by Erin Hunter
If the Strength Check total is 7 or lower, nothing happens. If the total is between 8 and 14, the cat is wounded by the sharp metal of the cage. The cat loses 4 chips due to the injury and is still trapped in the cage. If the total is between 15 and 20, the cat manages to squeeze out of the cage and is free, but still loses 6 chips in the process due to cuts, scrapes, and bruises. If the Strength Check total is 21 or higher, the cat manages to get out of the cage while suffering only minor wounds—he or she loses only 3 chips due to injury.
A final choice that a trapped cat may make is to simply sit down and wait. In this case, the cat will probably encourage his or her friends to search out some kind of way to open the cage (perhaps to be found wherever the Twolegs are).
If the player seems to be considering this course of action, assure him or her that there is a chance that the other cats will be able to rescue his or her character if they go through the rest of the adventure successfully. He or she should stay in the game and help the others, if only by giving advice.
What Happens Next: If the trapped cat decides to eat the food, continue with 10.
The adventure may continue in several different ways, depending entirely on what the cats as a group decide to do. If the cat in the cage managed to escape, consult the choices below. Likewise, use those choices for the free cats if they want to search for a way to rescue their trapped companion. However, once the cats move along, the trapped cat will be collected by a Twoleg who comes by and carries the cage back to the Twoleg camp. As Narrator, you can tell the player this privately but be sure to also say that the adventure will provide the chance for the other cats to rescue his or her character later on.
If they want to explore some of the remaining cages, continue with 9.
If Burr is still around and they want to talk to him more, continue with 3.
If they want to investigate the sounds of Twoleg activity, this is the end of the chapter. Pass the adventure to the next Narrator and tell him or her to continue with 7.
14. Captured!
Read Aloud: “With a quick snap of a massive paw, the Twoleg grabs you and lifts you into the air!”
Narrator Tips: There are several ways the players’ cats may end up in this scene and it may come up several times over the course of the adventure. Your job as Narrator is to improvise ways to make each one fit the current context.
Once a cat has been captured, the Twoleg will carry him or her away, either to the Medical Tent (where the cat will get a sedative to calm him or her down) or to the Transport Van (where he or she will be placed in a cage to await medical treatment or the trip back to town). Again, the humans are not doing this to be mean. They believe they are doing what’s best for the cats.
As in previous scenes, any captured cat has the possibility of returning later on in the adventure if the remaining cats can figure out how to free him or her. Beyond that, the only question is where the remaining cats go next.
What Happens Next: Not all of these options will be available in each case. The details will depend on where the remaining cats are and what escape routes are possible.
If the cats escape to the outer camp area, continue with 11 but do not refresh the chips again. (That only happens the first time the cats go through scene 11.)
If the cats escape to the Medical Tent, continue with 15.
If the cats decide to explore the Supply Van, continue with 16.
If the cats decide to explore the Transport Van, continue with 17.
If all of the cats have been captured, continue with 23.
15. The Clean Den
Read Aloud: “By staying close to the edge of the soft-skinned den, you can sneak in close enough to stick your nose inside and see what’s going on.”
Narrator Tips: In this scene, the cats get to poke around in the Medical Tent. This is the busiest part of the Twoleg camp, so it is also the place where it is easiest for the cats to be seen and perhaps captured. Encourage the players to come up with clever ways for their cats to avoid detection and, if they seem reasonable, allow them to work.
Of course, you should still have the cats make a few Skill or Attribute Checks that seem appropriate for the situation—Sneak, Ponder, Focus, Listen, and Smell all could be useful depending on what the cats are trying to do.
This scene is called “The Clean Den” because that will be the most striking thing about the tent from the cats’ perspective. The tent has been set up like a little mini veterinarian’s office in the woods. There is a small examination table, bright lights, and a cart filled with medical equipment, bandages, and useful drugs. It will smell strongly of antiseptics and the humans will do everything possible to keep dirt and other contaminants from the forest out of the tent.
While the cats are looking around, the doctors will be examining a cat. If possible, that cat should be a character the players have met before—either one of the captured player cats or Burr—just to give the scene a little more drama. If the cat is awake, it will be yowling angrily whenever the Twolegs poke and prod him or her.
Any cat that has the Herb Lore Knack may attempt a Ponder Check (using that Knack if the player so desires). If the Check total is 5 or higher, the cat notices some vaguely familiar scents mixed in with the antiseptics. If the total is 8 or higher, the cat realizes that some of the things in this den are similar to healing herbs that a medicine cat uses. If the total is 12 or higher, the cat is able to pick out a specific medicine smell and equate it to a specific healing herb.
Allow the cats to poke around for as long as the players remain interested. However, if they try anything particularly outlandish, there is a chance that the Twolegs will notice them.
What Happens Next: If the Narrator thinks the cats make it easy for the Twolegs to notice them, continue with 12.
If the cats decide to attack the Twolegs in hopes of freeing their friend, continue with 18.
If the cats return to the outer camp area, continue with 11 but do not refresh the chips again. (That only happens the first time the cats go through scene 11.)
If the cats decide to explore the Supply Van, continue with 16.
If the cats decide to explore the Transport Van, continue with 17.
16. A Sleeping Monster
Read Aloud: “The monster continues to sleep, despite the fact that the Twolegs keep coming over and trying to wake it up.”
Narrator Tips: In this scene the cats can examine the Supply Van and watch as the humans come and go, taking things from the van and occasionally depositing bags of garbage generated by the work happening in the Medical Tent.
The Twolegs aren’t doing anything special in this part of the camp, which makes it a good place for the players’ cats to hide and catch their breath after being chased. This also may be the first time the cats have ever had the opportunity to examine a Twoleg monster. The fact that it is so soundly asleep should allow them to be bolder than they usually would be around such a beast. If the players decide their cats want to take this opportunity, be creative in your descriptions. Try to describe the various shapes and parts of the van as they would appear to a cat and encourage an air of mystery and wonder.
This examination is interrupted periodically as the Twolegs come back and try to wake up the monster. (As the Narrator, you know they’re really just getting supplies from the van.) Have the cats make Ponder Checks as they watch this. If the Check total is 6 or higher, the cats realize that the Twolegs are performing specific actions in order to get the monster to react in certain ways.
What Happens Next: If the cats want to keep examining the monster, this is the end of the chapter. Pass the adventure to the next Narrator and tell him or her to continue with 19.
If the cats return to the outer camp area, continue with 11 but do not refresh the chips again. (That only happens the first time the cats go through scene 11.)
If the cats decide to explore the Medical Tent, continue with 15.
If the cats decide to explore the Transport Van, continu
e with 17.
17. A Wall of Dens
Read Aloud: “Like the other monster, this one appears to be sleeping, but the Twolegs do not seem to be trying nearly as hard to wake it up.”
Narrator Tips: In this scene the cats can examine the Transport Van and watch as the humans occasionally carry over a sedated cat from the Medical Tent and put it into a cage inside the van. When the cats can see the inside of the van, they see a huge wall of metal dens (like those they saw in the early scenes in this adventure), many of which have cats inside them.
This may be the first time the cats have ever been this close to a Twoleg monster, but the fact that it is so soundly asleep should allow them to be bolder than they usually would be around such a beast. As the cats examine the situation, be creative in your descriptions. Try to describe the various shapes and parts of the van as they would appear to a cat and encourage an air of mystery and wonder.
As they poke around the van, the players’ cats can smell the fear from the cats inside the monster. Not only that, if they make a Smell Check with a total of 8 or higher, they can pick out all the individual scents of the cats inside (which include Burr and any of the players’ cats that have been captured).
This examination is interrupted occasionally as the Twolegs come back and place more cats inside the monster. Have the players’ cats make Ponder Checks as they watch this. If the Check total is 6 or higher, the cats realize that the Twolegs are performing some kind of specific action in order to get the monster to react in certain ways.
What Happens Next: If the cats want to stay and keep examining the monster, this is the end of the chapter. Pass the adventure to the next Narrator and tell him or her to continue with 19.
If the cats return to the outer camp area, continue with 11 but do not refresh the chips again. (That only happens the first time the cats go through scene 11.)
If the cats decide to explore the Medical Tent, continue with 15.
If the cats decide to explore the Supply Van, continue with 16.
18. A Desperate Fight
Read Aloud: “The Twolegs are big and they’re strong, but sometimes being a warrior means standing your ground and fighting, even when winning seems impossible.”
Narrator Tips: Clan cats fighting against humans is a lost cause, but that doesn’t mean that some of the players won’t want their cats to try it.
One thing that a cat can do effectively is intimidate a Twoleg opponent. Despite their smaller size, cats that show enough ferociousness can cause a Twoleg to hesitate and be more careful, shifting the odds considerably. A cat who performs a Hiss or Arch Check with a total of 15 or higher will get an automatic +3 bonus to all Bite, Swat, and Wrestle Checks for the rest of the fight. If the cat can get totals of 15 or higher in both Checks, he or she can double that bonus, getting a +6 in those Checks for the rest of the fight.
While it’s not possible for a cat to severely hurt a Twoleg opponent, he or she can get in some painful scratches. Twolegs do not Jump out of the way in combat; they pull their hands back out of reach. That movement functions the same way a Jump does for a cat. Treat attacking Twolegs as though their hands have Jump scores of 10.
Treat this the same as if two or more cats were Wrestling, though the Twolegs’ Checks always have a total of 13. In order to pick up a cat, the Twolegs must win a Wrestling Check. As long as the cat wins, he or she is writhing around too much for the Twolegs to pick up him or her.
Once a cat has been lifted into the air, the fight is over.
Any time before that happens, the cat may decide to end the fight by running away.
What Happens Next: If the cat is lifted into the air, the Twolegs will put him or her into a cage. The adventure is over for that cat, though he or she can still be rescued if the other cats manage to figure out how to release the trapped cats from the Transport Van.
If all the cats are captured, continue with 23.
If the cat decides to run away, or if the other cats run away after their friend is captured, the next step in the adventure depends on where they decide to go.
If the cats escape to the outer camp area, continue with 11 but do not refresh the chips again. (That only happens the first time the cats go through scene 11.)
If the cats escape to the Medical Tent, continue with 15.
If the cats escape to the Supply Van, continue with 16.
If the cats escape to the Transport Van, continue with 17.
19. The Monster’s Secret
Read Aloud: “As you watch the Twolegs walk up to the monster, briefly wake it up, then leave as it falls back to sleep, you notice that there’s some kind of pattern involved. Is this some kind of ritual that only partially wakens the monsters?”
Narrator Tips: The secret is that these are the kind of vans where you can set the side door to automatically open, and the people from the animal shelter have done just that to make their coming and going easier. This would be very easy for another person to figure out, but it wouldn’t be nearly so obvious to a cat.
This is another scene where your job, as Narrator, is to describe an ordinary action in a way that seems strange and exotic as seen through the eyes of the cats. There are several parts of what the Twolegs are doing that the cats are likely to focus on.
Some cats may think it has something to do with particular sounds the Twolegs are making—a song or phrase that makes the monster partially wake up.
Some cats may think that it is a ritual involving the Twolegs walking around the camp. They leave the monster, walk a specific pattern, then come back and the monster will wake up only for a few brief moments.
Some cats may think that it has to do with some special shiny stones a few of the Twolegs carry with them (the keys to the van). While that is partially true, the keys are not necessary to open the door at this time.
Finally, some cats may think correctly that it is the act of giving the monster’s side (the van’s sliding door) a solid hit.
Let the players talk about it for a while; then have the cats all make Ponder Checks. Add the totals of all the Checks together to get a group total. As long as that group total is 12 or higher, the cats have the right idea—that the key is hitting the side of the monster in a special way.
If the group total is less than 12, tell the cats that they are certain that the correct answer is one of the choices above other than the real one. This will result in some strange behavior by the cats—behavior that will not open the van door. Once they have tried and failed once or twice, let them make another round of Ponder Checks and use them to increase the group total. Repeat this as necessary until the group total is 12 or higher.
Once the cats have the right idea, if their group total is equal to 18 or higher, the cats have figured out exactly what they have to do. If the group total is 17 or lower, they do not have all of their facts straight. This will have repercussions in the next scene.
What Happens Next: If the cats try to perform the ritual on the Supply Van, continue with 20.
If the cats try to perform the ritual on the Transport Van, continue with 21.
20. Inside the Monster
Read Aloud: “The Twolegs keep waking up this monster and it seems to be filled with all sorts of incredible things. It’s possible there may even be some more trapped cats in there. Are you curious enough to check for yourselves?”
Narrator Tips: In order to get the monster to wake up, the cats know they must hit it on its side. Unlike the Twolegs, they cannot just walk up and Swat the monster—they’re too small. However, they are sure that if they run up and Pounce on the monster, they can cause the same effect. The cats are correct in this assumption, but depending on the result of their Ponder Checks, they may or may not know exactly where on the side of the van to Pounce.
In order to succeed, the cats will have to Pounce on the monster more than once. Each time a cat Pounces, note that cat’s Strength—that is, how many points of Force the Pounce inflicted. If the group total from scene 20 wa
s 18 or higher, the cats must inflict a total of 12 points of Force in order to get the door to open. If the group total was 17 or lower, the cats’ aim is a little off and they must inflict 16 points of Force to get the door open. If the cats have previously succeeded in opening either of the van doors, they only have to inflict 8 points of Force to do the same thing again.
Once the door is open, the cats will see a wall of human supplies. Some are in boxes, others are in plastic containers, others are just in big piles. There are drugs, food, bandages, blankets, medical supplies, and any other kind of thing you as Narrator think the humans would have brought with them. However, the cats are incapable of understanding what most of these items are. Describe them in terms the cats would get, referring back to the events earlier in the adventure whenever possible.
If the players want, their cats can explore the inside of the van—perhaps knocking over some supplies or unearthing a useful (or just entertaining) item or two. But if they make too much noise, they will attract the attention of nearby Twolegs. Indeed, if they spend too much time poking around in the van, someone is sure to come by and notice them.
Eventually it should dawn on the cats that if they can partially awaken this monster, then they can certainly do the same thing to the other one—the one that is surrounded by the scents of cats the Twolegs have put inside the monster.
What Happens Next: If the cats take too long or make a ruckus and the humans notice them, continue with 12.
If the cats want to go try the ritual on the other monster, continue with 21.
21. The Hungry Monster
Read Aloud: “Of all the places in the Twoleg camp, the area around this monster is the most intimidating. But many cats are trapped inside. Now that you know how to open the monster, you just have to summon your courage and do it!”