Unless you are going to be the first Narrator in this adventure, stop reading here. The information beginning in the next paragraph is for the Narrator only.
Hello, Narrator! It’s time to begin playing “Fever Dreams.” Make sure all the players have their character sheets, the correct number of chips, a piece of paper, and a pencil. Remember that the point of the game is to have fun, so don’t be afraid to go slow, keep all of the players involved, and refer to the rules if you aren’t sure exactly what should happen next.
When you’re ready, begin with 1 below.
Special Note: This section presumes that the players’ cats come from different Clans. You should modify this section if all the players’ cats are from the same Clan. In that case, only one medicine cat needs to be present, and the fever only needs to affect that Clan.
Read Aloud: “It’s a troubling time for the cats in every Clan. Despite the fact that it is the height of greenleaf, usually a time of good health and full bellies, a mysterious disease has swept through the territories. Cats in every Clan, from the smallest kit to the strongest warrior, have been coming down with a fever that, if not treated quickly, can be deadly. You’ve been called into a meeting with several Clan leaders and medicine cats.“
Narrator Tips: Your job in this scene is to have these Clan leaders and medicine cats tell the characters about how big the fever problem is and to answer the players’ questions. Give the players an idea of what’s going to happen in this adventure—what the goal is, what the stakes are, and what is expected of their cats.
In this meeting are the leaders of two Clans and the medicine cats from the other two. (You can find a list of the current Clan leaders and medicine cats on warriorcats.com.) If the characters ask where the other leaders are, tell them that they are absent because they have come down with the fever and are unable to leave their nests. (If all the cats are from one Clan then this detail is unimportant—everything will focus around that Clan. However, you can still make it so that the Clan leader is one of the cats who is sick.)
The medicine cats are all baffled by the current fever. It is different than greencough—easier to cure, but more deadly if medicine is not given in time. Luckily feverfew, the herb usually used for fevers, works, but so many cats are sick that the Clans are running through their supplies quicker than they can be replenished from local sources.
All of the medicine cats have had the same dream from StarClan—a dream that says if the medicine runs out, many cats will die. The dream also hints at the location of a new supply of feverfew, an untouched patch of the herb that could save the Clans. But the patch is far away, and the medicine cats have to stay with their Clans to treat the sick.
The players’ cats have been chosen because they are young, strong, and haven’t contracted the fever—yet. Their vital mission is to find this new patch, gather as much feverfew as possible, and bring it back quickly. Unfortunately, as dreams from Star-Clan often are, this one was short on specifics. The medicine cats can only repeat StarClan’s words to the characters:
To the north, the Hill That Cries holds what you need… Along a winding face, topped with dozens of eyes, you will find one special pool with a garden of the herb you seek.
The medicine cats have no more information, but will teach the characters how to wrap feverfew in leaves to make it easier to carry back. They stress that this is one of the most important missions in the history of the Clans. If the characters cannot bring back a new supply of medicine within a week, many cats will die. Because of that timeline, the medicine cats are sure that the Hill That Cries must be within three days’ travel from the lake; otherwise, it would be impossible for the cats to go there and return in time.
What Happens Next: When the players understand the situation and their assignment, continue with 2.
Special Note: There is no Read Aloud section in this scene as it involves mostly the Narrator improvising the first part of the journey.
Narrator Tips: At this point, you can either lead the characters through a journey to the Hill That Cries, or you can decide to skip that time and get right into the adventure. Some players will want to spend time on the journey, hunting and figuring out where to go, and other players will not. It’s up to you, as Narrator, to figure out what your players would enjoy most. If they want to take time to go through the journey, use the snippets of information below to build the scene.
The trip takes them along the edge of some Twoleg nests, and the cats may meet up with rogue cats or kittypets on the way. Those cats don’t know of any Hill That Cries, but they can say that the nearby hills do have a lot of small lakes and ponds.
If extra excitement is needed, the cats may be chased by a dog or have to cross a Thunderpath.
The cats may want to do some hunting for fresh-kill along the way. Use the information in Chapter Five of the rules to lead the players through that activity.
When the scene feels complete, the cats have arrived at the Hill That Cries—a thickly wooded hill that has a pair of thin, quickly rushing streams coming down it side by side, making it appear as though the hill is indeed crying.
What Happens Next: There are three ways to head up the hill—follow the rocky shore of the streams, go directly into the woods, or go along a dirt path that was clearly made by Twolegs.
If the cats walk beside the streams, continue with 6.
If the cats go directly into the woods, continue with 7.
If the cats follow the Twoleg path, continue with 8.
This marks the end of the chapter. After the characters have made their decision about which way to go, hand the adventure to the next person who will take the role of Narrator, tell him or her what number to continue with, pick up your cat’s character sheet, and resume playing the game.
Read Aloud: “The cliff is made of very soft rock. Although that means that your claws can grab tight, it also means that the rocks sometimes crumble when you grab them.“
Narrator Tips: Climbing the cliff is practically impossible, but the cats may not figure that out right away, and finding out the hard way can be bad for their health. Make sure the players understand that falling from the cliff may cause their cats to be seriously injured.
Climbing the cliff requires a total of five successful Climb Checks. Each Check will be harder than the previous one. The first Check only requires a total of 4 or higher to succeed, but each Check after that increases in difficulty by +2. So the second Check requires a total of 6, the third Check requires a total of 8, the fourth a total of 10, and the final Check requires a total of 12 or higher to succeed.
You, the Narrator, should stress to the players how difficult the Check will be before their cats decide whether or not to attempt it. They should know how difficult the task will be because failure has a severe penalty.
If a cat fails a Climb Check, he or she has slipped or the rock has crumbled—the cat is falling off the cliff. That cat must immediately make a Jump Check. If the total is equal to or higher than the difficulty of the current Climb Check, the cat is okay. For example, if it was the third Climb Check (which would need a total of 8 to succeed), then the Jump Check must also be 8 or higher in order to succeed. If the Jump Check is too low, the cat will sustain injuries. He or she loses a number of chips equal to the difference between the Jump Check total and the target number. For example, if the cat needed an 8 to succeed but the Check total was only 5, he or she loses 3 chips! (The player may choose which type of chip to lose.)