Night Whispers

If the cats want to catch the larger rabbit, they must first stalk it. What’s more, they must do so without any of the rabbits in the field becoming aware of their presence. To do this, all the cats who are participating in the hunt must make Sneak Checks. The only result you, as Narrator, are concerned with, though, is the lowest total in the bunch—if one cat is clumsy, it will ruin the hunt for everyone.

If the lowest Sneak Check total is 7 or lower, the large rabbit senses the cats’ approach and flees before they can Pounce.

If the lowest total is between 8 and 12, the large rabbit is unaware of the cats, but the smaller rabbits catch wind of them and flee. This warns the larger rabbit, who starts to flee before most of the cats are in position, but the group may select one of the cats to try to Pounce on it before it escapes.

If the lowest total is 13 or higher, all the cats get in position around the larger rabbit, and they can Pounce on it together.

The large rabbit has a Jump score of 8. In order to take it down, the cats must do 3 chips worth of damage to it; otherwise, it will escape before the cats can Pounce again.

If the cats succeed in catching a rabbit, they get to have a quick meal before going back on the fox’s trail. If the cats caught the large rabbit, they can Refresh all of their spent chips. If they caught one or more of the smaller rabbits, each cat can Refresh one chip (and only one) from those that have been spent so far.

What Happens Next: If the cats decide that this was a bad idea after all and want to get back on the fox’s trail, this is the end of the chapter. Hand the adventure to the next Narrator and tell him or her to continue with 3.

If they tried to catch a rabbit, whether or not they were successful, continue with 9.

8. Fox Fight

Read Aloud: “The fox looks at you, her eyes cold and vicious. If you want to fight, she is more than ready to oblige.”

Narrator Tips: This scene focuses entirely on the fight between the players’ cats and the fox. It uses the rules for fighting found in Chapter Five of the game rules.

Once the cats make it clear that they are going to attack, the fox will stand up and leave its den, nudging the cubs so that they stay put and glaring at the kit so that she does, too. But now the kit is free to call out to the cats. She asks them not to fight but to listen to what she has to say.

If the fight begins, it follows all the usual rules for fighting. The fox has a Jump score of 10, a Pounce score of 7, a Swat score of 10, and a Bite score of 8. The fox has Ability chips just like the players’ cats do, and spends them in the same way. She has 5 Strength chips, 8 Intelligence chips, and 7 Spirit chips. For the purposes of this fight, the fox is treated just the same as a player’s cat except that the Narrator controls all its movements.

The fox will fight until she is knocked out because she is fighting to protect her cubs. However, if the cats want to stop the fight at any time, she will also stop. Fighting is not what she wants to do, but if forced to she will fight to the best of her ability.

What Happens Next: If the cats decide to delay the fight and listen to what the kit has to say, continue with 16.

If two or more of the cats are knocked out during the fight, continue with 13.

If the cats win the fight and they’ve already found and rescued the missing fox cub and WindClan kit, continue with 22.

If the cats win the fight but they haven’t yet found the missing fox cub and WindClan kit, continue with 16.

9. Picking Up The Scent

Read Aloud: “The fox’s scent is still around, but the trail is far from fresh. It has clearly been back and forth over this ground many times in the past few days, and finding the newest trail is even more difficult than before.”

Narrator Tips: Taking a break to hunt has made the cats’ work even harder. They are going to have to work together to find the right trail. Ask the players if they can think of anything the cats can do to improve their chances of finding the right scent. This is an opportunity for the players to get creative. If any of the ideas sound like they really would be helpful, give each player’s cat a +1 bonus on the Check below.

Have each of the cats make a Smell Check (allowing the use of any Knacks that seem appropriate). Then have them add their Skill Check totals together to get a group total.

What Happens Next: If the group total is 20 or lower, continue with 17.

If the group total is 21 or higher, this is the end of the chapter. Hand the adventure to the next Narrator and tell him or her to continue with 3.

10. Up a Tree

Read Aloud: “The scent is getting stronger. The missing cub and kit must be close, but their scents are not on the ground. They’re drifting through the air. That’s very strange, but surely it will all make sense once you find—wait… what’s that new scent?”