Bunnies and Burrows
Encyclopedia
Bunnies & Burrows is a role-playing game
(RPG) inspired by the novel Watership Down
. 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 rabbit
s, player character
s are faced with dangers mirroring those in the real world. The only true "monster
s" 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.
in 1976, only two years after the first role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons
was published, this edition is now long out of print. The game was inspired by Richard Adams
' fantasy novel Watership Down
, and the players were given the opportunity to take on the role of rabbits. 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?" 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
.
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
. It detailed how to combine the world of Bunnies & Burrows with other fantasy world
s. This was followed by the mini-adventure
"The Jackrabbits' Lair", written by Daniel J. Maxfield, in Pegasus, a magazine published by Judges Guild
.
A second edition of Bunnies & Burrows was printed in 1982 by Fantasy Games Unlimited, although the continuing popularity of the first edition is evidenced by how it was still being actively played in 2008.
During a rise of "retro" games in the late 1980s and early 1990s, 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. In 1988, Steffan O'Sullivan wrote an unofficial conversion of Bunnies & Burrows to GURPS
while the negotiations continued. He indicated that he hoped to one day work on the official supplement.
GURPS Bunnies & Burrows was published in 1992. It was written by Steffan O'Sullivan with interior art by Jim Groat. The book is now out of print, but (as of September 2009) is still available via digital download. Loyd Blankenship
, the managing editor of Steve Jackson Games' former Illuminati BBS acknowledged that Steffan received his wish, and kept the original conversion article online. Steve Jackson Games continues to support the game, releasing an updated errata sheet in 2007.
The setting also had an unofficial conversion in 2004 to be used in Risus: The Anything RPG
by Boyd Mayberry under their "Rules for Free Fan-Supplements and Articles".
.
Players
of Bunnies & Burrows take the role of rabbit
s as their player characters. Interaction with many different animal species is part of normal gameplay. Human
s, whose thought processes and motivations are completely alien
, are the only monster to be encountered.
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.
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. Although newer systems have updated game mechanics significantly, the ideas presented in Bunnies & Burrows created the framework for modern role-playing games.
GURPS Bunnies & Burrows uses the GURPS system
common in all GURPS products. 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."
s.
Role-playing game
A role-playing game is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal acting, or through a process of structured decision-making or character development...
(RPG) inspired by the novel Watership Down
Watership Down
Watership Down is a classic heroic fantasy novel, written by English author Richard Adams, about a small group of rabbits. Although the animals in the story live in their natural environment, they are anthropomorphised, possessing their own culture, language , proverbs, poetry, and mythology...
. Published by Fantasy Games Unlimited
Fantasy Games Unlimited
Fantasy Games Unlimited, often referred to as just FGU, is a publishing house for both table-top and role-playing games. They have no in-house design teams and rely on submitted material from outside talent.-History:...
in 1976
1976 in games
This page lists board and card games, wargames, miniatures games, and table-top role-playing games published in 1976. For video and console games, see 1976 in video gaming.-Significant games-related events of 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
Humanoid
A humanoid is something that has an appearance resembling a human being. The term first appeared in 1912 to refer to fossils which were morphologically similar to, but not identical with, those of the human skeleton. Although this usage was common in the sciences for much of the 20th century, it...
roles, and the first to have detailed martial arts
Martial arts
Martial arts are extensive systems of codified practices and traditions of combat, practiced for a variety of reasons, including self-defense, competition, physical health and fitness, as well as mental and spiritual development....
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
Steve Jackson Games
Steve Jackson Games is a game company, founded in 1980 by Steve Jackson, that creates and publishes role-playing, board, and card games, and the gaming magazine Pyramid.-History:...
as an official GURPS supplement in 1992.
As rabbit
Rabbit
Rabbits are small mammals in the family Leporidae of the order Lagomorpha, found in several parts of the world...
s, player character
Player character
A player character or playable character is a character in a video game or role playing game who is controlled or controllable by a player, and is typically a protagonist of the story told in the course of the game. A player character is a persona of the player who controls it. Player characters...
s are faced with dangers mirroring those in the real world. The only true "monster
Monster
A monster is any fictional creature, usually found in legends or horror fiction, that is somewhat hideous and may produce physical harm or mental fear by either its appearance or its actions...
s" in the game are humans, but there are many predators and natural hazards. The characters' position in the food chain
Food chain
A food web depicts feeding connections in an ecological community. Ecologists can broadly lump all life forms into one of two categories called trophic levels: 1) the autotrophs, and 2) the heterotrophs...
promotes an emphasis on role-playing and problem solving over combat.
History
Originally published by Fantasy Games UnlimitedFantasy Games Unlimited
Fantasy Games Unlimited, often referred to as just FGU, is a publishing house for both table-top and role-playing games. They have no in-house design teams and rely on submitted material from outside talent.-History:...
in 1976, only two years after the first role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons is a fantasy role-playing game originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, and first published in 1974 by Tactical Studies Rules, Inc. . The game has been published by Wizards of the Coast since 1997...
was published, this edition is now long out of print. The game was inspired by Richard Adams
Richard Adams
Richard Adams was a non-conforming English Presbyterian divine, known as author of sermons and other theological writings.-Life:...
' fantasy novel Watership Down
Watership Down
Watership Down is a classic heroic fantasy novel, written by English author Richard Adams, about a small group of rabbits. Although the animals in the story live in their natural environment, they are anthropomorphised, possessing their own culture, language , proverbs, poetry, and mythology...
, and the players were given the opportunity to take on the role of rabbits. As such, the game emphasized role-playing over combat for, according to Steffan O'Sullivan
Steffan O'Sullivan
Steffan O'Sullivan is the author of several role-playing game books.Among his works are the GURPS system books Bestiary, Bunnies & Burrows, Fantasy Bestiary and Swashbucklers. He is also the collaborative author of the FUDGE open gaming system and the Sherpa game.He currently lives in New...
, "You're playing a rabbit, after all – how much combat do you want to do?" 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
Typewriter
A typewriter is a mechanical or electromechanical device with keys that, when pressed, cause characters to be printed on a medium, usually paper. Typically one character is printed per keypress, and the machine prints the characters by making ink impressions of type elements similar to the pieces...
.
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
Different Worlds
Different Worlds was an American role-playing games' magazine, now defunct.-History:Different Worlds was launched in 1979 by Greg Stafford to promote the role-playing games from his own editing house, Chaosium...
, a magazine published by Chaosium
Chaosium
Chaosium is one of the longer lived publishers of role-playing games still in existence. Founded by Greg Stafford, its first game was actually a wargame, White Bear and Red Moon, which later mutated into Dragon Pass and its sequel, Nomad Gods...
. It detailed how to combine the world of Bunnies & Burrows with other fantasy world
Fantasy world
A fantasy world is a fictional universe used in fantasy novels and games. Typical worlds involve magic or magical abilities and often, but not always, either a medieval or futuristic theme...
s. This was followed by the mini-adventure
Adventure (role-playing games)
An adventure is either a published or otherwise written collection of plot, character, and location details used by a gamemaster to manage the plot or story in a role-playing game. Each adventure is based upon a particular gaming genre and is normally designed for use with a specific game or gaming...
"The Jackrabbits' Lair", written by Daniel J. Maxfield, in Pegasus, a magazine published by Judges Guild
Judges Guild
Judges Guild is a small game publisher in the business of creating and selling role-playing game supplements, periodicals and related material, most notable as one of the leading publishers in the late 1970s and early 1980s of Dungeons & Dragons-related materials...
.
A second edition of Bunnies & Burrows was printed in 1982 by Fantasy Games Unlimited, although the continuing popularity of the first edition is evidenced by how it was still being actively played in 2008.
During a rise of "retro" games in the late 1980s and early 1990s, 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. In 1988, Steffan O'Sullivan wrote an unofficial conversion of Bunnies & Burrows to GURPS
GURPS
The Generic Universal RolePlaying System, or GURPS, is a tabletop role-playing game system designed to allow for play in any game setting...
while the negotiations continued. He indicated that he hoped to one day work on the official supplement.
GURPS Bunnies & Burrows was published in 1992. It was written by Steffan O'Sullivan with interior art by Jim Groat. The book is now out of print, but (as of September 2009) is still available via digital download. Loyd Blankenship
Loyd Blankenship
Loyd Blankenship has been a well-known American computer hacker and writer since the 1970s, when he was a member of the hacker groups Extasyy Elite and Legion of Doom....
, the managing editor of Steve Jackson Games' former Illuminati BBS acknowledged that Steffan received his wish, and kept the original conversion article online. Steve Jackson Games continues to support the game, releasing an updated errata sheet in 2007.
The setting also had an unofficial conversion in 2004 to be used in Risus: The Anything RPG
Risus
Risus: The Anything RPG is a rules-light generic role-playing game written, designed and illustrated by S. John Ross of Cumberland Games and Diversions. Risus is available free on the web. It was first published online in 1993...
by Boyd Mayberry under their "Rules for Free Fan-Supplements and Articles".
Gameplay
Bunnies & Burrows was the first role-playing game to allow for non-humanoid play. In addition, it was also the first role-playing game to have detailed martial arts rules (known as "Bun Fu") and the first attempt at a skill system. For its time, the game was considered "light years" ahead of the Original Dungeons & DragonsEditions of Dungeons & Dragons
Several different editions of the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game have been produced since 1974. The current publisher of Dungeons & Dragons , Wizards of the Coast, produces new materials only for the most current edition of the game...
.
Players
Player (game)
A player of a game is a participant therein. The term 'player' is used with this same meaning both in game theory and in ordinary recreational games....
of Bunnies & Burrows take the role of rabbit
Rabbit
Rabbits are small mammals in the family Leporidae of the order Lagomorpha, found in several parts of the world...
s as their player characters. Interaction with many different animal species is part of normal gameplay. Human
Human
Humans are the only living species in the Homo genus...
s, whose thought processes and motivations are completely alien
Alien (signifier)
The alien is a device used in literature to signify elements foreign, ignored, repressed, or marginalized in a given society. The alien can also offer an outside perspective, illuminating the complexities and/or exposing the hypocrisies and irrationalities in a set social norms.In literature,...
, are the only monster to be encountered.
Bunnies & Burrows has the advantage of offering players an intuitive grasp of relative dangers and appropriate actions not possible in game worlds
Fictional universe
A fictional universe is a self-consistent fictional setting with elements that differ from the real world. It may also be called an imagined, constructed or fictional realm ....
that are substantially fictional. For example, a player is told their character is confronted with a fox
Fox
Fox is a common name for many species of omnivorous mammals belonging to the Canidae family. Foxes are small to medium-sized canids , characterized by possessing a long narrow snout, and a bushy tail .Members of about 37 species are referred to as foxes, of which only 12 species actually belong to...
. 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.
The mechanics of the role-playing game system
Role-playing game system
A role-playing game system is a set of game mechanics used in a role-playing game to determine the outcome of a character's in-game actions...
were created specifically for Bunnies & Burrows, common at the time of its original publishing. It features eight abilities
Statistic (role-playing games)
A statistic in role-playing games is a piece of data which represents a particular aspect of a fictional character. That piece of data is usually a integer or, in some cases, a set of dice....
and eight classes
Character class
In role-playing games, a common method of arbitrating the capabilities of different game characters is to assign each one to a character class. A character class aggregates several abilities and aptitudes, and may also sometimes detail aspects of background and social standing or impose behaviour...
. The task resolution system is based on rolls of percentile dice. Although newer systems have updated game mechanics significantly, the ideas presented in Bunnies & Burrows created the framework for modern role-playing games.
GURPS Bunnies & Burrows uses the GURPS system
GURPS
The Generic Universal RolePlaying System, or GURPS, is a tabletop role-playing game system designed to allow for play in any game setting...
common in all GURPS products. 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."
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. 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!'". 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, while the game has also been described as a "work of genius". Due to its unique setting, the game remains popular in the furry community and is frequently played at furry conventionFurry convention
A furry convention is a formal gathering of members of the furry fandom — people who are interested in the concept of fictional non-human characters with human characteristics. These conventions provide a place for fans to meet, exchange ideas, transact business and engage in entertainment and...
s.
Books
- Bunnies & Burrows (1976), Fantasy Games UnlimitedFantasy Games UnlimitedFantasy Games Unlimited, often referred to as just FGU, is a publishing house for both table-top and role-playing games. They have no in-house design teams and rely on submitted material from outside talent.-History:...
- Bunnies & Burrows (Second edition) (1982), Fantasy Games Unlimited
- GURPS Bunnies & Burrows (1992), Steve Jackson GamesSteve Jackson GamesSteve Jackson Games is a game company, founded in 1980 by Steve Jackson, that creates and publishes role-playing, board, and card games, and the gaming magazine Pyramid.-History:...
, ISBN 9781556342370
Articles
- Different Worlds Present the World of Druid's Valley: A Bunnies & Burrows Campaign (B. Dennis Sustare, 1979). Different Worlds, ChaosiumChaosiumChaosium is one of the longer lived publishers of role-playing games still in existence. Founded by Greg Stafford, its first game was actually a wargame, White Bear and Red Moon, which later mutated into Dragon Pass and its sequel, Nomad Gods...
- The Jackrabbits' Lair (Daniel J. Maxfield). Pegasus, Judges GuildJudges GuildJudges Guild is a small game publisher in the business of creating and selling role-playing game supplements, periodicals and related material, most notable as one of the leading publishers in the late 1970s and early 1980s of Dungeons & Dragons-related materials...
See also
- GURPSGURPSThe Generic Universal RolePlaying System, or GURPS, is a tabletop role-playing game system designed to allow for play in any game setting...
- List of GURPS books
- Watership DownWatership DownWatership Down is a classic heroic fantasy novel, written by English author Richard Adams, about a small group of rabbits. Although the animals in the story live in their natural environment, they are anthropomorphised, possessing their own culture, language , proverbs, poetry, and mythology...