Mouse Guard RULE BOOK Abilities
Your character has 5 basic abilities; Nature, Will, Health, Resources, and Circles
Nature stands for the mouse’s natural qualities and tendencies. For mice, there are four aspects to their Nature: Escaping, Climbing, Hiding, Foraging. These aspects describe the situations in which you can use your Nature without penalty. If you use your Nature in situations outside of escaping, climbing, hiding and foraging, you risk losing a bit of it. The higher your Nature rank, the more mouse-like you are. The lower your rank, the more “human” you are.
A mouse may use his Nature as a reservoir of strength to help him over difficult hurdles. If your character is in a situation that is against his Nature—fighting, researching, arguing, etc.—and doesn’t have the proper skill, he may make the test using his current Nature rating instead. The player may roll their full current Nature rating. However, if you’re testing to overcome an obstacle that’s outside of your Nature, your Nature ability rating could be permanently reduced if you fail. Additionally you may tap your character’s Nature to perform a heroic act. By spending a persona point, you may add your Nature ability rating to your ability or skill test (except Resources or Circles). Nature can be rated from 0 to 10.
Will is an ability that represents how mentally resilient and adaptable your mouse is. This ability is rated from 1 to 6. It is tested when you’re trying to resist being convinced of something. Will is also used to overcome the mental trials of life on the road like anger and illness. In addition, it is used to break ties in tests requiring mental strength or insight.
Health represents your mouse’s physical strength and well-being. Younger mice tend to be healthier than the old-furs. The ability is rated from 1 to 6. It is most frequently tested
when trying to resist the physical trials of life on the road—fatigue and injury. Health can be used for any physical test that doesn’t fall under Nature or a skill—running for a long distance to deliver a message, for example. It is also used to break ties for tests requiring physical exertion.
Resources represents what material resources your character can muster. It can be resourcefulness or wealth. You get to decide. Either way, your rating in Resources allows you to get stuff for your character. Resources ratings range from 1 to 10.
Circles determines how well connected your character is. Use Circles to bring other characters from your guard-mouse’s past into the game. It’s a special ability for the player that allows him to try to find allies. Circles can be rated from 1 to 10.
Traits
Traits are used to both help and hinder your character. The individual trait entries include a general description of the trait. Based on the name and the description, each player gets to bring their trait into the game when they feel it’s appropriate. Each trait is ranked from 1 to 3 to represent its level and effect. Level 1 adds/subtracts 1D6, Level 2 adds/subtracts 2D6, and level 3 adds/subtract 2D6 with the ability re-roll the results. When a trait is invoked, it is spent until it is "recharged".
Invoking traits grants the player free "Trait Checks" later in the game. You can spend your trait checks to advance one trait by a level, gain a new trait, recover from a condition, or recharge a spent trait.
In order to gain the benefit of using your trait, you must incorporate it into your description of your character’s actions in the game. Tell everyone what your character is doing and, if it’s not clear, why the trait you want to use is helping. Then apply the level effect to the roll.
Traits may also be called on to impede or interfere with your character’s actions. A Compassionate mouse might hesitate in killing, for example. Invoking a trait to impede your actions follows a similar process as calling on a trait to help. Describe your character’s actions and include an indication of how your trait is hindering you. Then apply the level effect to the roll.
A full list of traits can be found on page 261 of the Mouse Guard Rules PDF linked at the beginning of this post.
Beliefs, Instincts, and Goals
Beliefs is a code or ethical stance. It’s a snapshot view of how your character thinks. Sometimes you’ll act in accordance with your Belief, sometimes you’ll act against it. Beliefs can be about the Guard, your parents, your friend, your enemy, the Winter War, peace or a particular moral code. “I believe the Guard is good” is not a strong enough Belief. A better Belief says, “The mice of the Territories must know that the Guard is good and must be supported.”
Instinct represents a gut reaction or ingrained training. It’s something that he does naturally, without even really thinking about it. In play, your Instinct acts as a juicy piece of characterization. You write it on your sheet, “Always draw my sword at the first sign of trouble,” and if you bring that into play—if you, the player, have your character perform that action at an appropriate (or inappropriate) time in the game—you’re rewarded for it.
Goals are some action or deed you want to accomplish in that session. A Goal must be something appropriate to your missions and duties as a guard-mouse. And a Goal must be something you can reasonably accomplish this session. At the beginning of each session, write a Goal for your character. You might not get there, but it’s got to be possible if you try.
Fate, Persona Points, and Character Advancement
Fate points represent luck and good fortune smiling down on your character. You may earn up to three fate points in one session. There are three ways to earn fate points; acting on Beliefs and following your Instincts, and pursuing your Goals. Fate points are spent after a roll in which some of your dice came up 6s. If you choose to spend a fate point, count the number of 6s you rolled. Pick up one new die for each 6. Roll those dice and add any successes to the total from the first roll. If you roll more 6s in the second roll, keep going! Pick up another die for each 6 and repeat until there are no more 6s rolled.
Persona points represent a special reserve of inner strength that your character has built up over the course of his trials in the Guard. You may earn up to four persona points in one session. Persona is earned by; going against your Beliefs, not following Instincts, and accomplishing Goals. Persona is also awarded for good role playing and epic moments. Persona points are spent before you roll. These points can do two things. Each point spent can add +1D to your roll. Add the bonus dice to your total before you roll and then roll like normal. You may spend up to three persona points to add bonus dice at once. Alternately, persona points can be used to tap your Nature ability.
Advancing an ability (including Nature) or skill, requires a number of successes equal to your current rating, and failures equal to current rating – 1. Keep track of all your successful and unsuccessful rolls to advance your abilities and skills!
Skills and WisesSkills are used for a all manner of checks to overcome obstacles in the game. Each mouse will have specific skills that represent their specialization and expertise. The descriptions of these skills are left purposefully broad. Use these skills to overcome obstacles directly related to their purpose, and also for related situations.
Wises are skills that represent what your character knows. They function as knowledge test in the game world.
A full list of skills and wises can be found on page 241 of the Mouse Guard Rules PDF linked at the beginning of this post.
Items and EquipmentPlayer's may choose equipment that makes sense for their character to have based on their skills and background. A mouse that is an expert hunter may very well have a bow and arrows, however it would make little sense for him to have a battle axe if he is not a warrior. If a character has a piece of gear that’s appropriate to a particular obstacle—a map, a sword, a bit of damning evidence—the GM may grant the character a +1D advantage to overcome the obstacle.