I apologize, but there was a significant error in the game's manual: when using the special ability, you roll two dice and choose the lower of the two (in the Italian version, however, it is correct). I sincerely apologize to all the players and offer a small example of gameplay (short but intense!) to clarify.

The Night of the Well-Placed Slipper

Or: A Study in Rodent Revenge

Revenge, like cheese, is best served at the appropriate temperature and with proper timing.

In the castle walls, where the important decisions of rat society were made**, three particular rats gathered around their fallen king, who had recently suffered an unfortunate encounter with royal footwear.

Most of these decisions involved cheese acquisition strategies.

Character Creation

The first rat scurried forward: Type Roll (1D6): 3 - A Giant Rat, remarkably large even by giant rat standards Specialty Roll (1D6): 2 - Thief (stealing, spying) We shall call him Longwhiskers, on account of his impressively long whiskers.

The second emerged from the shadows: Type Roll (1D6): 5 - A Sharp-Toothed Rat with particularly impressive incisors Specialty Roll (1D6): 3 - Fighter (biting, dodging) Known as Quickbite to his associates.

The third stepped into the dim light: Type Roll (1D6): 2 - An Albino Rat, white as moonlight Specialty Roll (1D6): 6 - Alchemist (poisoning, explosions) Distinguished by perpetually singed fur, earning him the name Sparkwhisker.

All possessed the standard ratly statistics of Cunning: 3 and Violence: 3.

The Adventure Begins

GM: "Your beloved Rat King lies dead, victim of royal haberdashery. You're gathered in the walls near the kitchen. What do you do?"

Longwhiskers's player: "I'll use my Thief specialty to scout ahead. My whiskers twitch as I slip through the shadows toward the pantry..." [2D6, taking lower: 2,4 = 2] "Success! I discover an unguarded path through the old bread shelves!"

GM: "The path lies open before you. What's next?"

Quickbite's player: "I charge forward to clear the way of any threats!" [1D6: 5] "My teeth flash in the darkness as I—"

GM: "Above 3 - that's a failure!" [Complication roll: 2] "A cat emerges from behind a flour sack, looking particularly interested in rat-sized snacks."

Sparkwhisker's player: "I'll mix some spices from my fur to create a distraction!" [Using Alchemist specialty - 2D6, taking lower: 6,3 = 3] "Equal to Cunning! The spices create the perfect sneeze-inducing cloud, and I notice the cat has a particular sensitivity to pepper!"

Longwhiskers's player: "Time to put my Thief skills to work on that loose floorboard!" [2D6, taking lower: 5,6 = 5] "I reach for the—"

GM: "Above 3 - another failure!" [Complication roll: 5] "The alarm is raised! Your scratching has woken the cook!"

Quickbite's player: "I'll fight our way through!" [Using Fighter specialty - 2D6, taking lower: 2,4 = 2] "Success! My teeth make quick work of the ropes holding up the curtains, and they fall perfectly to cover our escape!"

The night continued in this fashion, a series of carefully calculated risks and occasionally spectacular failures, until our heroes finally reached the royal chambers. The King's unfortunate encounter with his own relocated slippers would later be described in castle records as "a tragic furniture-related incident."

They say revenge is a dish best served cold. In this case, it was served with a side of strategic architecture rearrangement and a garnish of karmic justice***.

My Karma, like most things in this story, had a distinctly rodent-shaped sense of humor.

Giovanni!