by Erin Hunter
Once the cats realize this and the players have had a chance to talk about what it might mean, continue below.
Read Aloud: “As you push through the underbrush, suddenly you find yourself stepping into a clearing. A short field of grass leads up to a sheer wall of rock that is nearly as tall as the trees themselves.“
Narrator Tips: The reason this section of the woods has been so flat is that it runs directly up to this cliff. In order to continue to the top, the cats will have to either climb this cliff or go back and try one of the other routes up the hill. If the players ask, tell them that the cliff goes almost straight up and down and that there is not an obvious route or a series of ledges for the cats to use—climbing this cliff will be very difficult and very dangerous.
What Happens Next: If the cats decide to climb the cliff, continue with 3.
If the cats decide to take the route by the river instead, continue with 6.
If the cats decide to take the Twoleg path instead, continue with 8.
8. Sounds and Smells
Read Aloud: “As you’re walking along the dirt path, you notice the odor of the Twoleg monsters. That, in addition to how unnaturally flat, smooth, and uniformly wide the path is, makes you certain that this was made by Twolegs, rather than deer or other large animals. In the distance you can hear strange sounds, similar to but definitely different from those you’ve heard the monsters make along the Thunderpath.“ Narrator Tips: Although you, as the Narrator, should probably not explain the situation in human terms to the players (because their cats would not perceive things in that way), the easiest way for you to understand this scene is to know what the humans are up to.
The path that the cats are climbing is a private dirt road up to a small cabin. The path is bumpy by human standards, but seems unusually smooth to the cats. Right now a group of Twolegs are visiting the cabin, and they brought some small 4-wheel all-terrain vehicles (ATVs). They parked their trucks by the cabin and are spending the day riding the ATVs through the meadows and paths farther up the hill. They’ve also left a dog by the cabin to guard the site and their equipment.
Of course, the cats don’t know (and wouldn’t understand) any of this. But use the knowledge to describe what the cats can see, smell, and hear as they climb the path. The clues will get stronger as the cats progress, and eventually they will have to decide whether they want to continue to follow the Twoleg path or go through the woods (which would lead them toward where the strange sounds are coming from). Of course, alternatively, they could decide to go back down the hill and take one of the other routes, but of all the ways up the hill, this one is the most certain and easy to follow.
What Happens Next: If the cats stay on the Twoleg path, continue with 10.
If the cats cut through the woods toward the strange sounds, continue with 4.
If the cats decide to take the route by the river instead, continue with 6.
If the cats decide to go directly into the deep part of the woods, continue with 7.
9. Cats Can Swim
Read Aloud: “With a splash, you’re tumbling through ice-cold water and being carried down the hill and away from your friends. You’ve got to get out of the water fast!“
Narrator Tips: Any cat that’s in the water must make a Swim Check that totals 5 or higher in order to get control of himself or herself. Then the cat must make a second Swim Check with a total of 4 or higher in order to successfully swim over to the edge of the stream. Finally, the cat must make a Climb Check that totals 3 or higher to get out of the water and back onto the
rocks. Any cat that gets safely out of the water in this manner automatically gains +1 in the Swim Skill, but this can only happen the first time. If the same cat falls in again, he or she gains no additional bonus from getting out.
Every time a cat in the water fails a Skill Check, that cat takes damage from being in the chilly river, and must lose one chip (player’s choice). So being in the water too long makes it even more difficult to get out.
The other cats will probably want to follow along the shore and try to help their friends in the water. This is difficult and dangerous. If they try to follow along the rocks, the cats must make a Focus Check each round. If the total is 3 or lower, that cat slips and falls into the water, too. Alternatively, the cats can jump down from the rocks and follow by the forest’s edge. This is safer, but they can no longer see their friends directly. In that case, they must make a Listen Check with a total of 3 or higher to hear where along the riverbank the swimming cats are.
What Happens Next: If the cats all successfully climb out of the water, continue with 11.
If one or more of the cats are Knocked Out because of damage taken in the river, continue with 12.
10. The Twoleg Nest
Read Aloud: “The path winds back and forth as it goes up the hill. Eventually it leads toward a Twoleg nest, and standing in front are a pair of monsters!“
Narrator Tips: The monsters the cats see are two parked trucks that the Twolegs have used to haul their ATVs up to the cabin. The Twolegs are now out riding the ATVs in the meadow, so the cabin is mostly quiet. However, sleeping in one of the truck beds is a dog who was left here to guard the trucks and other gear.
At first, you should describe the scene as being very quiet. Tell the players that if their cats cross the yard and go behind the Twoleg nest, they should be able to continue up to the top of the hill. Also tell them that the monsters here are completely silent and still. Have the cats cross the yard, and ask them to each make a Smell Check to see if they notice anything odd. (Players may also ask if their cats can try other Checks like See or Listen, and you should certainly let them. However, those Skills will not reveal any further information—the dog is completely hidden from sight and although it’s asleep, it isn’t snoring.)
If the total is 5 or lower, the cats notice that the monsters don’t smell as bad as they do when they’re traveling on the Thunderpath, but they do still smell pretty awful. If the total is 6 or higher, they also notice the scent of a dog coming from on the back of one of the monsters.
If the cats cross the yard without taking any special precautions, there’s a very good chance that the dog will wake up. Flip a coin twice. If it comes up heads on either flip the dog is awake. If the cats are at all noisy while crossing the yard—goofing around or, worse, talking loudly to one another—the dog should automatically wake up.
If the cats try to move stealthily across the yard, have them each make a Sneak Check. Add the totals from all the Checks together to get a group total. If that group total is equal to or higher than the number of cats x4, then they get across safely; otherwise, the dog has woken up. (Do not count the Narrator’s cat in this total, only the cats of the players who are actively participating in the scene.) For example, if there are four cats actively trying to go across the yard, the group total of all their Sneak Checks must be 16 or higher (4 x 4 = 16) or the dog will wake up.
What Happens Next: If the cats get across safely, continue with 5.
If the dog wakes up, continue with 22.
If the cats decide to go into the woods toward where the monster noises are coming from, continue with 4.
If the cats decide to take the route by the river instead, continue with 6.
If the cats decide to go directly into the deep part of the woods, continue with 7.
11. At a Safer Distance
Special Note: If the players arrive here because some of the cats fell into the water, explain that their cats have realized this is the only safe way to follow the river. If they would rather follow one of the other paths, continue with the choices at the end of scene 2, but tell them that they’ve lost almost half a day because of this delay.
Read Aloud: “The hill is steep, but traveling by the edge of the woods is much easier than crawling over the river rocks. However, from this vantage point you can no longer see the water.“
Narrator Tips: As the cats go farther up the hill, the terrain g
ets rockier and they have to go around some boulders. It is easy, while doing this, to get turned around and lose track of where the river is. You should describe how the large stones and thick woods mix and overlap to create cliffs and roadblocks and detours that make it difficult to keep a good sense of direction. It’s not even always clear which way is up the hill because of little groves and valleys that form in these remote places.
The group should have one cat take the lead. That cat must make a Ponder Check to see if he or she can correctly follow the path.
What Happens Next: If the Ponder Check total is 6 or lower, the cats are lost. Continue with 14.
If the Ponder Check total is 7 or higher, the cats have successfully followed the river to its source. Continue with 5.
12. Knocked Out!
Special Note: There is no Read Aloud section for this scene. If the cats have ended up here, it is because one or more of them have been Knocked Out or otherwise been so damaged that the group cannot continue.
Narrator Tips: It is up to you, as Narrator, to describe the results that led the cats to this end. If one or more of them get Knocked Out in the river, were their friends able to pull them from the water at the bottom of the hill or were they washed downstream to some unknown fate? If they were beaten in combat, do they manage to stagger back to their Clan camps or are they now wounded rogues in a strange territory? Were they captured by Twolegs and imprisoned in one of their nests?
The details are left up to you. The one thing that will remain true in every case is that the cats did not get the needed herbs, and the fever continues to ravage the warrior Clans. Many cats will die, and while it’s certainly not the characters’ fault, they had the chance to prevent it and they failed.
What Happens Next: The adventure is over for the cats. They acted bravely but, in the end, did not have what it took to overcome the dangers they faced.
Although they can be proud of the bravery they showed, the cats do not get any Experience rewards for this adventure. They can, however, play the adventure again, hopefully using the things they learned to bring about a better conclusion the next time.
13. Slippery When Wet
Read Aloud: “The higher up the hill you go, the bigger the rocks get. And wherever the water splashes on them, they’re covered with some kind of slippery green plant.“
Narrator Tips: Climbing over the rocks is not going to work out
for the characters. It just keeps getting tougher and tougher and eventually they are going to fall into the water. But, as the Narrator, you have to give them a chance to discover that for themselves.
Describe to the players that as they look up the hill, they see the stream turning into a river and the rocks getting bigger and bigger. Also, these bigger rocks are wet almost all the time, so they are completely covered by a thin layer of algae that makes them even harder to climb. Tell the players that the cats can change their minds and walk by the edge of the woods if they prefer.
If the characters want to continue on this route, have all the cats make Climb Checks. If any cat’s total is lower than 2 that cat slips and falls into the water (see below for what to do if that happens). If everyone’s total is 2 or higher, they can continue. Soon, though, they have to make another Check. Tell the players that this looks like it will be more difficult than the last one. Give them a chance to get off the rocks rather than attempt the Climb Check. If they do try to Climb, this time any cat whose total is lower than 3 slips and falls in.
Continue this process, always giving them a chance to opt out voluntarily and with each successive Check being 1 point more difficult than the last. Eventually, the cats will have to give up voluntarily, or some of them will fall into the water.
What Happens Next: If the cats decide to leave the rocks and go over by the edge of the woods, continue with 11.
If any of the cats slip and fall into the water, continue with 9.
14. Where’d the River Go?
Read Aloud: “That doesn’t seem right at all. Shouldn’t the river be where that giant oak tree is?“
Narrator Tips: The cats have gotten lost. This may not panic them terribly since they didn’t really know where they were to begin with, but somehow they’ve got to get their bearings and head up the hill so they can find the pool that has the feverfew.
Let the players suggest ways their cats could find their way out of this predicament. Perhaps they want to listen for the river, or use their innate senses to tell which way is north, or which way is the bottom of the hill they started at. You, as Narrator, have a lot of flexibility to let this scene play out whatever way is most fun for the group. In the end, though, it should require a Skill or Ability Check (whichever one you think is most appropriate), and the total must be equal to or higher than 7 (just as in scene 11). However, in this instance it is possible for the cats to gather their efforts and work as a team.
Whatever Check is being attempted, one cat should perform it. The others can all perform Focus Checks to try to assist in the effort. For every assisting cat that gets a total of 4 or higher on the Focus Check, the cat performing the main Check receives a +1 bonus.
For example: In a group of five cats, one of them has to make a Ponder Check to figure out how to get to the river. The other four may make Focus Checks to assist. If three of these cats get 4 or higher on their Focus Checks, then the first cat will get a +3 bonus to the Ponder Check. If that total is 7 or higher, then the cats have found the river again.
The cats may try these Checks multiple times, but it doesn’t get any easier. If they spend too many of their chips in failed attempts, the cats will end up in a situation where they no longer have any chance of success.
What Happens Next: If the cats succeed at the necessary Skill Check, continue with 5.
If the cats are in a position where there is no chance for them to succeed at the necessary Skill Check, they remain lost and actually move deeper into the woods. They must rest for the night and try again in the morning. As the Narrator, you can play out this scene in as much detail as you like, but be sure to emphasize that this delay could be tragic if they don’t get the feverfew back to their Clans in time. In the morning, the cats get the healing benefits of a night’s sleep (as described in Chapter Five in the game rules). They also get to refresh their chips. They may now continue with 5.
15. A Beautiful Pool
Read Aloud: “You’re getting near the top of the hill and still you haven’t seen any of the ‘eyes’ that the medicine cats told you about. Then, as you push through the brush, you see not one but literally dozens of pools of water. Some are no more than large puddles, while others are whole ponds.“
Narrator Tips: Before they go any farther, tell the players that it is time to refresh their chips. Any chips they have spent can now be returned to their chip pool, though chips lost due to injury remain lost. (See Chapter Five of the rules for details on refreshing your chips.)
Now the cats must decide where to search for the feverfew. Let the players talk about it as much as they like. When they’re ready to make a decision, each cat must make a Ponder Check. Add up all their totals to get a group total. If that number is equal to or greater than the number of cats x5, they have gotten an insight into the problem. (Do not count the Narrator’s cat in this
total, only the cats of the players who are actively participating in the scene.) For example: If there are three cats actively Pondering, the group total of all their Ponder Checks must be 15 or higher (3 x 5 = 15) in order for them to get an insight.
What Happens Next: If the cats have gotten an insight into the problem, continue with 16.
If the cats failed to get an insight, continue with 18.
16. Guardian
Read Aloud: “Beneath the boughs of an elm tree, you see the most serene and beautiful pond yet. Perhaps this will turn out to be the right one.“
Narrator Tips: Something just feels right about this pool, but before the cats can check it out they will have to dea
l with one last challenge. A badger has dug its den in the ground near the pool and it doesn’t like to share the clean, clear water with outsiders. Before the cats approach the water, have them each make a Smell Check. Any cat whose total is 4 or higher catches the scent of an animal in the area. Those same cats (and only the ones who succeeded at the Smell Check) may then attempt a Ponder Check to determine what animal it is. If one of these cats has the Animal Lore Knack, this would be a perfect time to use it. If the Ponder Check total is 6 or higher, the cat recognizes the scent as that of a badger. If the total is 7 or higher, the cat remembers the following information about badgers.
Badgers—Badgers are smart, tough animals. They are very protective of their territory, especially their dens. They don’t like fighting, but once a fight is started a badger will not quit until it or its enemy is dead. If you happen upon a badger, do not act in an aggressive way. Stand your ground and try to show the badger that you are not an enemy, but you’re also not afraid of it. If it senses fear or danger from you, the badger will attack.
A cat with this insight knows that the best thing to do if a badger comes out is for a single cat to take the lead. That cat should stand facing the badger and perform an Arch Check, but, and this is very important, none of the cats should appear angry or Hiss at the badger. If the Arch Check conveys enough confidence and calmness, the badger will let the cats pass.
Read Aloud: “With a wuffling snort, a badger waddles out of the burrow. A squat beast with bristly fur, small eyes, and a large, sensitive nose, the most prominent feature on the badger are its long, deadly, sharp claws.“
Narrator Tips: Let the players discuss what to do—don’t rush them. Let any cat who does not have the Animal Lore Knack now attempt a Ponder Check. If the total is 7 or higher, the cat remembers the badger information listed above. The cat also knows that it’s possible for the rest of the cats to help the one taking the lead. All the remaining cats can make Focus Checks. For each cat whose total is 5 or higher, the lead cat will get a +1 bonus to his or her Arch Check.