Bunnies & Burrows
 Original Bunnies & Burrows cover |
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| Designer(s) | B. Dennis Sustare, Scott Robinson |
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| Publisher(s) | Fantasy Games Unlimited |
| Publication date | 1976 |
| Genre(s) | Animal fantasy |
| System(s) | Original |
 GURPS Bunnies & Burrows cover |
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| Designer(s) | Steffan O'Sullivan |
|---|---|
| Publisher(s) | Steve Jackson Games |
| Publication date | 1992 |
| Genre(s) | Animal fantasy |
| System(s) | GURPS |
Bunnies & Burrows (B&B) is a role-playing game (RPG) inspired by the novel Watership Down.[1] Published by Fantasy Games Unlimited in 1976, the game centered on intelligent rabbits. It introduced several innovations to role-playing game design, being the first game to allow players to have non-humanoid roles, and the first to have detailed martial arts and skill systems. Fantasy Games Unlimited published a second edition of the game in 1982, and the game was modified and republished by Steve Jackson Games as an official GURPS supplement in 1992.
As rabbits, player characters are faced with dangers mirroring those in the real world. The only true "monsters" in the game are humans, but there are many predators and natural hazards. The characters' position in the food chain promotes an emphasis on role-playing and problem solving over combat.
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[edit] History
Originally published by Fantasy Games Unlimited in 1976, only two years after the first role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons was published,[2] this edition is now long out of print. The game was inspired by Richard Adams' fantasy novel Watership Down,[3] and the players were given the opportunity to take on the role of rabbits.[2] As such, the game emphasized role-playing over combat for, according to Steffan O'Sullivan, "You're playing a rabbit, after all – how much combat do you want to do?"[2] The poor production values provided a barrier to the acceptance of the game. The art, by Charles Loving, was "sketchy and of poor quality", while the document as a whole gave the appearance of having been typewritten.[4]
Building on this first edition, in 1979, B. Dennis Sustare wrote "Different Worlds Present the World of Druid's Valley: A Bunnies & Burrows Campaign" in Different Worlds, a magazine published by Chaosium.[5] It detailed how to combine the world of Bunnies & Burrows with other fantasy worlds.[6] This was followed by the mini-adventure "The Jackrabbits' Lair", written by Daniel J. Maxfield, in Pegasus, a magazine published by Judges Guild.[7]
A second edition of Bunnies & Burrows was printed in 1982 by Fantasy Games Unlimited,[8] although the continuing popularity of the first edition is evidenced by how it was still being actively played in 2008.[9]
During a rise of "retro" games in the late 1980s and early 1990s,[10] Steve Jackson Games entered negotiations with Dennis Sustare and Scott Robinson, the current owners of the Bunnies & Burrows copyright, to publish an official GURPS supplement.[11] In 1988, Steffan O'Sullivan wrote an unofficial conversion of Bunnies & Burrows to GURPS while the negotiations continued.[11] He indicated that he hoped to one day work on the official supplement.[11]
GURPS Bunnies & Burrows was published in 1992.[1] It was written by Steffan O'Sullivan with interior art by Jim Groat.[12] The book is now out of print, but (as of September 2009) is still available via digital download.[13] Loyd Blankenship,[14] the managing editor of Steve Jackson Games' former Illuminati BBS acknowledged that Steffan received his wish, and kept the original conversion article online.[11] Steve Jackson Games continues to support the game, releasing an updated errata sheet in 2007.[9]
The setting also had an unofficial conversion in 2004 to be used in Risus: The Anything RPG by Boyd Mayberry[15] under their "Rules for Free Fan-Supplements and Articles".[16]
[edit] Gameplay
The original game was very innovative for its time (less than two years after the first published RPG). Not only could you play non-humanoids for the first time, but it was the first role-playing game to have detailed martial arts rules, the first attempt at a skill system, and the first RPG to appeal as widely to women as to men[2]
Bunnies & Burrows was the first role-playing game to allow for non-humanoid play.[2][17] In addition, it was also the first role-playing game to have detailed martial arts rules (known as "Bun Fu")[12] and the first attempt at a skill system.[2] For its time, the game was considered "light years" ahead of the Original Dungeons & Dragons.[4]
Players of Bunnies & Burrows take the role of rabbits as their player characters. Interaction with many different animal species is part of normal gameplay. Humans, whose thought processes and motivations are completely alien, are the only monster to be encountered.[18]
Bunnies & Burrows has the advantage of offering players an intuitive grasp of relative dangers and appropriate actions not possible in game worlds that are substantially fictional. For example, a player is told their character is confronted with a fox. There is an immediate intuition on the amount of peril a rabbit is facing. Although player characters are substantially weaker than many of the dangers they face, the game is one of the first to encourage problem solving and outwitting obstacles, rather than out-fighting them.[18]
The mechanics of the role-playing game system were created specifically for Bunnies & Burrows, common at the time of its original publishing. It features eight abilities and eight classes. The task resolution system is based on rolls of percentile dice.[18] Although newer systems have updated game mechanics significantly, the ideas presented in Bunnies & Burrows created the framework for modern role-playing games.[9]
GURPS Bunnies & Burrows uses the GURPS system common in all GURPS products.[13] Steffan O'Sullivan, who wrote GURPS Bunnies & Burrows notes, "The game has also been published as a GURPS supplement, but I usually play it in Fudge these days - the simpler rules seem to work better for this genre in particular. I've also run it in Sherpa, which is oddly evocative of the original rules."[19]
[edit] Reception
Although the game had "incredible role-playing potential", the concept of role-playing rabbits can be viewed as bizarre, and as such at least one commentator believes that "most people thought it was stupid" when it was first released.[20] This view is mirrored by Lev Lafayette, who, when describing his first exposure to the game, says "Oh, how we laughed. 'Who on earth would want to roleplay a rabbit?', we mocked. 'What's the point? You can't do anything!'".[12] In spite of these first impressions, the game has generally received positive reviews: Lafayette, for example, goes on to say that it is "really hard to fault GURPS Bunnies & Burrows", as it is educational, realistic, whimsical and clever,[12] while the game has also been described as a "work of genius".[20] Due to its unique setting, the game remains popular in the furry community and is frequently played at furry conventions.[citation needed]
[edit] Publications
[edit] Books
- Bunnies & Burrows (1976), Fantasy Games Unlimited
- Bunnies & Burrows (Second edition) (1982), Fantasy Games Unlimited
- GURPS Bunnies & Burrows (1992), Steve Jackson Games, ISBN 9781556342370
[edit] Articles
- Different Worlds Present the World of Druid's Valley: A Bunnies & Burrows Campaign (B. Dennis Sustare, 1979). Different Worlds, Chaosium
- The Jackrabbits' Lair (Daniel J. Maxfield). Pegasus, Judges Guild
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ a b GURPS Bunnies & Burrows (1992), Steve Jackson Games, ISBN 9781556342370
- ^ a b c d e f Steffan O'Sullivan (1998-06-20). "Bunnies & Burrows". SOS' Gameviews. http://www.panix.com/~sos/rpg/bunny.html. Retrieved 2007-09-11.
- ^ Magill, Frank Northen (1983). Survey of Modern Fantasy Literature. Salem Press. ISBN 0893564508.
- ^ a b Jason Morningstar (2001-08-07). "Bunnies and Burrows". RPGnet. http://www.rpg.net/news+reviews/reviews/rev_4598.html. Retrieved 2007-09-11.
- ^ "#3 "Blackmoor, Bunnies & Burrows Campaign"". Noble Knight Games. http://www.nobleknight.com/ProductDetailSearch.asp_Q_ProductID_E_4939_A_InventoryID_E_2147574686_A_ProductLineID_E__A_ManufacturerID_E__A_CategoryID_E__A_GenreID_E_. Retrieved 2008-09-03.
- ^ Sustare, B. Dennis (June/July 1979). "Different Worlds Present the World of Druid's Valley: A Bunnies & Burrows Campaign". Different Worlds (Chaosium) 1 (3).
- ^ "#6 "Traveller - Beastmaster Safari Ship, Gorean Chess"". Noble Knight Games. http://www.nobleknight.com/ProductDetailSearch.asp_Q_ProductID_E_3549_A_InventoryID_E_2147508749_A_ProductLineID_E__A_ManufacturerID_E__A_CategoryID_E__A_GenreID_E_. Retrieved 2008-09-03.
- ^ "Bunnies & Burrows, 2nd Ed. (1982)". Pen & Paper. http://www.pen-paper.net/rpgdb.php?op=showbook&bookid=2217. Retrieved 2007-09-11.
- ^ a b c "(B&B 1st edition) - Hoppin' Mad!". RPGnet. 2008-03-19. http://forum.rpg.net/showthread.php?t=385223. Retrieved 2008-09-02.
- ^ Steve Darlington. "The History of Roleplaying". Places to Go, People to Be (Issue 9, August 1999). http://ptgptb.org/0009/hist9.html. Retrieved 2007-09-11.
- ^ a b c d Steffan O'Sullivan (1988-11-30). "B&B to GURPS". Steve Jackson Games. http://www.sjgames.com/gurps/articles/BnB.to.GURPS.html. Retrieved 2008-09-02.
- ^ a b c d Lev Lafayette (2007-04-16). "Review of GURPS Bunnies & Burrows". RPGnet. http://www.rpg.net/reviews/archive/12/12907.phtml. Retrieved 2007-09-11.
- ^ a b "GURPS Bunnies & Burrows". Steve Jackson Games. http://www.sjgames.com/gurps/books/bunnies/. Retrieved 2007-09-11.
- ^ "STEVE JACKSON GAMES INCORPORATED v. UNITED STATES SECRET SERVICE". The ETEXT Archives. 1991-10-02. Archived from the original on April 3, 2007. http://web.archive.org/web/20070403031719/http://www.etext.org/CuD/Papers/sj-resp. Retrieved 2007-09-17.
- ^ Boyd Mayberry (2004-04-09). "Risus Bunnies & Burrows". http://mywebpages.comcast.net/boydmayberry/Bunnies.html. Retrieved 2007-09-11.
- ^ "Legal Usage: Risus Fan-Material Policies". Cumberland Games & Diversions. 2007-01-24. http://www222.pair.com/sjohn/risus-usage.htm. Retrieved 2008-09-02.
- ^ "RPG News". Places to Go, People to Be. Issue 3, June 1998. http://ptgptb.org/0003/news3.html. Retrieved 2007-09-11.
- ^ a b c "Bunnies & Burrows (French)". Rollsite. http://translate.google.com/translate?sourceid=navclient&hl=en&u=http%3a%2f%2fwww%2eroliste%2ecom%2fdetail%2ejsp%3fid%3d8166. Retrieved 2007-09-11.
- ^ "Bunnies & Burrows", remarks by Steffan O'Sullivan, June 20, 1998
- ^ a b Astinus (June, 1998). "The History of Roleplaying". Places to Go, People to Be (3). http://ptgptb.org/0003/hist3.html. Retrieved 2008-09-12.
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