Bunnies & Burrows
There has been some interesting chatter on GMs Wanted regarding anthro animals, PC familiars, and the like. I have always been intrigued by the whole Bunnies and Burrows game concept. One of the earliest RPGs, it poses the interesting challenge of playing a character that looks at the world like a rabbit.
I have been thinking about the best way to systematize this game, and am reaching out for advice on the subject while simultaneously gauging interest in such a game.
So, I'm starting from the premise that the players are animals. I think limiting this to rabbits is, well, too limiting. So I think it makes sense to offer some alternative animal choices into the mix. The other starting point is that I think these animals need to live in a fantasy setting - they are the animal observers of this fantasy society, however, so have a slightly different perspective. My sense is that these animals seem like animals to humans, but they have anthropomorphized qualities - they have slightly expanded item manipulation, can speak amongst themselves, and have a crude sense of mathematics and engineering. I could even see them sporting some limited magic and/or psionics.
GURPS did a take on the original game back in the 90s, but I suspect that is at least in 3rd edition rules, if not 2nd. Plus GURPS is a bit too realistic, IMO, for a game about semi-intelligent animals. I've thought of using D&D 3.5 rules, but the classes, specifically the weapon use, seems a bit out of sync. A third thought is d20 Modern. With broader classes and less focus on weapon feats, it could work - but does it have enough of a fantasy feel. And the last option I thought of was to use something like Cartoon Action Hour, which I think has an optimal complexity:simplicity ratio for PBP gaming.
Another challenge I've been struggling with is story flow. What would these animals be doing? In Watership Down, the literary inspiration for this kind of game, the characters are all rabbits searching for a new home. That is certainly interesting, but is not really something that is duplicatable. Any thoughts on that topic would be welcome as well.
I see a lot of potential in a game like this - just not sure the best way to crack the ole egg.