Rose 11. Honey-roasted seeds
12. Apple 12. Trunk 12. shine 12. burn 12. Broken 12. Knight 12. Mushroom stew
29
 Factions
Factions are large forces outside the Goal progression Player interference
control of the player mice. They help Between sessions, each faction will As the players interact with factions,
create a feeling of a living world. work towards their current goal. show signs of the current goals
Pick or create 3-4 factions to be the Roll d6, then adjust the value: they are working towards.
major powers within your hexcrawl. Players should have opportunities to
For each relevant resource the
Using factions faction has, add 1 to the result. interact with the factions, to thwart
or help them compete their goals.
Factions have goals they are trying If a rival faction is targeted by the goal,
to complete and resources they subtract 1 from the result for each of Factions may attempt to recruit the
can utilise towards the goal’s that faction’s relevant resources. help of players and players may
completion. Goals should interact interfere with the faction’s progress.
• On final result of 4-5, mark
with other factions or complete for 1 progress toward the goal. If the players successfully help or
similar resources. • On a 6+, mark 2 progress. interfere in completion of a goal,
Resources reflect the power and mark or erase 1-3 progress marks,
When a faction completes a goal, depending on the scale of the player
influence of the faction within the add a new resource to represent
world. interference.
their increased power and influence.
Each goal requires 2-5 progress If players directly attack a faction
If the goal reduces another faction’s and significantly affect their power,
marks (eg.         ) to be completed, power and influence, remove or
depending on its complexity. this may require you to remove or
change one of its resources. re-write a faction’s resource.
Factions with at least three resources As factions work towards and com-
are capable of fielding a warband. plete their goals, update your map
to show waxing and waning power,
and add hints of current goals to
your rumour table.

30
1. Cat lord 2. Noblemouse 3. Tunnellers guild
Resources Resources Resources
• Terrifying presence • Ambitious knights • Rough-pawed work gangs
• Hired mercenaries and bandits • Tricky legal advocates • Solidarity with working mice
• Exorbitant wealth • Stocked storehouses Goals
Goals Goals Intimidate tax collector
Raise bribes from settlement Raise tax revenue Destroy noblemouse’s manor
Kidnap mouse servants Acquire new land rights Establish free settlement
Subjugate a settlement Establish new settlement

4. Rat bandits 5. Faerie queen 6. Owl sorcerer

Resources Resources Resources
• Ruthless gang • Hidden roads and portals • Powerful magic
• Secret hideout • Shapeshifting agents • Speed and fury
Goals • Endless illusory silver • Magical servants
Dominate a trade route Goals Goals
Establish protection racket Kidnap mice Take scrying tower from crows
Capture a fortress Trick mice out of legal standing Locate leyline vortex
Lead settlement into Fae lands Harness the vortex’s power

7. Clutch of snakes 8. Cultists

Resources Resources
• Silent slithering serial killers • Poorly-understood eldritch power
• Chilling calling cards • Clandestine insiders
Goals Goals
Assassinate a settlement elder Recruit vulnerable mice
Assassinate a noblemouse Steal powerful artifact
Assassinate the queen Summon ancient god

9. Frog prince 10. Coven of crows

Resources Resources
• Chivalric knights • Cunning corvid crones
• Hidden fortress • Cawing song magic
Goals • Soaring scrying tower
Hold joust to choose a champion Goals
Kidnap mouse historian Kidnap a mouse farmer
Find the Mug of Truth Capture a weather spirit
Create weather machine
31
 Example hexcrawl

The Earldom of Ek
8

19 9

18 10

3
17 11

1 4
6

5
12
16

15 13

14

Encounters Rumours
d6 Encounter d6 Rumour
1 d6 Dedratz, scouting out a mark 1 Balthazar is kidnapping mice to make him food
2 d6 Dedratz, dragging a sack of stolen goods 2 Many trees north of Oaksgrove have been felled
3 2d6 Dedratz, leading d6 mice, strung together 3 The Earl of Ek has fallen ill, and has no heir
4 Roll on Adventure seeds table 4 A wolf ate all the mice in Blackrock Stand
5 d6 Sugar Cultists, on clandestine mission 5 Faeries have a castle in the forest east of Oaksgrove
6 Cat Lord Balthazar, hunting 6 The Cult of Sugar know the secret of everlasting life
32
1: Oaksgrove 8: Balthazar ’s Gate 14: Tower of Magnolia
Town of 350 mice. Built between Gate to the Barony of Balthazar. Mouse wizard’s tower, built in light-
three old oaks linked with bridges. Mice who venture past this point are ning-struck beech. She has almost
Inhabitants wear fine embroidered rarely seen again. finished the creation of a powerful
clothing and have a pigeon rider’s spell, needs a cat’s claw to finish it.
roost. 9: Woodshed
Used as a hideout by the Dedrat 15: Stumpsville
2: Ant kingdoms gang, who have kidnapped mice Hamlet of 50 mice. Known for their
Three ant kingdoms, constantly at from Stumpsville. They are planning excellent cheese, which is guarded
war. Will pay well for mercenaries to deliver the mice as offering to by a large snake. Mice have all been
and assassins. Balthazar who wants the mice as kidnapped by Deadrat gang of rats.
personal cheesemakers. The players start here.
3: Logging fields
Fields of sawdust and felled trees. 10: Abandoned hut 16: Menhir Mot
Sounds of screaming machines Cursed sunflower draws both bees Ancient castle, built into a large
can be heard during the day from and cultists to the abandoned hut. boulder on a windswept field.
neighboring hexes. See Honey in the Rafters. Controlled by Larkspur, lord of this
4: Cave of Gormenghast 11: Waterfall cave county within the Earldom.

An ancient, foul-natured wolf. Secret entrance to the Faerie lands, 17: Mushroom grotto
Avoided by wise mice. hidden behind a waterfall. Humid caves overgrown by
5: Ghost beech 12: Blackrock Stand mushrooms. Rival adventurers are
exploring the cave, searching for the
Bone-white tree, translucent leaves. Abandoned settlement. Former grave of an ancient queen.
Beetle graveyard amongst the roots. mouse inhabitants are mutated into
insect hybrids. The black monolith 18: Huge road
6: Poppyseed house that changed the mice is still here. Leads to the Big City.
Mouse roadhouse. River Rat smugglers 2-in-6 chance of human presence.
have secret hideout in the basement. 13: River ’s Rest
Hamlet of 75 mice built in log over 19: Bridge hideout
7: Fishing spot the river. Keep a mushroom farm. Smuggling hideout used by the
3-in-6 chance of humans being here. Hidden riverboat dock below the log. River Rats. Will transport anyone or
Stones useful for crossing river. anything along the river... for a price.

Balthazar (Cat lord) Dedratz (Rat gang) Lord Larkspur (Noblemouse)

Resources Resources Resources
• Terrifying presence • Ruthless gang • Indolent knights
• Hired mercenaries and bandits • Secret woodshed hideout • Menhir Mot
• Exorbitant wealth Goals Goals
Goals Appease a cat lord Raise tax revenue
Raise bribes from settlement Establish protection racket Acquire new land rights
Kidnap mouse servants Capture a fortress Supersede the Earl of Ek
Subjugate a settlement
33
 10. Adventure site toolbox
Adventure sites are those dangerous places that only 3. Draw a map
the bravest of mouse adventurers dare to scurry. They
form the core of most Mausritter adventures. Draw or find a map of the location, then divide it into
‘rooms’ — these can be actual rooms, or just sensible
Designing a good adventure site is more art than dividing lines within a larger space.
science, but these steps will help as a basic guide.
The map doesn’t have to be pretty, detailed or to scale.
1. Create a theme You can just draw the rooms with boxes, and connect
The theme of the adventure site is the overall idea that them with lines.
guides its creation. Think of it like the title card and Keep these principles in mind when creating a map:
one-sentence description that will guide the rest of • Multiple paths give the players decision points
your choices. while navigating the space. Create loops and links to
2. Choose factions and goals other paths.
• Varied paths create distinct areas within the site.
A good adventure site will be populated with at least Stairs, ramps and cliffs break up the flow of a level
two factions of creatures. These are not necessarily the and create more variety when navigating the space.
factions working at your hexcrawl level, though these Secrets paths reward players who are paying close
should inform your choices. The factions should have attention.
competing goals they are trying to achieve within the • Multiple entrances, (even hidden ones) create oppor-
adventure site. Not all of the creatures within the adven- tunities to approach problems from a different angle.
ture site will be part of these factions. • History and ruination have dramatic impacts on a
One of the factions in the site may already be clear from space. Hint at changes left by previous inhabitants.
rolling the Denizens in the adventure site overview. The
other faction could be protecting the site from that 4. Stock rooms
faction, or competing for a similar goal. For each room within the adventure site, roll or choose
the type and contents (p. 36). A good adventure site will
provide a diverse set of challenges through a variety
of room types. Some rooms will be obvious, so just go
with what seems right. Others may need some random
prodding.

5. Create an encounter table

Based on the factions you’ve chosen, and the rooms
stocked, create a table of d6 encounters for the adven-
ture site.
Encounters can be dangerous, but are not necessarily
hostile to the player mice. Give each entry something it
is already doing as the players arrive.
• Entries 1-3 should be variations of a common encounter.
• Entries 4-5 should be variations of an uncommon
encounter, something slightly unusual.
• Entry 6 should be a strange or dangerous encounter.

34
Adventure site theme
History
d20 Construction
1 Ancient bat cult temple
2 Long-abandoned watchtower
3 Noblemouse’s country manor
4 Hidden winter storehouse
Denizens
5 Burial site of ancient mice
d10 Inhabitants...
6 Warren dug by rabbits or foxes
1 Mice, driven mad or desperate
7 Human house or other building
2 Mice, magically altered
8 Sewer or drainage pipes
3 Rat bandits
9 Claustrophobic ant-dug tunnels
4 Creatures from a distant land
10 Massive tree, carved out by mice
5 Original residents, strangely twisted
11 Wizard’s tower
6 Ghostly spirits
12 Settlement’s grain mill
7 Faerie advance guard
13 Rat King’s nest
8 Foul-tempered snake
14 Skeleton of a great beast
9 Infestation of insects
15 Witch’s academy
10 Cat lord and their servants
16 Gatehouse to faerie realm
d8 ...searching for/protecting
17 Deep mine
1 A safe place to live or hide
18 Bandit’s hideout
2 Cache of fine food
19 Natural cave
3 Lost family or friend
20 Mouse settlement
4 Ancient, valuable artworks
d12 Ruination
5 The last scraps in a picked-over ruin
1 Flooding
6 Rare alchemical mushrooms
2 Magical mishap
7 Strange and powerful spell
3 Age and rot
8 Vast horde of pips
4 Human destruction
5 Overrun by mold Secret
6 Shifted between realms d6 Secret
7 Attacked by great beast 1 Monolith humming with arcane energy
8 Disastrous storm 2 Preserved precursor beast
9 Haunting spirits 3 Signs of human experimentation
10 Mysterious abandonment 4 Forgotten grave of an ancient queen
11 Internal warfare 5 Path into the veins of the earth
12 Disease 6 Portal to faerie realm
35
 Randomly stocking rooms
To randomly stock a room in an adventure site, roll d6 three times; the first result shows the room type, the second
shows if a creature is present, and the third shows if treasure can be found here.

Room type d6 Creature d6 Treasure

d6 Type 1 2 3 4 5 6 1 2 3 4 5 6
1-2 Empty X X X X
3 Obstacle X X X
4 Trap X X X
5 Puzzle X X X X X X
6 Lair X X X X X X X X X

Creatures d20 Empty room feature

The creatures used in your adventure site should be
1 Abandoned insect nest
populated from the factions you’ve already chosen, but
don’t be afraid to include some other creatures too. 2 Cluster of mushrooms
Creatures not in a lair should have a reason for being the 3 Collapsed wall or ceiling
room where they are found. 4 Dried bug shells on the walls
Treasure 5 Furniture made of repurposed trash
Valuable treasure is rarely left lying around. It may be
6 Huge drawing of bat face on wall
defended, hidden or lost. Keep in mind where it came
from and what left it there (and may miss it if taken). 7 Mess of tables and chairs
See p. 38 for treasure horde creation tables. 8 Newspaper clipping wallpaper
Empty rooms 9 Overgrown with moss
Empty rooms provide mice with a chance to catch their 10 Painted mural, now faded
breath and prepare for the next challenge.
11 Platforms hanging over rapidly flowing water
Obstacles 12 Roots bursting out of walls/floor/ceiling
Obstacles are a barrier that must be bypassed by players
13 Rotting pile of acorns
to continue. Use up the players resources, highlight
special equipment or push them to explore further. 14 Scattering of animal teeth
Traps 15 Shiny candy-wrapper banners
Traps should be obvious and deadly. A good trap has 16 Snake skull doorway
a clear danger and multiple, non-obvious solutions. 17 Steady drip of water from ceiling
Consider the purpose the trap was built for, and how it
18 Stern statue of an ancient mouse
is navigated by other creatures in the site. If the players
use a risky method to bypass the trap, call for a Save or 19 Uneven and deeply cracked floor
Luck roll. 20 White quartz altar
Puzzles
Puzzles reward clever thinking. Give the players some-
thing to explore and experiment with. This could be a
dangerous device, but one the players are able to exploit
for their own purposes.
36
Room types
Roll or pick from these tables for the contents of a room, or invent your own.

d8 Obstacle
1 Locked door. Key can be found in another room. Knocking the door down takes time and makes noise.
2 Steep climb. Without special equipment, mice risk exhaustion or falling.
3 Room with an exit in the centre of the roof, 6" away from any wall.
4 Device that creates an high-pitched scream. Each Turn spent here or in adjacent rooms gives Frightened Condition.
5 Caved-in section of tunnel, leaving a gap too small to crawl through.
6 Tunnel completely filled with water.
7 Wide, deep puddle of mud blocking the way. Gives an Exhausted Condition per 6" traveled.
8 Long, smooth, upwards sloping metal or plastic tube.

d8 Trap
1 Large stone door, chiseled loose from frame. Device behind the door tips it forward when handle is turned.
2 Long hallway flooded with water, electrified by large battery in an alcove.
3 Dark room filled with noxious, explosive gas. Distinct smell of rotten eggs. d20 damage if ignited.
4 Thin thread stretched across deadly fall. Safe if traveling slowly, one at a time.
5 Pit blocking the way. A snake is asleep at the bottom.
6 Door with three handles in the shape of mushrooms, one safe, the others poison. Poison handles deal d12 magical damage.
7 Circle of enchanted mushrooms, with a young mouse inside. Those within try desperately to get others to enter.
8 Floor is covered in sticky glue. Requires a STR save to break a foot loose.

d6 Puzzle
1 Room with a floor made of an electrified copper plate. A piece of valuable treasure sits in the centre.
2 Three feeding bottles with different-colored liquid inside. Each is inert individually but powerful/dangerous when mixed.
3 A crystal, a magic sword embedded inside. The crystal is very hard, but will dissolve in stomach acid.
4 Treasure is at the bottom of deep well.
5 Large smooth steel bowl, upside down. Treasure taped to the inside ceiling of the bowl.
6 Baited mousetrap. The lever is wired to a stone in the wall and will collapse the corridor if triggered

d6 Lair
1 Temporary encampment
2 Recently taken from another creature
3 Built by mice to hold the creature
4 Protecting young
5 Permanent home, newly settled
6 Permanent home, comfortably appointed

37
 Treasure
When placing a treasure horde, roll to see what it holds. • In a former mouse settlement, castle or dungeon?
Roll d20 twice on the Treasure table, plus an additional • In a highly magical area?
d20 for each of the following questions that are true: • Defended by a great beast or devious trap?
• The mice overcame great adversity to find it?

Treasure tables
d20 Treasure d6 Valuable treasure
1 Magic sword 1 Wheel of fine aged cheese (100p)
2 Random spell 2 Silver chain (2 slots, 500p)
3 Roll for Trinket 3 Jeweled pendant (400p)
4 Roll for Valuable treasure 4 Gold ring (500p)
5 Roll for Unusual treasure 5 Polished diamond (1000p)
6-8 Roll for Large treasure 6 String of pearls (2 slots, 1500p)
9-10 Roll for Useful treasure
d6 Large treasure
11 Box containing d6 x 100 pips
1 Oversized silver spoon (2 slots, 300p)
12-14 Bag containing d6 x 50 pips
2 Ivory comb (4 slots, 400p)
15-17 Purse containing d6 x 10 pips
3 Huge bottle of fine brandy (4 slots, 500p)
18-20 Loose scattering of d6 x 5 pips
4 Ancient mouse statue (4 slots, 500p)
d6 Trinkets 5 Ancient mouse throne (6 slots, 1000p)
1 Ghost lantern (casts a light that banishes ghosts) 6 Giant golden wristwatch (4 slots, 1000p)
2 Speaking shells (one speaks what the other hears)
d6 Unusual treasure
3 Breathing straw (tube that always contains air)
1 Bundle of pungent herbs (200p to an apothecary)
4 Bat cultist’s dagger (grants passage into sanctum)
2 Odd-coloured dried mushrooms (200p to a witch)
5 Magic beans (grow fully in d6 Turns)
3 Eerily glowing stone (300p to a wizard)
6 Working human device (make up something fun)
4 Heirloom of sentimental value to a noblemouse
Tip: all of the sub-tables (except the Spells & Magic swords) use a d6, 5 Legal documents granting land rights to the holder
so roll one d6 for each d20 rolled as a big handful of dice to quickly
generate a treasure horde. 6 Treasure map

d6 Useful treasure
1 d6 packs of rations, well preserved
2 d6 bundles of torches
3 Mundane weapon
4 Mundane armour
5 Mundane utility item
6 Lost mouse, willing to help
38
Magic swords
Magic swords only mark usage when a 6 is rolled. d6 Weapon class
They can be repaired by a highly skilled blacksmith, 1-4 Medium (d6 one paw/d8 both paws)
or by an unusually practically minded wizard, a service
5 Light (d6 one paw, can be duel-wielded)
that will require payment greater than simply pips.
6 Heavy (d10 both paws)

1. Wrought iron 6. Water-worn glass

While wielded: While wielded:
You roll critical damage 2. Intricate Fae design You can hold breath
Saves with Advantage While wielded: You may underwater for 1 Turn
disguise yourself as any 7. Wolf tooth
mouse-sized creature
Critical damage:
Your next attack is Enhanced

3. Rusty nail 8. Silver sewing needle

Critical damage: Critical damage: Clear all usage dots
Give a Frightened Condition from a non-spell item in your inventory

9. Thorny rose stem

Critical damage:
4. Snake fang Remove a Condition
Critical damage: Deal d6 additional damage to DEX
10. Congealed shadow
While wielded: You are invisible
when standing perfectly still
5. Toy soldier ’s sabre
While wielded: If you lead a warband, they have +1 Armour

Cursed swords
Magic swords have a 1-in-6 chance of being cursed.
Cursed swords bind to the mouse who first holds them, While the curse remains, the sword has no beneficial
and cannot be removed from the mouse’s inventory. power. Once lifted, the sword regains its power.

d6 Curse Lifted by...

1 Roll critical damage saves with Disadvantage Making a selfless sacrifice in a life or death situation
2 When you gain an Exhausted Condition, gain another Trading places with a poor farmer for a season
3 Make a WIL save to not attack when threatened Making lasting peace with a mortal enemy
4 Reaction rolls are made with -1 modifier Giving away everything you own, no cheating
5 If you see an ally take damage, take a Frightened Condition Fulfilling a mouse’s dying wish
6 Spells cast in your presence always mark usage Destroying an owl sorcerer’s source of power
39
 Example adventure site

Stumpsville

5
6
4

8 10
3 9
2

What’s going on here? Encounters

The mice of Oaksgrove are worried about their friends and d6 Encounter
cousins in Stumpsville after the village’s usually reliable
1 d3 Dedratz, searching for loot
delivery of cheese failed to arrive on market day.
2 d6 Dedratz, carrying mouse
Unbeknownst to the players, the mice of Stumpsville have been
3 d6 Dedratz, busy partying
kidnapped by the Dedratz as a gift for the cat lord Balthazar.
The rats are holding the villagers in their secret hideout to the 4 Spider, hunting for prey
north until the trade can be made. 5 d3 spiders, spinning their webs
Will the players solve the mystery and find where the villagers 6 Guard snake, escaped from its cage
have been taken? Can they rescue the mice in time?
Let’s play to find out.

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1: Entry tunnel 6: Infested house
Underneath two elegantly intertwined roots. Dark. Cobwebs festoon windows and doorway.
• Cart tracks and footmarks on the muddy ground. • Roquefort and Paneer, villagers trapped in webs.
• Mousetrap just inside the entrance, marked with They hid in here after tipping the statue into the pond
rat skull. Lever of trap is wired to a large boulder in to prevent it from being stolen by Dedratz.
the wall (d12 damage if triggered). Trap baited with • Two spiders, protecting their nest
wheel of cheese (100p)
• Tunnel: to Main gate 7: Grand hall
Grand underground chamber, lit by candlelight.
2: Main gate
• 2d6 Dedratz, drinking stolen mead, eating cheese and
Wide tunnel. Half dirt, half wood. Stone gate blocks the way. playing horrible sounds with the Snake Flute
• Twin guardian statues by the gate, defaced. • Snake Flute (while played with skill, places a snake
• Gate is massive slab of slate, iron handle in centre. into a trance)
• Hinges of gate have been chiseled away and wood- • Roll 3 times for looted treasure (p. 38)
en pegs knocked in behind it. Mousetrap on other • Locked doorway: behind barrels, to Cheese factory
side, rigged to tip the door forward if handle turned
(d20 damage if triggered, DEX Save for half). 8: Cheese factory
• Doorway: once opened, leads to Courtyard Sour smell of off milk, dark vats of half-curdled cheese.

3: Courtyard • Elevator driven by wheel on ground floor

• Mixing paddles (as 6" pole), and cheesecloths (as net)
Large, open courtyard. Still, cool air over the dark pond. • Jack, terrified cheesemaker, hiding behind a vat
• Six little wall-mounted houses, mostly empty. • Iron gate: opens to Snake cage
Struts and ladders from ground and platforms. • Elevator: to Courtyard
• Off-key horn toots and cackles coming from the • Locked doorway: to Grand hall
tunnel to the Grand hall. • Barred delivery hatch: in roof, leads outdoors
• Empty plinth, scattered with dust and rubble.
• Deep, dark pond. Gold-leaf statue of mouse hero 9: Snake cage
(4 slots, 600p) and bag of pips (140p) at bottom. Locked cage between factory and cheese cave.
• Open tunnel: leads to stairs to Grand hall • Village guard snake, very hungry
• Doorway: to Cheese factory • Iron gate: to Cheese aging cave
• Ladders: to Ransacked, Abandoned and Infested houses
10: Cheese aging cave
4: Ransacked house
Cool, dark and quiet. Rows of cheese aging on shelves.
Trashed. Bed turned over and kitchen implements scattered.
• 8 wheels of fine cheese (100p each)
• d6 copper pots and pans on floor: (10p each) • Roll 2 times for treasure in chest at end of the cave
• “Dedratz Live” graffiti scrawled on the wall • Ernie, a Dedrat, sleeping off a food coma
5: Abandoned house
Empty. Furniture turned up against the wall.
• Painting depicting Stumpsville summer festival,
bunting festooning houses. Statue is still present.

41
 11. Useful tables

Non-player mice
d6 Social position Payment for service d6 Birthsign Disposition
1 Poor d6p 1 Star Brave / Reckless
2 Common d6 x 10p 2 Wheel Industrious / Unimaginative
3 Common d6 x 10p 3 Acorn Inquisitive / Stubborn
4 Burghermouse d6 x 50p 4 Storm Generous / Wrathful
5 Guildmouse d4 x 100p 5 Moon Wise / Mysterious
6 Noblemouse d4 x 1000p 6 Mother Nurturing / Worrying

d20 Appearance Quirk Wants Relationship

1 Soulful eyes Constantly grooming Freedom Parent
2 Bright, patched clothes Obsessed with weather Safety Sibling
3 Wreath of daisies Very high energy Escape Cousin
4 Grubby clothes Traveled, knowledgeable Excitement Second cousin
5 Large floppy hat Cursed by a wizard Power Grandparent
6 Pockets full of seed Scares easily Meaning Related, but don’t know it
7 Bent twig walking stick Ashamed of past crimes Health Married
8 Carries rusted pinsword Very competitive Wealth Former lovers
9 Long, wild fur Flamboyant drunkard Protection In love, unrequited
10 Very, very old Extremely polite Love Drinking buddies
11 Bandaged tail Unreservedly honest To protect Debt owed
12 Tail tied with a bow Slow, careful speech Food Long and tumultuous
13 Missing an ear Quick, erratic speech Friendship Sworn enemies
14 Long whiskers Secret servant of a cat Rest Guild brothers
15 Twinkling eyes Raised by rats Knowledge Childhood friends
16 Huge, heavy black cloak Outcast from home Savagery One stole from the other
17 Old battle scars Many pet insects Beauty Worked together
18 Very young Hates being outdoors Revenge Grew up together
19 Shaved fur Local hero To serve Serve the same lord
20 Braided fur Very twitchy whiskers Fun Never met before

42
Adventure seeds
Spark inspiration for adventure. Roll once and read across, or roll individually for each column and combine.
d66 Creature Problem Complication
11 Fishermouse Have been accused of a crime A player’s hireling is responsible
12 Unruly family Looking for a new home Need to cross a river
13 Wizard Is being followed Antagonist is their own shadow
14 Roach wrangler Discovered a strange artifact They have amnesia
15 Farmer Experienced an unsettling omen The antagonist is in disguise
16 Burghermaster Want to assassinate a rival Player mouse’s home is involved
21 Forager Want to retrieve lost treasure It is protected by strange beasts
22 Shopkeeper Home has been destroyed Antagonist is their closest friend
23 Traveling merchant Most valued possession was stolen They are the true antagonist
24 Pigeon rider Has been kidnapped Player mouse’s friend is involved
25 Ale brewer Has been exiled from settlement They've been framed
26 Herbalist Searching for a rare cure It's very urgent
31 Message runner Have lost their way They have vital information
32 Vagrant Have had all their food stolen The antagonist had a good reason
33 Test subject Are on the run from humans They’re being tracked by a chip
34 Tin miner Have been waylaid by bandits The antagonist is very drunk
35 Baker Have eaten a poisonous berry Antagonist is a family member
36 Hedge knight Family member is missing They’re dying
41 Tax collector Have lost of a lot of pips They’re very drunk
42 Matriarch Has been accused of murder Antagonist is a shape-shifter
43 Prospector Pack tortoise is stuck They’re much richer than they look
44 Tunnellers Guild boss Has been murdered Player mouse's rival is involved
45 Noblemouse Their home is under attack Antagonist wants retribution
46 Rat bandit Want to steal from a rival A ghost is haunting the location
51 Queen bee Traveling to a new home Their followers disagree
52 Ant army officer Is hunted by enemies They are badly injured
53 Owl sorcerer Want to retrieve a rare spell It is deep in a cave
54 Cat lord Want to be entertained They've trapped the player mice
55 Duckling Has lost their mother Need to get to an island
56 Giant millipede Want somewhere warm to sleep Need item carried by a player mouse
61 Lilliputian ambassador Want to reach the mouse queen They don’t understand local customs
62 Trapped ghost Want to find their true love They can’t leave their current location
63 Faerie envoy Want to kidnap a mouse A player mouse is their target
64 Swarm of midges Want to steal from a player mouse Antagonist is unusually skilled
65 Grandmother spider Has lost an ancient treasure They’ve eaten it
66 Baby bird Cannot get home Need to climb a tree

43
Seasons
Poor weather: While traveling in highlighted weather, make STR save or gain an Exhausted Condition.

Spring
2d6 Weather
Summer
2 Rain storm
3-5 Drizzle 2d6 Weather

6-8 Overcast 2 Thunder storm

9-11 Bright and sunny 3-5 Very hot
12 Clear and warm 6-8 Clear, hot
9-11 Pleasantly sunny
d6 Seasonal event
12 Beautifully warm
1 Flooding washes away an important landmark
2 Mother bird, very protective of her eggs d6 Seasonal event

3 Merchant’s cart sunken in a pool of mud 1 Heat wave makes travel exhausting for next week
4 Migrating butterflies, hungry for nectar 2 Baby bird, fallen from nest
5 Mice weaving wreathes of flowers to prepare for... 3 Pleasant and refreshing sun shower
6 Wedding festival, a joyous procession 4 Swarm of locusts destroy a settlement’s crops
5 Mice building elaborate costumes to prepare for...
6 Midsummer festival, a wild dance
Autumn
2d6 Weather
Winter
2 Wild winds
3-5 Heavy rain 2d6 Weather

6-8 Cool 2 Snow storm

9-11 Patchy rain 3-5 Sleet
12 Clear and crisp 6-8 Bitter cold
9-11 Overcast
d6 Seasonal event
12 Clear and crisp
1 An important tree is felled by wild winds
2 Mother bird, distraught from children leaving home d6 Seasonal event

3 A large patch of mushrooms emerges overnight 1 Snow prevents above-ground movement for a week
4 Rumors that truffles are growing nearby 2 Bird with a broken wing, old and grey
5 Mice carrying bundles of grain and baking pies for... 3 Lost migrating duck, separated by the flock
6 Harvest festival, a grand feast 4 Travellers disappear in a fast moving storm
5 Mice building an effigy of old Winter to prepare for...
6 Midwinter festival, a magnificent bonfire
Rules reference
Best practices
• Ask lots of questions. Make notes. Draw maps.
• Work together. Devise schemes. Recruit allies.
• Dice are dangerous. Clever plans don’t need to roll.
• Play to win. Delight in losing.
• Fight dirty. Run. Die. Roll a new mouse.

Saves Combat
Roll d20 equal or under an attribute: On your turn, move and take an action.
• STR: tests of physical strength and resilience. Surprise: If enemy is surprised, you go before them.
• DEX: tests of speed and agility. If enemy is not surprised, make a DEX Save to act first.
• WIL: tests of strength of will and charisma. Attacks: Roll your weapon’s die and deal that much
Opposed saves: Both Save, lowest successful value wins. damage to an enemy, minus any armour.
Advantage: When making a Save from a strong position, When an attack is impaired, roll d4 for damage.
roll 2d20 and take the lowest result. When an attack is enhanced, roll d12 for damage.

Disadvantage: When making a Save from a weakened Damage: Dealt to HP first.

position, roll 2d20 and take the highest result. Once HP is depleted, take damage to STR.
After taking STR damage, make a STR Save. On failure,
Attribute damage: When an attribute is reduced by
take an Injured Condition and become incapacitated.
damage, roll d20 equal or under the reduced value.
Death: If STR is reduced to zero, or you are incapaci-
tated for 6 Turns, you die.
Magic Usage: After combat, roll d6 for each weapon, ammu-
Invest 1-3 Power (up to number of unused dots) nition and armour used. On 4-6, mark usage.

Roll d6 for each Power invested.

Mark usage for each die of value 4-6. Rest
The spell effect happens, using [SUM] and [DICE] Short: Takes a Turn. Restore d6+1 HP.
Mishaps: For every 6 rolled, take d6 WIL damage. Long: Takes a Watch. Restore all HP. If HP is full,
Make a WIL save, gain Drained Condition if failed. restore d6 to an attribute score.
Full: Takes a week. Fully restore HP and attribute scores.
Take up the sword and don the whiskers of
a brave mouse adventurer in Mausritter,
the sword-and-whiskers fantasy adventure
role-playing game.
It’s a huge and dangerous world out there, and
it does not look kindly on a small mouse. But if
you are very brave and very clever and just a
bit lucky, you might be able to survive.
And if you survive long enough, you might even
become a hero amongst mice.

@ Copyright 2020 Losing Games