Two things happened this week that electrified the Jim Henson lobe of my brain: I started prepping my Labyrinth game for the 3rd-5th graders; and my kid watched the Fraggle Rock episode “The Terrible Tunnel,” one of my all-time faves. I unequivocally loved the works of Jim Henson as a kid. I’m pretty sure Follow That Bird was my first in-theater movie experience. I wore out my Dark Crystal read-along cassette. I had my butt in the divot in the carpet in front of the TV for the Fraggle Rock rerun on TNT at 5:30pm sharp every day.
Since I get so charged up about Jim Henson, and I can’t think about anything these days without trying to cram it into a role-playing context, I present the v0.1 draft of the (exceedingly non-official) Fraggle Rock TTRPG setting. The infrastructural starting point is Mausritter (although it’s likely to end up closer to Labyrinth As Designed By Grant Howitt), but my goal for this post is vibe, micro-mechanics, and adventure locales.
Fraggle Rock: The Fanfic Adventure Game
What is an adventure game? 🤢 nm
You are a Fraggle, a furry subterranean humanoid creature with a long tail and an endless font of irresponsibility. When you’re not singing, dancing, or otherwise messing around, you’re eating Doozer constructions and failing to stay out of trouble. You diligently perform your 30 minutes of work per week and then get back to doing whatever you feel like, although adventure is never far!
Rolling a character
Choose or roll two personality types from the list below, or make up your own.
If the two you roll don’t make sense together, re-roll one or both. Or, go for it! Fraggles contain multitudes.
| 1 | Practical |
| 2 | Thrill-seeking |
| 3 | Hedonistic |
| 4 | Enthusiastic about everything! |
| 5 | Neurotic |
| 6 | Chill |
| 7 | Woo-woo |
| 8 | Ambitious |
| 9 | Wild |
| 10 | Contemplative |
| 11 | Busybody |
| 12 | Grumpy |
Choose or roll two professions from the list below, or make up your own (work with the GM on gear lists).
| # | Profession | Gear |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pipe banger | Pipe-banging stick, ceremonial hat |
| 2 | Radish gatherer | Spade, big bag |
| 3 | Laundry | Caustic chemicals, clothesline |
| 4 | Cave climber | Pickaxe, pitons, rope |
| 5 | Firefighter | Bucket of sand, bucket of water |
| 6 | Healer | Bandages, ointments |
| 7 | Singer | Instrument, storybook, tip jar |
| 8 | Lifeguard | Wooden life preserver, whistle |
| 9 | Doozer Building Eater | Stone hammer, embroidered handkerchiefs |
| 10 | (Outer space) Explorer | Pith helmet, walking stick, magnifying glass |
| 11 | Cook | Ladle, paring knife, apron |
| 12 | Wizard | Herb kit, gunpowder, mystical hat, beard |
Fur Color + Hair Color
Hair Color Table (d12)
| Roll | Color | Sample |
| —— | -—— | ——— |
| 1 | Pure White | <span style=“display:inline-block;width:20px;height:20px;background:#FFFFFF;border:1px solid #ccc;vertical-align:middle;”></span> #FFFFFF |
| 2 | Platinum Blonde | <span style=“display:inline-block;width:20px;height:20px;background:#E5E4E2;border:1px solid #ccc;vertical-align:middle;”></span> #E5E4E2 |
| 3 | Golden Blonde | <span style=“display:inline-block;width:20px;height:20px;background:#F0E68C;border:1px solid #ccc;vertical-align:middle;”></span> #F0E68C |
| 4 | Light Brown | <span style=“display:inline-block;width:20px;height:20px;background:#B5651D;border:1px solid #ccc;vertical-align:middle;”></span> #B5651D |
| 5 | Chestnut Brown | <span style=“display:inline-block;width:20px;height:20px;background:#8B4513;border:1px solid #ccc;vertical-align:middle;”></span> #8B4513 |
| 6 | Dark Brown | <span style=“display:inline-block;width:20px;height:20px;background:#3D2817;border:1px solid #ccc;vertical-align:middle;”></span> #3D2817 |
| 7 | Black | <span style=“display:inline-block;width:20px;height:20px;background:#000000;border:1px solid #ccc;vertical-align:middle;”></span> #000000 |
| 8 | Auburn | <span style=“display:inline-block;width:20px;height:20px;background:#A52A2A;border:1px solid #ccc;vertical-align:middle;”></span> #A52A2A |
| 9 | Copper Red | <span style=“display:inline-block;width:20px;height:20px;background:#B87333;border:1px solid #ccc;vertical-align:middle;”></span> #B87333 |
| 10 | Ash Gray | <span style=“display:inline-block;width:20px;height:20px;background:#B2BEB5;border:1px solid #ccc;vertical-align:middle;”></span> #B2BEB5 |
| 11 | Silver | <span style=“display:inline-block;width:20px;height:20px;background:#C0C0C0;border:1px solid #ccc;vertical-align:middle;”></span> #C0C0C0 |
| 12 | Raven Blue-Black | <span style=“display:inline-block;width:20px;height:20px;background:#0C0C1E;border:1px solid #ccc;vertical-align:middle;”></span> #0C0C1E |
Physical description
- Bright-eyed
- Laugh lines
- 1d3 pony tails
- Really long tail
- Really short tail
TBD
Names
| d100 | Name | d100 | Name |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Argle | 51 | Newt |
| 2 | Auggo | 52 | Nib |
| 3 | Azzer | 53 | Nibsy |
| 4 | Biffer | 54 | Nimrod |
| 5 | Blue | 55 | Ninny |
| 6 | Blunko | 56 | Nummy |
| 7 | Boshie | 57 | Ogbert |
| 8 | Charney | 58 | Oplo |
| 9 | Chert | 59 | Ozer |
| 10 | Conk | 60 | Parsnit |
| 11 | Crumlet | 61 | Plank |
| 12 | Dabbo | 62 | Ploymus |
| 13 | Defty | 63 | Plunket |
| 14 | Drazzle | 64 | Prigton |
| 15 | Dribbler | 65 | Quabb |
| 16 | Dungle | 66 | Quail |
| 17 | Eckle | 67 | Quimby |
| 18 | Eebor | 68 | Quirkle |
| 19 | Eef | 69 | Racky |
| 20 | Faybo | 70 | Rocko |
| 21 | Fizzy | 71 | Rozzy |
| 22 | Frenchie | 72 | Rumpet |
| 23 | Fronk | 73 | Salsy |
| 24 | Gazzo | 74 | Servo |
| 25 | Geebie | 75 | Sizzet |
| 26 | Gorsh | 76 | Skibble |
| 27 | Groan | 77 | Tatuck |
| 28 | Grundle | 78 | Tippy |
| 29 | Higbet | 79 | Tootie |
| 30 | Hoohoo | 80 | Trunk |
| 31 | Humbo | 81 | Ubbo |
| 32 | Hyhop | 82 | Umpsy |
| 33 | Icko | 83 | Usper |
| 34 | Iffy | 84 | Varnick |
| 35 | Inka | 85 | Verity |
| 36 | Jakles | 86 | Voose |
| 37 | Jompers | 87 | Wendall |
| 38 | Junie | 88 | Wombers |
| 39 | Kangy | 89 | Wonko |
| 40 | Kazoo | 90 | Wrench |
| 41 | Kippet | 91 | Wumzo |
| 42 | Kribble | 92 | Xawsy |
| 43 | Lindy | 93 | Xibby |
| 44 | Loopo | 94 | Yabber |
| 45 | Lopsy | 95 | Yimble |
| 46 | Lulo | 96 | Yowlo |
| 47 | Lumbert | 97 | Zab |
| 48 | Markle | 98 | Zoomer |
| 49 | Mibbo | 99 | Zoopepper |
| 50 | Mohair | 100 | Zumley |
Playing the Game
Mechanics
If you want to take an action whose outcome is in question, roll 1d6 with difficulty 2-6. Roll not-under to succeed. Professions, personality types, or equipment can get you advantage (roll 2d6 and take the higher), and situational issues can cause disadvantage (roll 2d6 and take the lower). Help from your friends (via profession/personality type/equipment) can lower the difficulty by 1 total. Minimum adjusted difficulty is 2.
Equipment
Youn can hold up to 8 items to help you on your way. Anything you don’t want to carry you can stash in your house when you’re there.
Food and Exhaustion
You need to fill that Fraggle belly! If there are Doozer buildings at hand, you can consider yourself always satiated. Farther out, though, and you’ll need to bring rations with you. A day’s rations take up one item slot.
If you go more than two days without food, you’re going to be exhausted and have to turn around for home. If you can’t make it home for whatever reason, the GM will determine a consequence.
Helpful Fraggle Nonsense
Sometimes you run into an obstacle and you can’t get any further. You need to pause with all the work and just be a Fraggle, which means singing, dancing, playing, or storytelling – you know, Nonsense.
- If you can create a catchy song that’s relevant to your problem, you can usually get some help with your current obstacle.
- If you can invent a new game to pass the time or attract some other Fraggles, you might get some inspiration or help with your current obstacle.
- Caves are full of helpful flora, fauna, and objects. Spend enough time searching, citing Nonsense Fraggle lore (“knock three times on a north-facing rock and it’ll tell you where to find the best moss!”) and you can probably find something to aid your current obstacle.
- When you’re stuck, you can always read a postcard from your Explorer pen pal. Maybe their stories from the odd alien world will give you inspiration with your current obstacle.
How this works: You need to declare a goal of your Nonsense in broad strokes – are you trying to distract your mind so you can think of something novel, or are you trying to convince others to help you? The GM will set a difficulty rating based on what you’re trying to do. You will then perform your nonsense, either actually improvising or simply describing what your character is doing. Based on how entertaining your performance was, the GM can give you advantage on your roll. Friends can also help out to reduce the difficulty, but they must also perform with you, and it needs to work together. Then roll. If you succeed, then you achieve your goal.
Regions
- Fraggle Rock
- Deep caves
- Gorgs’ domain
- Outer space
Vendors and NPC resources
- Convincing John may be summoned for a steep price. He can convince anyone of anything.
- The Trash Heap is a bottomless well of wisdom, if you can discern the true message from her proclamations, and if you can get past the Gorgs to get to her.
- Doozers might be able to make a construction to help you, but they have to think it’s their own idea. They’d never heed a Fraggle request directly and have no use for worldly goods.
- Gorgs are huge and destructive and will chase a Fraggle with little regard for the side effects.
About the World
Doozer buildings can be found anywhere near a Fraggle settlement but are only sparsely available in deep caves, and not found at all in the Gorgs’ domain or outer space. They can be helpful in overcoming obstacles, but watch out, they can be flimsy!
The Deep Tunnels between Fraggle villages can be fun and even commonly traveled, but it’s easy to get lost. Beyond the lands of the Fraggles, though, are unknown and dangerous places.
Untold riches and wonders are rumored to lie in the Gorgs’ domain, especially inside their house.
Outer Space is said to be full of horrors and strange creatures, but it’s the last frontier for the Fraggle who’s grown tired of the same old tunnels.
GM Tools
Bestiary
Compiling…
Room contents
| # | Fraggle Rock | Deep Tunnels | Gorgs’ domain | Outer space |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Growling mushrooms | |||
| 2 | Hole in the ceiling, flowery vines growing down | |||
| 3 | Singing crystals | |||
| 4 | Swimming hole | |||
| 5 | Fraggle jam circle | |||
| 6 | Ticklish algae | |||
| 7 | Really deep dark hole in the floor |
More to come…
Some sample NPCs and their problems
- Hameatin’ Sam dropped his ham, which plugged the Lesser Whirlpool, which is flooding the Greater Whirlpool, which is really messing up the Whirlpool Skiing Contest.
- A hungry Hopey Fraggle ate through the ancient Doozer door closing off the opening to The Wormway. He got a stomachache. Also there are Fraggle-eating worms everywhere.
- Kokie and Menbo are sweethearts but nobody’s seen them for a couple of days. They might’ve run away together, but Menbo left the Weddin’ Whistle he’d been carving for her for two months, which doesn’t seem like him.
- Junjie has been wearing her patented Radish Lure Hat for weeks, but no radishes have shown up at her door. Last night she went into the Gorgs’ garden to see if their radishes would jump into her hands, but instead she got stuck in a hole in the ground, looking suspiciously like a nice ripe radish. Tomorrow is radish harvesting day for the Gorgs!
General GM advice
Threats are generally attacks on the 30 minute workweek – that which will keep a Fraggle from being carefree and easy.
- Getting lost
- Getting captured
- Interrupting supplies (water, food, Doozer buildings, sleep, music, leisure)
- Conflicting wants between Fraggles
Enticements to adventure are things that attract Fraggles based on their background or personality: riches (lifetime supply of radishes, etc.), an amazing thrill, the most delicious cave mushroom anyone has ever tasted.
The overall level of threat and violence in this game is low, Fraggle Rock being, after all, a kids’ show. Feel free to crank up the horror if the group is game, although remember that this show is pretty scary on its own! Regarding combat and violence: while it’s certainly up to your group, you’re going to lose a lot of the whimsy and vibe of the show with anything beyond slapstick.
Commentary
This is definitely a work in progress, so stay tuned if you’re interested.
I really like the simplicity of the d6 test mechanic of Labyrinth, so I’m sticking with that for the nonce, hence my abbreviated retelling of it.
I dig the additional mechanics, most of which emerged as I was writing.
- Hunger is the main driver of time pressure here outside of adventure specifics. Since the Fraggles are such a bunch of food beasts, it seemed like not too much to add in.
- I really like the Helpful Fraggle Nonsense section, although the mechanic is purely off-the-cuff and playtesting will help refine it. It’s both an opportunity for improv (either literal singing/dancing/storytelling or descriptive, for both the theater kids and the should’ve-been-theater-kids kids) and table entertainment to drive better odds on a roll. It’s representative of the show vibe, too – sometimes the Fraggles get exactly what they want after a song, and sometimes it just passes the time.
Random thoughts
- All the numbers here will be subject to playtesting. 8 equipment slots was randomly determined off of Labyrinth’s 6 slots plus food, also eyeballing the profession gear lists.
- I remember less lore than I thought I would, so the bestiary and the profession lists especially are in need of some deep research. Here comes a Fraggle Rock binge! Including the Back To The Rock revival, which I have been meaning to watch but couldn’t convince my kids to sit down for. Now I can do it for research purposes….yessss yessss.