TSR, Inc., 1988

Game Design by Dave "Zeb" Cook
Development and Editing by Warren Spector
Art and Graphic Design by Sue Myers
Typesetting by Linda Bakk

Components

here are many reasons why we keep this particular game separated from the others. The Bullwinkle and Rocky Role Playing Party Game just doesn't sit well with the rest of the collection. The garish orange box and goofy contents clash with all of the other games in the collection. But once you're talking about Rocky and Bullwinkle, a certain amount of goofiness is inevitable, from bad imitations of the dialogue ("Hey Rocky! Watch me pull a rabbit out of my hat!" "Not that old gag again!") to the truly hideous puns of the show. Not only that, but the game components should be a hint that this game doesn't take itself seriously. Even John Tynes's Puppetland, a game specfically about puppets, doesn't actually include puppets, and it would be very jarring if it did. But hand puppets are appropriate for the Bullwinkle and Rocky Role Playing Party Game (Okay, BRRPPG, or BRPG for short). One wonders if the insistance on using the full title in the rules is because it lends a certain zaniness, or because it's the only way to separate the game from the television show, and a certain legal department demanded it?

For those of you who don't already know, Rocky and Bullwinkle are the heroes of a cartoon series shown on television starting in 1959. It long ago acheived cult status. The animation is unspeakably crude, but the true pleasure of the program is found in the earth shattering puns and verbal wit. While Rocky and Bullwinkle headlined the program, each show consisted of a Rocky and Bullwinkle story, broken into three episodes, interrupted by other tales: Fractured Fairy Tales, Aesop and Son, Mr. Peabody's Improbable History, or Dudley Do-Right of the Canadian Mounties. The program can be seen on Cartoon Network, and there are videos of the original episodes floating around. (Check your local public library.) A couple of live action movies were made in the 1990s, and they pretty much sank without comment.

The primary setting would be a cartoon version of the cold war world from the early 1960s. Bullwinkle and Rocky are our heroes; Boris and Natasha are the villains. Other characters are added as needed. The heroes are foolish and easily conned; the villains are foreign spies, masters of disguise and all around rotters. But the main point of the show was the humor. Every episode was mainly designed to allow the characters and narrator to make jokes and puns. With a variety of sub-settings (the Canadian backwoods, fairy tales, history) the writers could set their jokes anywhere.

The Rules

The BRPG is broken down into three sub-games: the Narration Game, the Everybody Can Do Something Game, and the Graduate Game. While the Narration Game is a story-telling game, not an RPG, the Everybody Can Do Something Game is definitely an RPG: players take the role of characters in a game world, and they speak for their characters.

Physically, the rule booklets are rather flimsy, on thinner paper than TSR normally used. Perhaps this can be justified because of the cost of the other game components. The box is a full "bookcase size" one, matching the quality and dimensions of bookcase wargame boxes of the era, and sturdier than the boxes of some other TSR products (most notably the AD&D Battlesystem). The cards are sturdy and will stand up to some use. The spinners are on good cardstock, and the diplomas are heavy paper stock. The rulebooks are copiously illustrated with cartoons of the characters. The rules are written in a jokey style appropriate to the Rocky and Bullwinkle genre. There are three ways to play the game, each requiring more creativity and, well, role playing.

The Narration Game

Players choose a story from the stories booklet. There are six Bullwinkle and Rocky stories, six Dudley Do-Right stories, and quick descriptions of how to create stories for the other cartoons: Aesop and Son, Peabody's Improbable History, and Fractured Fairy Tales. Each story in the booklet is organized into sections: Who's in it, the story so far, the ending, the goals (separate for good guys and bad guys), and some great ideas (idea seeds for the players). One player reads The Story So Far and The Ending out loud to the group. The cards are shuffled, and each player is dealt five of them. The cards depict minor characters, places, items, and events. Players then take turns. Each player narrates a piece of the story and plays a card, working their card into the story. Players are given multiple opportunities to swap their cards for new ones in the deck. When everybody has only one card left, everybody is supposed to play their card to the middle of the table. The first player to put their last card down ends the story, using their card. Properly, stories should end as The Ending does, and the player is obligated to come up with the worst pun they can. Diplomas are awarded all around.

The Everybody Can Do Something Game

While this is the role playing part of the game, it builds on the narration game. The players choose a story, draw a hand of cards (and discard cards they don't like, drawing new ones to replace them), and choose a narrator. This time every player chooses a character. (While it is recommended that players choose the characters appropriate to the story, it is okay to choose any character—for example, Dudley Do-Right in an Aesop and Son fable.) Players take character stand ups for their character, and the player serving as narrator takes the narrator microphone stand up in addition to their character's. Players also select the appropriate spinner (since each spinner works for three characters, these might have to be shared), and are encouraged to use their hand puppet. These play no part in the game, but are there to encourage silliness. The Narrator takes the part of the referee, organizing the action, and recognizing which player gets to act. Unlike the narration game, players act for their characters alone, and they get to go only if the Narrator lets them.

Unlike the narration game, players are not required to play cards, although they may choose to. The heart of the Everybody Can Do Something Game are the character powers and spinners. Every character gets powers on the back of their character stand up: Bullwinkle, for example, has Mighty Moose Muscles, a Personal Prophesying Bunion, The Stomach that Never Forgets, and The Galloping Dumbs. Some of these powers always work; others must be spun for, and the stand up says which is which. (Bullwinkle's only power that needs spinning is The Galloping Dumbs. Anytime he does something requiring thinking, he's got to spin to see if he succeeds.) Spinner results are Yes, No, and believe it or not, On the Line. Spinning on the line usually means spin again, but not always.

When a player fails, the Narrator announces the consequences. Characters cannot be killed, but they can be sent out of the scene, unable to participate except to make suggestions or jokes to other players, until the Narrator role passes to another player. The Narrator is supposed to play a card to see what happens when a character fails, and after playing a card, the Narrator role is passed to the left, so that everybody eventually gets a chance to be the narrator.

Players can always choose to fail, but if they want to succeed for sure, they can play a card, as in the narration game. Remember, the card must be worked into the plot. Unlike the narration game, the Narrator may choose to have players oppose each other: Bullwinkle and Boris may both grab for the fallen scrootch gun. In this case, both players spin to see who succeeds, or one player may play a card to increase their chance of success. While cards are normally automatic successes, in opposed situations, they can be trumped: character powers that always succeed beat a card, although cards beat powers that need to be spun for. If both players play a card, then they must both spin to see who succeeds. This is where spin results on the line make a difference: if one player lands on the line, both spin again. If both land on the line, nothing happens, and the Narrator selects another player to act.

Players are aiming for contradictory goals. There are Good Guy goals and Bad Guy goals. Whichever team makes their goal first wins. But to make the goal, a player must play their last card, and they must spin. You always spin for the play of the last card. If they succeed, the game is over. If they fail, they draw one or more cards, at the player's choice, but no more than the number they started the game with, and the game continues.

As for the narration game, at the conclusion of the game, diplomas are passed around. But diplomas have a purpose: players can turn in two diplomas to allow a re-spin of their spinner, or turn in five for an automatic success (except not for their last card spin).

The Graduate Game

In the Graduate Game, players may create new characters to play, which may be animal or human, or probably anything else that the other players agree to. To choose powers, you spin on five different lists: the Good Stuff List, the Pretty Good Stuff List, the Well I Guess it's Okay List, the Powers Man Was Never Meant to Have List, and the Oh No Do I Have To list. The lists generally hold powers already held by the already created characters, and the player spins for each one. Probability dictates that a created character should have a few good powers, and a few handicaps, although there is a slim chance of a character having tons of great powers and no flaws, or maybe no powers at all. Players can also make up their own powers, provided the other players agree. The player then chooses a spinner, and comes up with some background and draws a goofy picture.

Players can also make up their own stories using the characters...but by now, we're getting into more traditional role playing territory.

Summary

Is it a party game? An introduction to role playing? A way to make some money on a popular license? Probably all of the above and then some. The BRPG actually has some interesting ideas inside the silliness. The rotating Narrator role removes the burden of refereeing, and the cards allow for a high level of cartoon style zaniness. The character quotes inside the stand ups help a player stay in character, and it's difficult to be serious when the hand puppets come out. On the other hand, it's probably a bit more work to be in character for players if they don't already know some Rocky and Bullwinkle.

As an introduction to role playing, it's not a bad effort at all. The narration game allows people to get used to the idea of telling a story in front of a small audience, and the Everybody Can Do Something Game is a nice, simple way to role play. The cards and rotating Narrator role are not only interesting mechanics, but also fun. The Narration game is very similar to Atlas Games's Once Upon a Time, so it was clearly good enough to borrow.

Personal Reminiscences

I bought this game because I like Rocky and Bullwinkle. I tried the Narration Game once or twice, finding it cute, but not much more, so I left it to collect dust on my shelf for many years. I certainly didn't consider it as proper for the Museum: it was too goofy, too garish. But a visitor to the museum asked about it, and it is a rarity, after all. I found my mistake while evaluating it for the Museum: the Narration Game is only the introduction. The Everybody Can Do Something Game is where the real fun seems to be. I'll be sure to try this game again when I have a chance.

—RAD
7/3/02