The point of this scene is to let the cats sneak into the camp and begin exploring. Because this action is so unpredictable, you as Narrator will mostly have to react to what the players want their cats to attempt. Your main job is to give them information about what they see. There are three main areas in the Twoleg camp for the cats to explore (though the cats will not know them by these names).
The Medical Tent: This is the “strange den” the cats saw in scene 7. As they get closer it will seem even stranger. The tent is set up to provide a fairly clean area for the vets to do medical examinations. Any cat who makes a Smell Check with a total of 5 or higher can tell that there are at least six separate cat scents in this area. But anyone whose total is 8 or higher knows that most of those are stale and that only two cats are in there right now.
The Supply Van: This is one of the “sleeping monsters” that the cats saw in scene 7. It is a minivan that the people from the animal shelter have used to carry their supplies to this remote location. The Twolegs are constantly going to the van, opening it, taking out some needed items, and closing it back up. Whenever the van is opened, the cats can catch a number of distinct scents. Any cat that attempts a Smell Check is at first overwhelmed by the mixture, but if the check total is 5 or higher he or she can identify a single specific item. For every two points the total is above that, the cat can identify another specific item (so if the total is 7 the cat can identify two items, if the total is 9 then three items, and so on). The items in the van include: The kind of food that’s used in the traps, medicine, rubbing alcohol and other medical cleaning solutions, and any other items the Narrator thinks the animal shelter people would have brought with them.
The Transport Van: This is the other “sleeping monster” the cats saw in scene 7. It is a minivan that is set up to carry cats. The back of the van has been outfitted with a series of electronically locked cages, each large enough to hold a single cat. The Twolegs’ plan is to bring back as many healthy, adoptable cats as they can, thinking that they are saving these cats from a life of hardship. The Twolegs don’t open this van as frequently as they do the other one, but when they do, the unmistakable scent of live, healthy cats comes out. If the players’ cats want to try to tell how many cats are inside the van, they have to make a Smell Check. If the total is 5 or higher, they know that there are at least eight cats in the van. If the total is 8 or higher, they know that there are exactly ten cats in the van. For every 2 points higher than that, they can pick out the scent of individual cats (so if the total is 10 they can smell one specific cat, if the total is 12 they can smell two, and so on). This may be important because any of the players’ cats that got captured—either in the cages or by clever Twolegs—will be among those inside this van.
What Happens Next: The next step in the adventure depends entirely on where the cats choose to explore.
If the cats decide to explore 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 the Narrator thinks the cats are too bold and make it easy for the Twolegs to notice them, continue with 12.
12. Spotted!
Read Aloud: “With a start, you realize that one of the Twolegs has seen you! It’s heading this way!”
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.
Remember that while the cats see the Twolegs as threats, the Twolegs really just care about the health and well-being of all cats. They will try to be as friendly and calming as they can. They’ll offer food and try to scratch the cats behind the ears and speak in a soothing tone. But the players’ cats will misinterpret these friendly gestures as being aggressive moves.
There isn’t really any more complication to this scene than figuring out if any of the cats get captured by the Twolegs. Any cat that lets the Twolegs get close enough to touch him or her is in danger of being captured. After petting the cat for a few moments, the Twoleg will try to grab him or her. At that point, the cat may make a Jump Check. If the total is 12 or higher, the cat escapes the attempted grab and can act freely. If the total is lower, though, the cat has been captured.
Any cat who eats the offered food immediately loses 5 chips because it has been drugged with sedatives. He or she must make a Spirit Check. If the total of this Check is 9 or lower, the sedatives cause the cat to fall asleep. If the total is 10 or higher, the cat remains awake but is going to be drowsy and will be unable to do much other than talk for at least the next ten minutes.
Like 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.
If the cats stay away from the Twolegs and dash off into the woods or to another part of the camp, the Twolegs will not give chase. They have too much to do and too many cats to treat.
What Happens Next: Not all of these options will be available in each case. The details will depend on where the cats are spotted and what escape routes are possible.
If the cats decide they want to try to fight the Twoleg that is trying to grab them, continue with 18.
If any of the cats are captured, continue with 14.
If the cats escape into 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 area near the Supply Van, continue with 16.
If the cats escape to the area near the Transport Van, continue with 17.
13. Difficult Choices
Read Aloud: “The strange den entrance has collapsed! You’re trapped!”
Narrator Tips: One of the cats is trapped in a Twoleg cage. While the rest of the cats are nearby and can talk to the cat inside, this scene is about what that trapped cat does next.
To be honest, there are very few choices, and none of them are particularly appealing. But sometimes that’s what happens when a cat pokes his or her nose into a dangerous place.
One choice is for the cat to eat the strange-smelling food that has been placed in the cage.
Another choice is to try to push, claw, and squeeze his or her way out through the small gaps in the cage’s construction. This is unlikely to succeed, and very likely to cause the cat some injury. Try to explain this clearly to the player before he or she decides on this course of action. If the player cannot be dissuaded, have the cat attempt a Strength Check to try to muscle his or her way out of the cage.
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.