Review of Big Ears, Small Mouse

Goto [ Index ]

Big Ears, Small Mouse is a BESM supplement devoted to those stapels of American animation -- talking mice who live in holes, wear clothes, build machines and try not to get eaten by cats. The book is designed to model cartoons where mice are the heroes and humans are enormous, powerful creatures.

Since mice are so small compared to humans, they have special rules. Everybody in "BESMouse" sues "Scratch Points" instead of BESM's standard Health to determine how much damage they can take. The bigger the creature, the more scratch points it has. Thus a mouse can face a man in single combat -- briefly.... Mice can use weapons, build stuff, and do everything else characters do -- but on a mouse scale. The book features templates for two dozen creatures, from cats and mice to bugs, raptors and naked mole rats. (Naked mole rats?)

Mice can also evidently build cities when they want to as well, as evidenced by Mousetropolis, the default campaign setting. Moustropolis has its own Coast Guard, militia and economy, all unknown to the human world.

Although this can be used for standard cat-and-mouse comedy, the book really shines in describing campaigns remeniscent of things like the classic Disney adventure show "Rescue Rangers", in which rodents and insects save the world every weekday from enemies human and animal. If you wish to play in that kind of game, this is definitely your book.