Monarchies of Mau Core Rulebook is a role playing game supplement published by Pugsteady through Onyx Path Publishing. This is a role playing game system with anthropomorphic animals as characters; in this case, cats. This is a follow-on to the Pugmire Core Rulebook in which the characters were dogs. The game is based on the Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition SRD and is therefore covered by the Open Game License with some parts considered to be Open Game Content as a result.
The supplement is available as a PDF from DriveThruRPG for $14.99, as a hardcover standard print on demand book for $34.99, as a hardcover premium book for $49.99, as PDF and standard book for $39.99 or as PDF and premium book for $54.99. It is also available in printed form from sites such as Amazon. The PDF is the version reviewed although it was purchased at a discount during a sale. The PDF has 258 pages with two pages being the front and rear covers, two the front matter, five the Table of Contents, nine the Kickstarter backers, seven the Index, one the Open Game License, three being ads and two pages being a character sheet.
The first part of the book is the Cat’s Guide to Exploration which opens with the Introduction. This has some standard advice on what the game is about, what is a role playing game and what is needed to play, as well as summaries of the chapters. Sidebars explain that these sidebar types are used in the book to explain concepts or be read aloud to players.
Chapter One: Report to the Castellan is the history of the Monarchies, and the War of Dogs and Cats, from the viewpoint of cats, with details on the houses, the Precepts of Mau, relations with other species, monsters and the Unseen.
Chapter Two: An Excellent Cat is on character creation and starts with six pre-generated characters. This is followed by instructions on how to make your own cat. First are the six Callings – Champions, Footpads, Mancers, Ministers, Trackers and Wanderers – which are essentially classes. Each Calling has the various details with six examples of different cats that fit into a Calling.
Next are details on the six houses of Mau, with typical behaviour, secrets and details, as well as the Shadow Bloc; not a house, but a collection of unaligned cats, and treated the same way as a house. They are similar to the Mutts from Pugmire. This is followed by backgrounds, ability scores, stamina points, proficiency bonuses and skills. Secrets, which are essentially feats (or tricks in Pugmire), are divided into three types; Aptitude, Calling and House. Aptitude secrets deal with weapons, armour, darkvision and magic. Calling secrets are those related to a cat’s Calling. Finally, House secrets are those tied to the specific houses of the Monarchies.
Next is the rucksack, which holds the basic starting equipment a cat has, based on their calling and background. This is followed by samples of different types of weapons; a sidebar states that light weapons are handled differently to Pugmire. Finally, there are ideals, mysteries and flaws, with sample d6 tables of each, and the cat’s name and story.
Much of character creation is not only similar to that in Pugmire, naturally enough, but is also naturally similar to D&D 5th Edition.
Chapter Three: Playing the Game is on actually playing it. It covers mechanics, such as dice rolls, and Fortune, which can be player or group owned and can be used to modify effects. A section on adventure covers time, distance, the different parts of a chronicle, resting, equipment, traps, ambushes and getting lost. There is a section on combat and cats have something here that dogs, and other species, do not. Combat includes an example, making attack rolls, different types of attacks, zero hit points and dying. At the end of the chapter is a section on advancement; as in Pugmire, there are no experience points and cats advance in level when the Guide decides. Also, as in Pugmire, level 10 is the highest level.
Chapter Four: Magic covers spellcasting. Cat magic, unlike dog magic, is described as being unnatural; in fact, the description in the chapter makes it seem more like traditional fantasy magic than something based on highly advanced technology, unlike in Pugmire. Covered here are how spells work, the different cat spellusers – mancers, ministers and dabblers – and spell lists. This is followed by an alphabetical list of spells. The spells should be generally familiar, although a few slight changes have been made. Mancers use a focus, ministers use verbal components and dabblers use both.
Guide’s Tome of Secrets is the second part of the book and is on running the game.
Chapter Five: The Monarchies of Mau starts with The Ancient World which mentions the Old Ones, or Man. Cats are covered next, including their appearance and the various houses that they grouped into. This is followed by a section on enemies, which starts with the rival intelligent species, which may or may not be enemies at any particular time, namely dogs, rats and mice, badgers and lizards. Animals are non-sentient creatures and monsters are creatures that are often at least somewhat intelligent. Demons and the Unseen are something all cats, unless they are already corrupted, will attempt to destroy.
The history of the monarchies explains how they were founded as individual monarchies, which eventually led to infighting. One house, monarchy or family (the details are left vague for the Guide to elaborate on) fell prey to the Unseen and were destroyed and largely erased from history. Exploration led to conflict with the dogs of Pugmire in the War of Dogs and Cats; the cats naturally have a different idea as to who was responsible than the dogs do. Various elements of cat culture are explored, as are technology and magic; even though cat magic seems far more magical than dog magic, it is still stated to be technologically based. There are three primary organisations and factions covered, including one that would like to restart the war with the dogs, then each of the six monarchies are described.
Chapter Six: Guide Advice is on running the game; essentially, it’s the GameMaster’s section. It starts with the role of the Guide, pointing out that the Guide is also a player. The Chronicle is the game’s story and awarding levels – experience is not used; cats gain levels when the Guide decides they should – and chronicle length are considered. There are sections on non-player characters, running the game, combat, different types of game and fortune. Options for the game include combining it with Pugmire; cats and dogs use slightly different rules, especially for magic – playing beyond level 10 (the game’s ceiling), options such as reincarnation, cross-calling secrets, no death and using OGL materials as well as other game systems. Suggestions given are Storypath, Fate Core, Savage Worlds, Apocalypse World, Pathfinder and 13th Age. With the game being based on D&D 5E, there are other supplements that could be adapted with a bit of work.
Chapter Seven: Masterworks is on the technology of the Old Ones, basically magic items. Masterworks can be used and many need attuning. Cats are also able to absorb the power of some masterworks when they are destroyed in the right way. There are several types of masterwork. Relics, or artefacts, have a consistent power. Fixes are consumable masterworks, consumable meaning those that are used up, not just consumed. Wonders have powers, but nothing major.
Chapter Eight: Enemies is the bestiary. There is surprisingly little overlap with the bestiary from Pugmire, meaning there are a lot of new enemies to use. This chapter finishes with a section on making new enemies.
All Hail the Rat King is the third part of the book and just contains Chapter Nine: All Hail the Rat King! This is an introductory adventure for first level cats. The adventure finishes with some suggestions for further adventures.
Monarchies of Mau Core Rulebook 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. Finally, there is the Index, which is even more thorough. Navigation is excellent. The text maintains a two-column full colour format and appeared to be almost free of errors. There a lot of custom colour illustrations, including a map of the Monarchies, up to full page in size. Presentation is excellent.
Sidebars throughout the text are from two of the characters introduced, Sabian Spynx von Angora and Blayze Rex von Rex. These are used to explain details and give more advanced options.,
Those familiar with D&D 5E will find quite a lot Monarchies of Mau familiar, as will those who have played Pugmire. Essentially, this is a lighter version of 5E, with some elements stripped back and others, such as experience, equipment and money, simplified, with a level cap of 10th level introduced. The Monarchies setting is similar to, but different from, Pugmire, and is interesting although not covered in as much detail as it could have been.
Like Pugmire, elements of this system appear to be aimed at younger, or perhaps new, players. However, like Pugmire, other parts don’t and it’s never explicitly stated who the game is aimed at.
Monarchies of Mau should be an easy enough to understand game, even for new players, although those familiar with D&D 5E might find it a bit simplistic in places. However, just as with Pugmire, it should not be too difficult to add elements of 5E back into the game, making it more complex.
Monarchies of Mau is a nice, easy to understand game, but does, like Pugmire, suffer a bit from a lack of clear focus. As regards to running it with other systems, as suggested, there isn’t really enough content to make that worthwhile; this is a core rulebook rather than a setting book. Attempting to do so would remove most of the point of this supplement. Monarchies of Mau Core Rulebook is another game that appears to be aimed at new players, young players or ones who prefer a simpler system, and it can be found by clicking here.
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