Big Trouble Setting Guide and Rules by Brian Phongluangtham and Brandon Lillie is a role playing game supplement published by B Drone Games for use with Hero Kids. This is the main book for a new Hero Kids setting.
The supplement is available from DriveThruRPG as a 40-page PDF for $3.99 although it was purchased at a reduced price during a sale. It can also be purchased at a reduced price in the Big Trouble Starter Kit and the Big Trouble Mammoth Collection bundles. The PDF comes in two versions, a normal one and a printer friendly version that lacks the backgrounds. One page is the front cover, one the front matter and one the Table of Contents.
Big Trouble Begins.. is essentially some introductory fiction. Big Trouble is in a modern setting and revolves around some kids who stayed out to watch the 4th July fireworks. During the display, they see something else fall to earth. Heading off to examine it causes them all to be reduced to the size of mice. That is where the adventure will begin.
The Introduction explains that this is a kid-friendly RPG and what is needed. It uses the same rules as Hero Kids, but with some additions and changes. It’s recommended that the GM and the players be familiar with Hero Kids already due to the added complexity. Those who are already familiar are advised to jump forward a few pages.
The Basics, Ability Tests and Combat recap material on running these, then it moves onto new material. There is an example of a Big Trouble Hero Card with explanations of what the various things need. Of the five primary stats, only Magic has truly changed, which is now Crafting. Band-Aids replace healing potions.
New characteristics are Forte and Flair. Forte is the hero’s defining characteristic and comes as Academic, Artistic and Athletic. There are three skills that fall under each type of Forte. Flair is an additional skill. Groups are advised to have characters with different Forte. How to select Forte and Flair is next, then the different skills are listed.
Items explains that Items are general found by searching maps, but can be given as rewards or received as gifts. Each player has an inventory card with a number of slots; if all of those are filled, something needs to be removed. Melee and ranged weapons, crafting tools and armour do not take up inventory slots. Rules for searching maps are given. Some items can be used as-is, some can be crafted into other items and some can be scrapped for useful parts.
The new Crafting Attribute is covered next. Heroes can use the items they find – which can be things like rubber bands, paper clips, sharp rocks – to create new items using Crafting. Once an item is successfully crafted, it is then given an item card. Weapons, Tools and Armor explain how these work.
Some optional rules follow. Plan and Surprise allows planning which improves combat and surprise which doesn’t. Negative Status Effects and Positive Status Effects are both sets of conditions that temporarily affect a hero.
Next is a full-page map of Mammoth Park, which is the setting. The Game Master Cheat Sheet, which summarises useful material, is another page.
Next are Hero Cards. There are eight Hero Kids, including two mice, that have been filled in, and two blank cards. Each card comes with a miniature, also filled in or blank. Twelve Monster Cards, and four blank ones, follow. Three more pages have monster miniatures and another has blank miniatures.
Finally, Inventory & Crafting Cards has four Inventory Cards, naturally blank, four completed Crafter Items Cards and eight blank ones.
Big Trouble Setting Guide and Rules in Review
The PDF is well bookmarked with major and minor sections linked. The Table of Contents is to a similar level of depth and is also hyperlinked. Navigation is very good. The text maintains a two-column format and appeared to be free of errors. There are a variety of colour illustrations, including the map, as well as the black and white illustrations for heroes, monsters, items and miniatures, all of which are custom. Presentation is excellent.
This supplement is perhaps the biggest redevelopment of the basic Hero Kids game. It does have a higher level of complexity, but not that much greater, thanks to the additional rules. It is also a setting that will be familiar, as it is based on the present, but changing the sizes of the heroes opens up a whole new level of adventures. The use of Crafting to create new items from everyday rubbish is interesting and adds a new way for players to be creative. There are plenty of suggestions and tips through the text for GMs running the game. Big Trouble Setting Guide and Rules is definitely recommended for fans of Hero Kids who want to explore a different setting and it can be found by clicking here.
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