The Secrets of Cats

Secrets
Cats
TH
A WORLD OF
ADVENTURE FOR
Richard ellingham
This adventure was made awesome thanks to our Patreon patrons at patreon.com/evilhatthanks guys!
Alan
Alan-Michael
Havens
Alexander Grfe
Alexander R.
Corbett
Amethyst Lynx
Andrew Sier
Anne-Sylvie
Betsch
Antero Garcia
Arlo B Evans
ArthurDent
Bastian
Clarenbach
Ben McKenzie
Brandon Burger
Brett Abbott
Brian Allred
Brian Chase
Bruce
C. J. Hunter
C.K. Lee
Cerity
Charlton Wilbur
Chris Caporaso
Christopher
Christopher
Gunning
Dan
Dan Moody
Daniel Gallant
Aaron
Adam
Gutschenritter
Adam Hesselfeldt
Aidan Grey
Alan Phillips
Alasdair
Alejandro
Alejandro Angel
Alexis Lee
Alistair
Allan Bray
Andrew Dacey
Andrew Grant
Andrew Lloyd
Andrew Loch
Andy Arminio
Angus MacDonald
Anthony Popowski
Antoine Pempie
Ano irmao
Arlene Medder
Arne Baben
hauserheide
Asier Serras
Athalbert
Augustas
Vaitkeviius
Austin Stanley
Aviv
Barac Wiley
Bastien Daugas
Beket
Benjamin Welke
Bill
Bjrn Steffen
Blackdere
Blake Hutchins
Bo Bertelsen
Brad Davies
Brandon Metcalf
Brandon Wiley
Brandt
Brendan Conway
Brent Ritch
Brett Ritter
Brian
Brian Koehler
Brian Kurtz
Brian McDaniel
Brian S. Holt
Bruce
Bruce Harlick
Bryan
Bryan Gillispie
Bryan Hilburn
Bryce
Caleb Figgers
Carl McLaughlin
Carl-William
Palmqvist
Carlos Flores
Carlos Martn
Chad Barber
Charles Chapman
Charles Kirk
Chip Dunning
Chris & Brigid Hirst
Chris Challacombe
Chris Edwards
Chris Heilman
Chris Kurts
Chris Lock
Chris Nolen
Chris Turner
Christian Lajoie
Christoph Thill
Christopher Allen
Christopher
Sigmund
Christopher Smith
Adair
Christopher
Stone-Bush
Christopher W.
Dolunt
Chuck
Cody Marbach
Cole Busse
Colin
Corey Brin
Craig Andera
Craig Mason
Curt Meyer
Cyrano Jones
Dain
Dan Behlings
Dan Hall
Daniel Chapman
Daniel Hagglund
Daniel Linder
Krauklis
David
David Dorward
David Ellis
David L Kinney
David Reed
Donald Wheeler
Dustin
Evermore
Eden Brandeis
Edgardo A
Montes Rosa
Edward
MacGregor
Elsidar
Amhransidhe
Emmanuel
Eneko Zarauz
Frank
Frdri
POCHARD
Gavran
Giuseppe
DAristotile
Graham
Gregory Hirsch
Griffin Mitchell
Haakon
Thunestvedt
Heron Jay
Adkins
Daniel Hernandez
Daniel Kraemer
Daniel Ley
Daniel Markwig
Daniel P. Espinosa
Daniel Roe
Daniel Taylor
Darren Lute
Dave
David
David Bellinger
David Bowers
David
Buswell-Wible
David Gatt
David Goodwin
David Maple
David Millians
David Morrison
David Olson
David Rezak
David Stern
Davide Orlandi
Denis Ryan
Dianne
Didier Bretin
Dillard
Don Arnold
Doug Blakeslee
Douglas
Doyce Testerman
Drago Costache
Drew Shiel
Duncan
Eirch Mascariatu
Eric I
Eric Poulton
Erik Ottosen
Ernie Sawyer
Etienne Olieu
Evan Jorgenson
Fagner Lima
Florent Poulpy
Cadio
Florian Gre
Francisco
Frank Beaver
Frank G. Pitt
Frank Jarome
Frdrick Prigord
INSIDERS
Jack
StephensonCarr
Jacob Moffitt
James F
Thunberg
Jason
Jason Blalock
Jason Cotton
Jason F
Broadley
Jason Tocci
Jean-Christophe
Cubertafon
Jeff Craig
Jeff Xilon
Jere Krischel
Jeremiah
McCoy
Jeremy German
Jeremy Tidwell
Jim
Jin Shei
Johannes K.
Rasmussen
John Beattie
John Rogers
John Rudd
John Wyatt
Jon
Jordan Dennis
Josh Flint
Gabriel Whitehead
Garrett Jones
Gary Anastasio
Gavin
Geoff
Geoffrey
Gian Domenico
Facchini
Glynn Stewart
Gonzalo Dafonte
Garcia
Graham Meinert
Greg Park
Gregg Workman
Gustavo
Campanelli
HFB
Heather
Herman Duyker
Hillary Brannon
Howard M
Thompson
Huston Todd
Ian Charlton
Ian Noble
Ian Stanley
Ibon Presno
Gonzalez
Indi Latrani
Irene Strauss
Ismael
JP
Jack Gulick
Jackson Hsieh
Jaime Robertson
Jake Linford
James Crowell
James Heide
James Husum
James Rouse
James Schultz
James Stuart
Jamie Wheeler
Jan Stals
Janet
Jared Hunt
Jason Bean
Jason Best
Jason Lee Waltman
Jason Lund
Joshua Reubens
Jos Luis
Porfrio
Katie Ramsey
Keith Stanley
Ken
Kenji Ikiryo
Kevin Jiyang Li
Kurt Zdanio
Larry Hollis
Leif Erik Furmyr
Marc Mundet
Mark Miller
Marshall Smith
Marty
Matt Anderson
Matt and Nykki
Boersma
Matthew
Matthew
Broome
Matthew
Dickson
Matthew
Whiteacre
Michael Barrett
Michael
Bowman
Michael
Cambata
Michael Riabov
Michael Shea
ADVENTURERS
Jason Mill
Jason Pasch
Javier
Jayna Pavlin
Jeff Tilotson
Jeffrey Boman
Jeffrey Collyer
Jens
Jeremy Glick
Jeremy Hamaker
Jeremy Kear
Jeremy Wong
Jesse
Jesse E. Hamer
Joanna
Joe
Joe Patterson
Joel Beebe
John
John Bogart
John Buczek
John Clayton
John Fiala
John Hildebrand
John Lambert
John Petritis
John Portley
John Taber
John Tobin
John William
McDonald
Johnathan Wright
Jon Rosebaugh
Jon Smejkal
Jon-Pierre
Jonas Richter
Jonathan
Jonathan Finke
Jonathan Hobbs
Jonathan Lee
Jonathan Rose
Jonathan Young
Joonas Iivonen
Jose A.
Jose Espinoza
Joseph Formoso
Joshua
Joshua Ramsey
Juan Francisco
Gutierrez
Juanma
Barranquero
Julianna Backer
Julien Delabre
Justin
Justin Thomason
Jrgen Rudolph
Kaarchin
Kalle Saarela
Karl Naylor
Kean Stuart
Kenny Snow
Kenny the
Cabbage
Kent Snyen
Kevin Flynn
Kevin Harrison
Kevin Lindgren
Kevin McDermott
Kevin Payne
Kevin Veale
Kieren Martin
Krista
Kurtis Peterson
LarrxX NGham
Les Simpson
Lester Ward
Lindsey Wilson
Link Hughes
Lisa Hartjes
Lobo
Loren Norman
Louie Perez
Lowell Francis
Luca Agosto
Lucas Bell
Lukar
M Kenny
M. Alan Thomas II
M.H.
Manfred
Marc
Marcel Lotz
Marcel Wittram
Marcus
Mario Dongu
Mark
Mark A. Schmidt
Mark Diaz Truman
Mark Gedak
Mark Harris
Mark Widner
Markus Haberstock
Markus Schoenlau
Markus Widmer
Martin Deppe
Mason
Mathias Exner
Matthew Cody
Matthew Gushta
Matthew Miller
Matthew Whalley
Matti Rintala
Maurice Strubel
Max Kaehn
Mel White
Michael
Michael D.
Blanchard
Michael Hill
Michael Hopcroft
Michael McCully
Michael Thompson
Mighty Meep
Mike Esmailzadeh
Mike de Jong
Mitchell Smallman
NPC CAST
Naomi McArthur
Nathan Barnes
Nathan Reed
Neal Dalton
Nessalantha
Nicholas Pilon
Nicholas Sokeland
Nick
Nick Townsend
Olav Mller
Oliver Scholes
Owen Duffy
Owen Thompson
PK
Pablo Palacios
Paolo Castelli
Paolo Cecchetto
Patrice Hd
Patrice Mermoud
Patrick Gamblin
Paul Arezina
Paul Baldowski
Misdirected
Mark
Productions
Morgan Ellis
Nick Bate
Nick Reale
Nicola Urbinati
Nicolas
Marjanovic
Osye Pritchett
Pablo Martnez
Merino
Patrick Ewing
Patrick
Mueller-Best
Paul Shawley
Paulo Rafael
Guariglia
Escanhoela
Pavel Zhukov
Peter Burczyk
Peter Gates
Peter Hatch
Philip Nicholls
Rafael Meyer
Randy Oest
Richard
Bellingham
Rick
Rick Jakins
Rob Kirchner
Robert Hanz
Paul Olson
Paul Stefko
Paul Tayloe
Paul Yurgin
Pavel Panchekha
Pete
Pete Figtree
Peter Griffith
Peter Kahle
Peter Woodworth
Phil Groff
Philip Harboe
Larsen
Philipp Ptz
Philippe Marichal
Philippe Saner
Phillip Webb
Piers Beckley
Porter Williams
R. Brian Scott
Rachael Hixon
Ralf Wagner
Raun Sedlock
Raymond Toghill
Reynaldo
Ricardo Gesuatto
Rich Palij
Richard Greene
Richard Lock
Richard Warren
Rishi Agrawal
Rob Voss
Robb Neumann
Robert Biskin
Robert Daines
Robert Huss
Robert Rees
Robert Zasso
Roger Carbol
Roland
Ron
Ron Mller
RoninKelt
Ross Hellwig
Roy
Roy LaValley
Russell Hoyle
Ryan Burpee
Ryan D. Kruse
Ryan Lee
Robert Kemp
Rod Meek
Roger Edge
Ryan
Ryan Singer
Sanchit
Sarah Vakos
Scott Hamilton
Sean
Sean ODell
Sean Smith
Selene ORourke
Shane Russom
Sharif Abed
Shervyn von
Hoerl
Tim L Nutting
Timothy Carroll
Troy Ray
Ulf Bengtsson
William Huggins
William J. White
William Lee
William McDuff
Woodrow Jarvis
Hill
Zach
Ryan Macklin
Ryan Olson
Ryven Cedrylle
Samuel
Samuel Phinizy
Samuel
Steinbock-Pratt
Sarah Williams
Sarn
Schubacca
Scot Ryder
Scott Acker
Scott Dexter
Scott Greenleaf
Scott Krok
Scott Martin
Scott Puckett
Scott Thede
Scott Vondrasek
Scott Wachter
Sean M. Dunstan
Sean Smith
Sergio Le Roux
Seth Clayton
Seth Hartley
Sen Harnett
Simon Browne
Simon Brunning
Simon White
Simon Withers
Sion Rodriguez y
Gibson
Stacey Chancellor
Stan Shinn
Stefan Feltmann
Stephan A. Terre
Stephanie Bryant
Stephen Caffrey
Stephen Holder
Stephen Hood
Stephen Rider
Stephen Waugh
Steve Ela
Steve Gilman
Steve Kunec
Steve Radabaugh
Steven Code
Steven D Warble
Steven K. Watkins
Steven Maloney
Steven Whitelock
Steven sims
Svend Andersen
Sawomir Wrzesie
Teresa Oswald
Tevel Drinkwater
The Roach
Thom
Thomas
Thomas Balls-Thies
Thomas Maund
Tim
Timo
Timothy Seiger
Todd Estabrook
Todd Grotenhuis
Torolf de Merriba
Trevor Crosse
Trevor Stark
Tyler Hunt
Tyson Monagle
Udo Femi
Urs Blumentritt
Victor Allen
Vincent Arebalo
Vladimir Filipovi
Warren P Nelson
Wayne Peacock
Whitt
William Carroll
William Chambers
William Johnson
William Keller
Winston
Crutchfield
WinterKnight
Yong
Zeb Walker
Zed Lopez
Zonk PJ Demonio
Sonriente
THE
SECRETS
OF CATS
A WORLD OF
ADVENTURE FOR
writing & adventure

design by
RICHARD
BELLINGHAM
development by
LEONARD BALSERA
and ROB DONOGHUE
editing by
JOSHUA YEARSLEY
art direction & layout by
FRED HICKS
interior & cover

artwork by
CRYSTAL FRASIER
An Evil Hat Productions Publication

www.evilhat.com feedback@evilhat.com
@EvilHatOfficial on Twitter
facebook.com/EvilHatProductions
The Secrets of Cats
EHP0008 Softcover ISBN 978-1-61317-091-5
Copyright 2014 Evil Hat Productions, LLC and Richard Bellingham.
All rights reserved.
First published in 2014 by Evil Hat Productions, LLC.
10125 Colesville Rd #318, Silver Spring, MD 20901.
Evil Hat Productions and the Evil Hat and Fate logos are
trademarks owned by Evil Hat Productions, LLC. All rights reserved.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a
retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means,
electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise,
without the prior express permission of the publisher.
That said, if youre doing it for personal use, knock yourself out.
Thats not only allowed, we encourage you to do it.
For those working at a copy shop and not at all sure if this means
the person standing at your counter can make copies of this thing, they can.
This is express permission. Carry on.
This is a game where people make up stories about wonderful, terrible,
impossible, glorious things. All the characters and events portrayed in this
work are fictional. Any resemblance to real people, haunting spirits, vermin, or
magical talking shapeshifting cats is purely coincidental, but kinda hilarious.
CONTENTS
Acknowledgements.....................................................................................2
Using This Supplement...............................................................................2
Part I: The Duty of Cats: Introduction............................................ 3
The Hidden World........................................................................................3
Sapient Animals............................................................................................ 4
The Duty of Cats.......................................................................................... 4
The Parliament of Cats.............................................................................. 4
What Cats Do.................................................................................................5
Feline Magic....................................................................................................7
Part II: The Naming of Cats: Character Creation.......................... 8
Quick Reference ...........................................................................................8
On Being a Cat...............................................................................................9
Aspects...........................................................................................................10
Skills ................................................................................................................ 12
Magic Skills.................................................................................................... 13
Normal Stunts............................................................................................. 26
Part III: Silver Ford..........................................................................30
Issues in Silver Ford................................................................................... 31
Places & Faces............................................................................................. 31
Part IV: Black Silver......................................................................... 32
Adventure Overview................................................................................. 32
The Beginning............................................................................................. 33
Questioning or Following the Rats..................................................... 33
Investigating the Dark Place.................................................................. 35
The Next Morning................................................................................... 35
Next Steps.................................................................................................... 39
Hieronymous Price................................................................................... 39
Local History................................................................................................ 39
Dealing with the Burning Ghost........................................................... 42
Stopping the Rat King............................................................................. 42
Part V: Complications and Threats...............................................45
Complications.............................................................................................45
Threats ..........................................................................................................46
Inspirations & Related Media.........................................................49
Random Tables for Random Cats..................................................50
True Name Generator...............................................................................50
Burden Generator....................................................................................... 51
Cat Stunt Generator.................................................................................. 52
Acknowledgements
Thanks go to my good friend and alpha reader Jon Peacock, to my playtesters

Rodrigo, Peter, Laurie, and Blake, and to Fred, Rob, Sean, Lenny, and all the
Evil Hat crew for giving me this opportunity. Thanks also to the members of the
Google+ Fate Core Community who gave valuable feedback on early drafts of
this project, including Jack Stephenson-Carr, who suggested the Wardens Cat
Walk power, as well as Jon Smejkal and Hans Messersmith for their feedback on
the Seekers Prognostication power.
And last but not least, thanks to my wonderful partner Blake for his patience
in putting up with me talking about this thing constantly for the last few months.
Using This Supplement
In The Secrets of Cats youll play magical cats whose duty is to protect their poor,
vulnerable humanswhom they call Burdensfrom the many threats that
lurk in the night.
Part I focuses on the duty of cats and the world they inhabit, while Part II
gives you everything you need to create and play an empowered feline. Part III
describes an old mining town called Silver Ford and Part IV outlines a story
set there called Black Silver. When kids exploring the old silver mine one
Halloween unleash a terrible evil upon the town, can your cats save the day?
Finally, Part V suggests complications and threats for your cats to deal with in
Silver Ford or your own corner of the world.
FATE: WORLDS OF ADVENTURE
PART I: THE DUTY OF CATS: INTRODUCTION

Settle down now, Jezzabella says, peering down at you from her lofty perch. Chastened,
you try to sit still and ignore the bug youd been hunting. She nods slightly and then
looks from kitten to kitten, each of them quieting as swiftly as you did under her
searchlight gaze. Silence falls and she draws out the moment, her tail switching lazily
back and forth as she inspects you. You crane your neck to see her and try not to fidget.
Im here to speak with you today about every cats sacred duty, she says at last, her
voice a soft, husky purr. A duty to the Burdens in our lives.
They seem big and powerful, dont they? They make and control clever machines.
They tame dogs and other dangerous animals. But the truth is that humans, without
our help, are as helpless as suckling kittens.
It is our duty to protect them from things they dont understand, things they dont
believe exist; evil things that come for them in the night. Things that will hurt them
if we fail.
You will never be thanked, because your Burdens can never know what you do for
them. But you and your magic will save them, time after time.
Jezzabella pauses, looking down at each of you as you sit taller, practically glowing
with purpose.
At last she narrows her eyes in satisfaction and nods. If youre sitting comfortably,
then Ill begin.
The Hidden World
We occupy a different world from our Burdens, a world filled with sapient animals and all manner of spirits, creatures, and monsters. Not everything in this
hidden world is hostile, but its difficult to tell a harmless pixie from a needletoothed monster with a taste for human nosesand its better to be safe than
sorry.
Most human myths contain a grain of truth. There really is a faerie realm that
touches ours in the wild places, and horned hermits sometime emerge from the
woods to snatch up careless campers. Ghosts of people and sapient animals exist,
as do malevolent spirits that inspire stories about demons. Whatever you can
imagine, its out there, somewhere.
But we must also look closer to home; the most insidious evil of all is a rogue
cat willing to sacrifice sapient animalsincluding other catsin their quest for
ultimate power.
THE SECRETS OF CATS
Sapient Animals
A sapient animal is one capable of true thought, not driven by mere instinct. The
capacity for sapience varies by species: cats, crows, and ravens are almost always
gifted, while dogs, squirrels, and mice rarely are. All sapient animals can speak
with one another, andthough we often clashmany of us also have allies of
other species. Such relationships are usually based on mutual self-interest rather
than friendship, but there are exceptions. Ungifted animals greatly respect sapient members of their species and often obey them without hesitation.
The Duty of Cats
The world is not as simple ashumans pretend. They like to believe in the illusions of cause and effect, action and reaction, but the reality they acknowledge is
only a fraction of all that is. Some people, especially children, leave their minds
open to the possibility of the supernatural and thus see the monsters hiding in
the darkness.
We cats know better, tooa fortunate truth for our Burdens. While humans
scurry about their workaday lives, we nap in the sunlight and wait for night to
fall. Then we stand vigil while they sleep, ready to protect them with tooth and
claw and a legacy of ancient magic.
Your duty is to protect your Burdens from the dark forces that would do them
harm. Fortunately, you wont have to do it alone.
The Parliament of Cats
As brave and magical as you are, many threats we face are far more powerful. To
vanquish such horrors we must work together, but we cats are territorial and difficult to organize. Thus we have our Parliament of Cats, a democratic council of
the regions felines. Each Parliament meets at least monthly to discuss important
matters and to deal with disciplinary issues and disputes among its members.
If youre going to play The Secrets of Cats as a campaign, rather than
just the adventure weve provided, youll need current and impending
issues. Heres our suggestion:
Current Issue: Literally Herding Cats. Cats try hard to work together,
but doing so is very much against their nature.
Impending Issue: Enemies in Concert. The cats greatest advantage
is that their foes dont work together. If their adversaries formed allegiances, the cats would have quite a threat to fight against.
Of course, you dont have to use these.
What Cats Do
We dedicate ourselves to protecting our Burdens, but thats not all we do. Theres
plenty to occupy the rest of our time.
Territorial Matters: To a cat every place falls into one of three categories: my territory, something elses territory, or not my territory yetand the lines between
the last two are often blurry. Very rarely will we designate a neutral ground,
where those living in the area agree not to take it as our own territoryfor now.
Despite the importance of our sacred duty, most of us spend much of our time
jealously guarding our territory, fighting rival cats and other sapient animals in
border disputes. We do this because winning and keeping large swaths of territory earns serious respect from other animals and makes it easier to find what
we need.
For more
on territory,
see the
Territory
skill on
page12.
Forewarned Is Forearmed: We must anticipate dangers and prepare to deal

with them if and when they materialize. It is important to regularly consult
with Seekers who can foretell the future, and we must confer often with other
members of the Parliament and local sapient animals to keep abreast of impending issues. We also organize regular patrols of trouble spots, like the Blue Moon
Woods here in Silver Ford. Every cat is responsible for keeping our land safe;
each of us takes a turn on patrol while our own territory is watched by allies.
Training and Education: Kittens have to learn the techniques and duties of
cats at some point. Ideally your parents would have taught you, but most cats
are taken soon after birth and sent to homes far away. It therefore falls to experienced cats to train our juniors in small, manageable groups.
Mundane Threats: Many threats dont pose any danger to our Burdens, but
do to us. Nasty children with strings of firecrackers, vicious dogs, overzealous
animal catchers: these are just a few examples. They must be handled if our
community is to thrive. One of the most dangerous missions we undertake is
the animal shelter run, a desperate effort to free our brothers and sisters from
captivity and potential death. Burglars, murderers, and arsonists threaten our
Burdens, of course, so we must protect them from these threats as well as the
more esoteric ones.
HOW BIG IS A REGION?
The region over which your Parliament presides can vary a lot. The entire
town of Silver Ford is managed by just one Parliament, but in New York
City each Parliament only handles a region a few blocks wide. Cats have
no reliable means of communicating across great distances, especially
in urban areas where busy roads and other obstacles make it impractical
for messengers to travel widely.
THE SECRETS OF CATS
Feline Politics: A Parliament of Cats is, as the name implies, a political organization. The leader of each Parliament can heavily influence the groups overall
strategy, but its still a democracy more or less. Every cat has an opinion on
how things ought to be done, and those cats most involved in the Parliament
spend much time lobbying other members and maneuvering for power to make
their opinions count more than others.
Legal matters are also of great importance, as each Parliament arbitrates disputes between its members and disciplines cats who break the rules.
Each Parliament has its own bylaws, but common to all is the First Rule:
Dont let the humans find out what we can do.
Our ancestors were revered as gods in ancient Egypt, and the word feline is
related to the Latin word for lucky, but in medieval times we were viewed as
symbols of evil or vanity and thousands of us were burned alive.
Were not taking any chances.
COMMON PARLIAMENTARY RULES
Your Parliament may have different rules, but these ones are common:
Dont spy on each other from the astral plane
Dont maim or kill another member of the Parliament except in
self-defense
Never sacrifice a sapient being to power your magic
Feline Magic
Human magicians use the principle of sympathy to cast spells on a subject

through a picture or effigy. Similarly, feline magic uses the link between somethings name and the thing itself. Knowing the True Name of your target will
make your magic easier to perform and more powerful.
Discovering the True Names of our enemies is a critical part of our work. This
is an easy task for most humans because their True Names are the same as their
given names. Theyre careless and often speak their full names aloud or leave
them lying around on pieces of paper for those of us with Seeking to find.
Sapient animals and supernatural creatures are much more cautious with their
True Namesfinding them out can be arduous indeed. Even spirits that were
once human learn to adopt new names or titles. You might find their True Names
written on tombstones or old papers. Otherwise, you may have to befriend the
target, trick them, eavesdrop on them, or interrogate them or their allies.
Our most potent magics must be fueled by blood sacrifice. To lengthen and
empower our spells, we will kill a small animal like a bird, mouse, frog, or rat
and pour its life force into our spells. Of course, no decent feline would sacrifice
a sapient animal.
There are four schools of magic. Each of us can only ever master one school
and unlock its most powerful abilities, but experienced cats usually have some
ability with all four.
Warding is the school of protection and defense. A master of the art is
accorded the title of Warden.
For more,
see Magic
Skills on
page13.
Naming is the school of manipulation and control. A master of this school

is known as a Namer.
Shaping is the school of self-transformation, and a master is called a Shaper.
Seeking is the school of seers and oracles. A master is known as a Seeker.
THE SECRETS OF CATS
PART II: THE NAMING OF CATS:

CHARACTER CREATION
Quick Reference
Creating a cat in The Secrets of Cats is very similar to creating a character in the
Fate Core System:
Refresh: 3up to two points can be spent on additional magic or
normal stunts.
Aspects: High Concept, Trouble, Burdens, True Name, Free Aspect.
Skills: One Great (+4), two Good (+3), three Fair (+2), four Average(+1).
The skill options are Athletics, Burglary, Deceive, Empathy, Fight,
Investigate, Lore, Notice, Physique, Provoke, Rapport, Stealth, Territory,
and Will, as well as the magic skills: Warding, Naming, Shaping, and
Seeking.
Magic Stunts: Pick 3. Exclusive stunts require the high concept to contain the relevant title (Warden, Namer, Shaper, Seeker).
Normal Stunts: Pick 3.
Stress: 2 mental boxes, 2 physical boxes. Will and Physique increase
stress as normal.
Consequences: 1 mild, 1 moderate, and 1 severe. Superb Will and
Physique provide extra mild consequences as normal.
On Being a Cat
A lot of the fun in The Secrets of Cats comes from cats being very different protagonists than human beings.
Nature: While the cats in this game are sapient and possessed of great magical
powers, theyre still cats. They are easily distracted by laser pointers or pieces of
string, and their predatory instincts can make it difficult for them to keep prey
alive for interrogation. They arent generally fond of water and tend to poke their
noses into places where they shouldnt. These tendencies are fertile ground for
compels on a cats high concept. Similarly, cats can invoke their high concepts to
be good at things like balancing on a narrow rail or surviving a fall.
Senses: Cats have excellent night vision and can see in color, but struggle to
distinguish between colors near the red end of the spectrum. They cant see if
theres no light at all and cant hold flashlights, so in totally dark environments
they must rely on magic or their other senses. Fortunately, their sense of smell is
more than ten times better than humans, and they have a preternatural ability
to sense air currents, objects, and spaces around them with their whiskers. Cats
hear low-pitched sounds about as well as humans, but they can detect sounds at
much higher pitcheshigher than even dogs can sense.
Literacy: Cats have no written language and generally cant read human languages. They can however leave simple messages for each other such as Stay
away! or Danger here! with scent markings, and can understand similar messages left by other animals.
Naivet: Cats, clever as they are, know a lot about the human world. However,
being outsiders, they are often baffled by the things that humans do or use.
Most cats cant read pictographic signs, so they cant benefit from human books
and histories. Rather than using their own experience, cats often have to piece
together clues to understand human behaviors and tools. GMs, you can describe
clues and events from this outsiders perspective and require Lore or Investigate
rolls for cats to know even relatively basic things about the way humans do
things. As a part of the cats high concept, this is also rich fodder for compels.
Richard describes how the group finds a shoeprint outside the old
mine thats relatively small and has an animal footprint on top of it.
Its obvious to Peter that the impression was made by a kids sneaker
with a decal on the sole, but his cat Swift thinks it must be a small
human being followed by an unknown animal.
THE SECRETS OF CATS
Aspects
Cats have the following aspects:
High Concept
As for humans, this aspect describes who you are and what you do. Specializing
in one of the schools of magic means that you must add the relevant title
Warden, Namer, Shaper, or Seeker (page13).
Tacks high concept is Greedy Seeker.
Trouble
Your trouble causes drama in your life. You might be curious to a fault, badtempered, or a sucker for flattery. Perhaps your Burdens wont let you leave the
house, youre haunted by an old enemy, or you live with a mean dog. Or maybe
theres a fear or habit that you struggle to overcome.
Jezzabellas trouble is Youth Is Wasted on the Young, representing
her impatience with the young cats she works with. This often leads
her to do things herself that she really ought to delegate to younger
felines.
Burdens
This aspect details the Burdens in your life. In less cat-centric terms, Burdens are
the people your cat is dedicated to protecting, whether an entire neighborhood
or a single homeless person. If youre a stray, pick a person or people whom
you sometimes visit and think are worthy of protection. Describe them in an
interesting way that suggests invokes or compelscats call people Burdens for
a reason! While you might accumulate more Burdens throughout your life, you
begin with a Burden of one person or group of people.
Jezzabellas Burden is Witchy Widow Haggerty, a frail old lady who
the local children think is a witch. Tacks Burden is Everyone on My
Street because he lives from house to house and considers all of the
streets residents to be under his protection.
10
True Name
You learned your True Name in a dream soon after you became an adult. You
earned your True Name from your actionsit might be Brave Warrior or
Silent Hunterand its part of your core identity. To share your True Name is
a sign of great trust and respect, because someone who knows it has enormous
power over you.
Your True Name might relate to an adventure shared with another PC during
early adulthood. If youre struggling to come up with a True Name, discuss your
characters history and coming of age with the other players.
Rod is struggling to come up with a True Name for his Warden, Black
Paw, so he discusses his characters early life with the group. He
describes that Black Paw was forced to sacrifice his brothers life in
order to save his Burden. Black Paw upheld his duty over his own siblings life, so Rod chooses a True Name of Oath-Keeper.
A CAT HAS THREE NAMES

Your True Name is your third and final name, but you have two others.
First is your everyday name, chosen by the humans in your life. Youre
unlikely to answer to this name, and youll probably be gravely offended
if its used by anyone who should know better.
Your kitten name was a physical characteristic or personality trait, like
Clumsy or Brown Ear. On the day you became an adult, you shed that
name and replaced it with your own chosen name, though you may have
decided to keep your kitten name or a variation of it.
Free Aspect
This aspect can be anything youd like. For example, you could establish a relationship with another PC and invent some shared backstory, but you dont have
to if nothing comes to mind. Write this aspect in the Other Aspects category
of your character sheet.
Swift once protected Black Paws Burden, Lily, while Black Paw was
busy elsewhere. Because of this mutually beneficial relationship, Swift
chooses Ill Scratch Your Back If You Scratch Mine as her free aspect.
THE SECRETS OF CATS
11
Skills
Your cat gets one Great (+4) skill, two Good (+3) skills, three Fair (+2) skills, and
four Average (+1) skills.
Regular Skills: These skills work the same as in Fate Core: Athletics, Burglary,
Deceive, Empathy, Fight, Investigate, Lore, Notice, Physique, Provoke, Rapport,
Stealth, and Will.
Contacts and Resources: These skills are replaced by Territory, which reflects
how much space you control. Maintaining a large territory will make other cats
and animals respect you and means you have more resources at your disposal. It
also makes you a target for those who want to expand their own turf.
Want to find an albino squirrel for a rare ritual needed to fend off a hungry
wendigo? Roll Territory to know where you can find one on your land. Want to
find out whats being whispered behind your back? Roll Territory to find a cat
impressed enough with you to spill it. Involved in a pissing contest with another
cat for the deputy leadership of your Parliament of Cats? Roll Territory to create
an advantage related to how big, powerful, and well known you are.
Defeating an animal with Territory in a conflict lets you steal some of his turf.
When this happens, the winner and loser each writes down a situation aspect
that persists until the loser persuades the winner to give his turf back or beats the
winner in a conflict. You cant be saddled with more negative Territory aspects
than the rating of your Territory skill.
Tack defeats a malevolent rabbit called The Lop in a fight and opts
to steal part of his territory. Tack writes down Stole the Area in Back
of The Lops Hutch and The Lop writes down Tack Stole the Area in
Back of My Hutch. These aspects stay in play until The Lop wins his
turf back.
THE FULL SKILL LIST

Athletics
Burglary
Deceive
Empathy
Fight
Investigate
Lore
Naming*
Notice
Physique
Provoke
Rapport
Seeking*
Shaping*
Stealth
* Skills marked with an asterisk are magic

skills, covered on the following pages.
12
Territory
Warding*
Will
Magic Skills
The four magic skills are Warding, Naming, Seeking, and Shaping.
If you try to use a magical skill rated at Mediocre (+0) or below, you must pay
a serious cost (Fate Core System, page 189) regardless of whether you succeed, tie,
or fail. You also cant buy any of its stunts.
If you have a magical skill rated at Average (+1) or above, you can use it to
accomplish the actions listed for that school and may buy any of its stunts not
listed as exclusive.
To buy a schools exclusive stunts, you must master that school. When you
master a magical school, add Warden, Namer, Seeker, or Shaper to your high
concept as appropriate. You can only ever master one school, and your choice
is final. No other magical skill may be higher than the skill you have mastered.
If you dont master a school at character creation, then the most powerful
magic wont be available to you, but youll keep your options open for later. You
can master a school at any milestone, adding its title to your high concept.
You have three points to spend on magical stunts, but you can buy more by
spending points of refresh as normal.
The lists of magical stunts in this chapter are not exhaustive. When designing
new stunts, make them appropriate to the relevant school of magic and be sure
to highlight the importance of sacrifice and True Names. Any magical effect
that involves another target is easier, cheaper, or more powerful if you know the
targets True Name.
GMs, if a stunt requires a sacrifice, talk with the players about whether hunting for the prey needs to be played out. Usually its only warranted if the characters are limited by time or are handicapped. Hunting for prey is a challenge
involving Stealth and Fight with a base time of one sleep.
CAT TIMEKEEPING
The smallest time interval recognized by cats is the
napabout 15 minutes, the length of an average cat
nap. A sleep is about an hour long. Longer periods are
measured in half days, days, weeks, months, and years.
THE SECRETS OF CATS
13
Warding
Practitioners of this school of magic are a bulwark against the forces of evil.
You can use Warding to overcome a ward set up against you

OOvercome:
specifically or cats in general.
an Advantage: By sacrificing a small animal and leaving its corpse
CCreate
as an offering to Death, you raise a powerful magical barrier around a
place. Left untampered, this ward lasts until the sacrificial offering is nothing
but bones, but humans tend to remove them long before that stage. To prevent
interference, you may need to find ingenious hiding places for your offerings.
The corpse must be fresh when you create the wardone sleep old or lessbut
it doesnt have to be complete; you might like to bite the head and front parts off
for a tasty snack before you get to work.
You can ward any place with a defined boundary like a wall, fence, or hedge.
The opposition to creating the ward starts at Average (+1) for an area of up
to two rooms, Fair (+2) for a house or area of similar size, or Great (+4) for
anything up to half a mile in diameter. For each general or specific threat you
want to block with the ward, increase the opposition by one. If you know a foes
True Name, then adding her to the ward wont increase the opposition. A ward
cannot be altered once created; if you wish to defend against new threats, you
must raise a new ward.
Succeeding with style when creating a ward gives you an extra free invoke. For
every two additional shifts, you get another free invoke.
When a magical threat tries to enter a warded area, he will encounter what
seems to be a solid, transparent dome that blocks his progress. A mundane threat
will instead find that luck conspires against her to deny entrylockpicks
break, doors jam, windows refuse to shatter, and so on. If the wards boundary is
intangiblelike the edge of a clearingthen stones trip her, roots entangle her,
branches jab her in the eye, or she simply gets confused and turned around. You
immediately sense any attempt to breach your ward, and you can roll Warding
to actively oppose the intrusion, regardless of where you are. If your ward is
breached, it remains intact and will block the target again if the foe leaves the
warded area and tries to return. You may choose to override the ward and allow
a threat to enter.
You can raise as many wards as you like, but an area can only be protected
by one ward at a time. This is sometimes abused by cat troublemakers who
deliberately over-extend their wards through an entire neighborhood, making it
impossible for fellow felines to create their own wards.
14
Jezzabella wants to create a ward around Witchy Widow Haggertys

home that will keep out rats and one human she knows by sight. The
base opposition to the Warding roll is Fair (+2); adding rats (+1)
and that creepy human guy (+1) as designated threats increases
the opposition to Great (+4). If she knew the humans True Name,
then adding him as a designated threat wouldnt increase the opposition, meaning the final opposition would be Good (+3). Starting
with Average (+1) Warding, she rolls and gets ++++, for a total
of Superb (+5). She succeeds and gets one free invoke on the ward.
Wardens can lead a chorus of cats to improve an existing ward. Each cat in the
chorus must have Warding at Average (+1) or better, but need not be a Warden.
Every cat in the chorus must sing for at least one sleep. If interrupted, you must
begin again from the start. When you finish the song, the ward gains an extra
free invoke per cat in the chorus. Regardless of the wards designated threats, any
cat in the chorus can enter or exit the warded area and can extend this permission to anyone they choose.
AAttack: Warding isnt used to attack.

You can use Warding to defend someone inside your ward
DDefend:
against attacks from a designated threat, even if you arent there. If you
fail, then you become the target of the attack, taking your choice of mental or
physical stress.
THE SECRETS OF CATS
15
Warding Stunts
These stunts do not require a sacrifice.
Invisibility: You whisper your True Name backward to create an inverted ward
around you, making you Invisible until the end of the scene. Roll Warding
against passive opposition from the environment: it might be Superb (+5) if
youre a dark grey cat trying to hide in a bright white corridor, but Average
(+1) if youre in a dark alleyway. If youre a Warden, you can make multiple targets invisible by hiding everyone in a zone (+2 opposition) or by splitting your
shifts among the targets chosen. Success with style grants an extra free invoke
as normal.
Shadow Armor (Exclusive): You gather the surrounding shadows to armor your
body, turning your fur black and your eyes into empty holes touched with faint
glimmers of starlight. Gain Armor equal to your Warding for the rest of the
scene and fill your lowest mental consequence. You can only use this power after
nightfall or in dark places. This power can reduce the physical stress transferred
to you from an active ward or by Absorb, but doesnt protect against attacks
based on fire or light. While in this unnatural form, you can use Fight to attack
spirits and vice versa.
Absorb (Exclusive): You whisper your and an allys True Names to a pebble,
linking you until the next sunrise or sunset. While you touch the pebble, any
stress your ally would take is halved (rounded down), and the remainder you
take as your choice of mental or physical stress. You can drop the pebble at
any time, except when dice are being rolled against your ally. Anyone else who
touches the pebble while this stunt is active shares a Strong Link with you and
your ally (see Seeking on page22). You can only protect one ally with this
stunt at a time.
Cat Walk (Exclusive): By whispering your True Name to the air, you create
wards set against yourself that are shaped in cunning ways. You can manifest
temporary bridges, gantries, or ramps of pure force that let you climb to otherwise inaccessible places. You can use this power to overcome relevant obstacles
or to create advantages related to being in a weird or unexpected position. The
First Rule of the Parliament of Cats means this power mustnt be used in sight of
humans; it has led to some embarrassing incidents for cats seen atop trees with
no way down.
16
Naming
This school of magic lets you exert terrifying and direct control over a foe by
using his True Name. Masters of this art are respected and feared in equal measure because a proficient Namer can do almost anything to a victim whose
True Name she knows. Giving your True Name to a master of Naming is either
incredibly foolhardy, a sign of great trust, or both.
You can use your power over your own True Name to remove
OOvercome:
aspects related to mental domination or caused by hostile applications of
Naming.
an Advantage: You can sacrifice a small animal and whisper a

CCreate
targets name to bless or curse it, wherever it is. Targets can defend themselves with Will or Naming. The aspect created must be specific and lasts until
the next sunrise or sunset. If you dont know the targets True Name, your magic
is weakerthe target gets +2 to defend, and success with style confers no additional benefit. You can only apply one blessing or curse to a given target at a
time. Examples: Blessed with Luck in the Fight Against Black Heart, Cursed
with Severe Nausea.
AAttack: Naming isnt used to attack without a relevant stunt.

You can use your mastery of your own True Name to defend
DDefend:
against Naming used on you.
17
Naming Stunts
Harm: Youre proficient enough with Naming to directly harm an enemy within
one zone of you. Speaking your foes True Name to a small animal in your paws,
you wound the animal to inflict identical but larger injuries on your target. This
is a Naming attack, defended with Will or Naming. Scale does not apply to this
stunt (page20). The small animal wont die unless you inflict a consequence
on your target, and you may limit attacks made with this power to one shift of
stress. You can be disarmed if a compel or an advantage created makes you accidentally kill the animal or let it escape.
DIRECT CONTROL
Animate and Control both let you assume direct control over a
targetan object or being, respectively. Once you assume control
of a target, you can control it from any distance, but you must take
an action to enter or leave direct control. While directly controlling a target, you experience the world from its perspective and
can use their body as if it were your own, using its skills for physical actions and your own for mental actions. This level of control
requires complete concentration and prevents you from using
your own bodyincluding defending yourself or perceiving your
surroundings. You will sense any physical interference, though,
and can return to your body on your turn in the next exchange.
Animate (Exclusive): By sacrificing a small animal and whispering your True

Name to an inanimate objectincluding corpsesyou imbue it with life until
the next sunrise or sunset. The opposition depends on the size of the object,
starting at Average (+1) for insect-sized objects and increasing by two per rung
on the scale ladder (page20). Animated objects can only move as their construction allows: a rope can slither, an action figure can walk around, but an
inflexible statue can only judder on its base. Things you animate will follow
simple instructions, but wont fight. You can also assume direct control of the
object, letting you perform any actions you wish. An animated object has one
Good (+3) skill and one Poor (1) skill. Animated objects can see and hear, even
if they dont have eyes or ears. The animating magic is quite fragile; it can be
destroyed by attacking the animating energy directly from the astral plane or by
attacking the physical object. Animated objects have one stress box. If you succeeded with style while animating the object, it gains a mild consequence. You
can only animate one object at a time, unless you have the Multitasking stunt.
18
Control (Exclusive): This terrifying power lets you enter a mental conflict
with an opponent up to one zone away whose True Name you know. In this
conflict, you roll Naming opposed by your opponents Will. Consequences
inflicted during this conflict can be compelled to represent brief moments of
control. If you take out your victim, you gain complete control over him until
the next sunrise or sunset. When you arent in direct control, the victim behaves
like a shambling zombie that follows simple instructions but wont fight or act
independently. You can only control one victim at a time, unless you have the
Multitasking stunt.
Multitasking (Exclusive): This stunt lets you control up to two beings and two
animated objects at the same time.
THE SECRETS OF CATS
19
Shaping
Those who learn Shaping know that the body can be changed from within. By
whispering your True Name to yourself, you can shape your body to make it
better suited to the task at hand for the rest of the scene. Dabblers in the art can
make minor alterations, but Shapers can effect more dramatic changes.
You can use Shaping to overcome an obstacle for which a
OOvercome:
minor change in your form would be useful. For example, you could try
to escape from being Tied Up by shaping yourself to be more flexible.
an Advantage: Roll Shaping to change your physical form for the

CCreate
rest of the scene. The opposition is Average (+1) for minor changes (like
Razor Claws or A Coat as Black as Night) and higher for more extreme changes
(like Musclebound or Unnaturally Huge Grin). You cant change your size by
more than about a quartermeaning you cant change your place on the scale
ladderor have more than one Shaping advantage active at a time.
AAttack: Shaping isnt used to attack.

As a practitioner of Shaping, you know yourself inside out. You
DDefend:
can use Shaping to defend against attempts to magically change your
body. This includes the Harm power of the Naming school.
Scale Rules
The scale ladder has the following rungs:
Insect < Mouse < Rat < Cat < Dog < Human < Tiger < Horse
When attacking or defending creatures of different scale, apply the following
bonuses:
Size
Attacker
Defender
Larger
Weapon:+2
Armor:+2
Smaller
Attack +1
Defend +1
If youre a cat attacking a mouse, then youre two rungs higher on

the scale ladder. The mouse gets +2 to his defense roll, but you get
+4 to your Weapon rating if you hit him. If the mouse counterattacks,
he gets +2 to his attack roll, but you get +4 to your Armor rating if
he hits you.
20
Shaping Stunts
A Knack for Change: Youre more experienced at changing your physical form.
Each time you purchase this stunt, you can maintain another simultaneous
Shaping aspect.
Change Size (Exclusive): You can use Shaping to radically change your size for
the rest of the scene, letting you move along the scale ladder. The opposition
increases by two per rung along the scale ladder you want to transform.
Swift wants to grow to the size of a tiger. Thats three rungs up the
scale ladder, so the opposition is Fantastic (+6).
Disguise (Exclusive): This stunt lets you change your physical appearance to
exactly match that of any other cat, including coat pattern, scars, and deformities. To adopt a disguise, create an advantage using Shaping with passive opposition based on how well you know the other cat:
Familiarity
Opposition
Youre working from a description

You saw them once at a distance
You met them once
Legendary (+8)
Epic (+7)
Fantastic (+6)
Youve met them a few times
Superb (+5)
You see them around all the time
Great (+4)
You meet with them regularly
Good (+3)
Youre good friends

Theyre right in front of you
Fair (+2)
Average (+1)
If you know the targets True Name, then you automatically succeed with style.
If you succeed at a cost, the details of the disguise are somehow imperfect
modify the disguise aspect to reflect thisbut the disguise is otherwise perfect.
To fool anyone who knows the target, youll still need to roll Deceive.
You can also use this power to create a disguise based on an imaginary cat. In
this case, the opposition is based on how much the disguise looks different from
you, starting at Average (+1) and increasing by one per difference in appearance.
Shadow Form (Exclusive): Whispering your name to the darkness, you transform yourself into a shadow, gaining Shadow Form for the rest of the scene. To
attempt to transform, use Shaping with Fair (+2) opposition. If you fail the roll,
you still become a shadow, but the transformation warps your mind; you gain a
negative aspectlike Cruel Streakfor the rest of the scene. In this form you
can see in total darkness, youre completely invulnerable to physical sources of
harm, and you can attack spirits (with Fight). Because you exist in two dimensions, you can slip through the narrowest crack and travel almost anywhere.
However, you cant travel outside of shadows or darkness, cant attack or interact
with anything physical, and can be hurt by spirits and light. Though youre a
shadow in a shadow, you arent invisible; youre darker than your surroundings,
and your eyes still shine with reflected light. You may, however, invoke Shadow
Form to aid your Stealth rolls.
THE SECRETS OF CATS
21
Seeking
Cats are curious and are always finding trouble. The truth is, if youre skilled in
Seeking, you can find almost anythingso long as you know what youre looking for. Experienced users of this art can find their way into a sleepers dreams,
and Seekers can even leave their physical vessels to journey on the astral plane or
dream of future portents.
Using Seeking, you can become aware of the direction and
OOvercome:
distance of any specific place, object, or being for the rest of the scene.
When you use Seeking to look for a place or object, the passive opposition
depends on how well hidden the target is. If you only have a picture or description of the object, you have a Poor Link, which can be invoked against you. If
youve seen the target, no aspect applies. If you have a piece of it, you have a
Strong Link, which you can invoke.
When you use Seeking to find a being, they actively oppose you with Will or
Seeking. If your target succeeds with style while defending, she realizes someone
is seeking her and will know your direction and distance for the rest of the scene.
If youre working from a description or picture, you have a Poor Link. If youve
seen your target before or know her name, then no aspect applies. If you have
a piece of your target, such as a hair, you have a Strong Link. If you know your
targets True Name, you automatically succeed without a roll.
You can also use Seeking to remove aspects related to being lost or navigating
through a maze-like environment.
If you succeed with style, you also gain a feel for the target itself. This reveals
one of the targets aspects to you and gives you a free invoke on it. You can only
ever gain this benefit once per target.
an Advantage: Seeking lets you find optimal routes when youre
CCreate
chasing prey, trying to escape, or otherwise moving through an environ-
ment. You can create aspects like Shortcut or I know exactly where I am.
You can also create advantages related to finding things you need, as long as
its plausible. For example, in the woods you might create an advantage called
Abandoned Camping Stove.
AAttack: Seeking isnt used to attack.

Defend: You can use Seeking to defend against magical attempts to locate
Dyou
or things youve deliberately hidden as well as attempts to inflict
aspects on you like Lost in the Wilderness.
The Time Ladder

For a full description of time increments, see Fate Core System (page 197). The
relevant time increments for Psychometry (page25) are as follows:
A month g a few months g half a year g a year g a few years g half a decade g a decade
22
Seeking Stunts
Dreamwalking: You attune yourself to a sleeping being by inhaling some of his
breath, letting you visit his dream when you fall asleep yourself. In the dream
you can speak with the dreamer, even if hes human, and you can use your magic
to shape his dreams. You can use this power to transform a nightmare into a
pleasant dream, but you can also nefariously implant a belief or instruction into
the dreamers subconscious. Some cats use this power just to speak and bond
with their human companions and to enjoy the wondrous dreamscapes of their
imagination.
Fighting a nightmare to calm the sleeper is mentally taxing. Resolve it as a
mental conflict of Seeking, opposed by the nightmares intensity. A mild anxiety dream has Average (+1) intensity and no stress boxes, while a guilt-stricken
nightmare of terror and loss has Superb (+5) intensity, three stress boxes, and
three consequences. Losing this conflict can leave you feeling very drained when
you wake; you may even suffer from a new phobia or other psychological problem. If you defeat the nightmare, you can apply a positive aspect to the dreamer
or completely cure a mental consequence related to the root of the bad dream.
You can converse with the dreamer with complete fluency. You can also use
your access to the dreamers subconscious mind to begin a mental conflict. If
you take him out in this conflict, you can dictate a belief that afflicts him until
hes convinced otherwise or you can implant a single instruction he must carry
out during the next day. This is not something that should be trifled with, howevermany a cat has been rendered permanently catatonic after a dream conflict gone wrong.
Because dreams are so malleable, everyone experiencing it can declare story
details without spending fate points. You can shape the dream to create advantages by using Seeking, opposed by the dreamers Will. For example, you might
create the aspect Nightmarish Chase to soften up the target for a Provoke attack.
Be wary of lucid dreamers, however, who can turn the tables by creating their
own advantages.
If you know True Name of a participant in the dream, create a situation aspect
related to the participants name. You can invoke this aspect on any roll made
against her, even if she isnt the dreamer.
Multiple Dreamwalkers can visit the same dream, which may explain that
time you woke under a pile of cats after a night of vivid dreams. Dreamwalkers
can bring other cats with them, but strictly as invisible observers who cant interact with the dreamer or the dream. GMs, if any players arent involved in the
dream scene as Dreamwalkers or observers, ask if they want to play figments of
the dreamers imagination.
THE SECRETS OF CATS
23
Prognostication (Exclusive): You can delve into your own dreams and return
with knowledge of what is yet to be. Once per session, after youve slept, make a
Seeking roll against Average (+1) opposition.
If you fail, you get a single-word aspect hinting at a future event.
If you succeed, you get a single-word aspect hinting at a future event and a
timeframe of several days in which it will happen. You can spend shifts, one at a
time, to reduce the timeframe by one increment (Fate Core System, page 197) or
to add a word to the prophetic aspect, not counting linking words.
If you still have at least three shifts once you stop refining the prophecy, you
succeed with style as normal.
To determine the nature of the prophecy, roll a separate/distinctly colored die:
Result
The prophecy hints at...
Something horrible (Betrayed, Killed).
Something beneficial (Answers, Ally).
A complication (Promise, Doubts).
GMs, if you wish to give players more control over the process, let them
choose the prophecy type before rolling.
You cant seek a second prophecy until the first has come to pass or been
averted.
Nameless naps and decides to get a glimpse of the future. Laurie rolls
Seeking, rated Great (+4), and gets -+++ for a total of Fantastic
(+6), giving him five shifts. To determine the nature of the prophecy,
he rolls and gets -, so itll be about something horrible. Nameless
gets the prophecy Die six to ten days from now. Laurie spends
a shift to narrow the timeframe, so Richard amends the prophecy
to Die seven days from now. Laurie spends another shift to add a
word to the prophecy, hoping to find out who will die. Richard gives
him Tack will die seven days from now. Laurie decides to stop
there. With three shifts remaining, he succeeds with style, gaining a
second free invoke on the prophetic aspect.
Astral Projection (Exclusive): While your body sleeps, you can send your soul
traveling and take an Astral Form. In this form, no ordinary door or wall can
stop you, you can see in complete darkness, and you can fly at great speeds.
However, you cant pass through natural rock, earth, or living things. The astral
realm is home to many anchor-less spirits that will take exception to you entering their domain, but just as many are useful sources of information. If youre
within a few yards of a cat or another psychically aware being, it can see your
ghostly presence with Notice, opposed by your Stealth. You can invoke Astral
Form to help you on this roll. Your spiritual form can be harmed by spirits, creatures in both the astral and physical realms, and other astral travelers.
24
Conflicts in the astral realm look like ordinary battles, but ones fighting
ability is irrelevant compared to sheer force of personality. Astral conflicts are
resolved by rolling Provoke opposed by Will, and all stress suffered is mental.
While you travel in the astral realm, your physical body is completely vulnerable,
but you will sense any physical interference and can return to your body on your
turn in the next exchange.
For details on spirits and anchors, see page46.
Psychometry (Exclusive): All events of emotional significance leave a psychic
residue on the place and objects involved. By whispering your True Name to
the place or object, you create a temporary resonance between your spirit and
the subject of the event. Through this connection, you experience fragmentary
memories of an emotional event in the subjects history. Use this ability with
cautionsome events can take a toll on the mind.
An object or place can hold only one psychic impression; it takes an equally
significant event to overwrite the existing one. A knife used to murder will carry
that residue until its used to kill again.
To read the subject, use Seeking opposed by the time passed since the event,
starting at Fair (+2) for a month or less and increasing by one per rung on
the time ladder. If the object is imprinted with a particularly intense residue
for example, feelings of terror or homicidal ragethen it has an aspect like
Murder Weapon. GMs, when a player begins to use this power on such an
object, tell them that they sense a strong emotion but dont reveal the aspect.
This allows them to invoke the aspect for a fate point to gain an advantage on
their Psychometry roll. If they wish to investigate the object in advance, they can
create an advantage.
Tack the Seeker is trying to read a knife connected to a multiple
murder a few years ago. Thats four rungs above a month on the
time ladder, so the opposition is Fantastic (+6), but he can invoke the
Multiple Murder Weapon aspect if he knows about it.
On a success, you see a fractured vision of the event from the perspective of
the object or place. If you succeed with style, you can also ask one question,
which will be answered clearly. If you succeed at a cost, then you still receive
the vision, but you also take a mental consequence from the psychic feedback.
Tack sees from the perspective of the knife as its repeatedly lifted
and thrust into the victim, giving him a good look. He doesnt see
much of the murderer from this angle, but he can see a mans hand
gripping the knife hilt and a pair of Wellington boots on his feet. If
hed succeeded with style, he could have asked What did the murderer look like? and received an answer.
Viewing an event with very strong emotions inflicts a Great (+4) mental attack
against you, which you can defend against with your Will.
THE SECRETS OF CATS
25
Normal Stunts
You have three points to spend on normal stunts, but you can buy additional
stunts by spending points of refresh. As normal you cant go below one point
of refresh.
You dont need to build stunts related to normal feline abilities, such as having
claws, excellent night vision, always landing on your feet, or being able to walk
along narrow rails. These are either narrative truths or invokes on your characters high concept.
Of course, you can build a stunt based on a cat trait if it is particularly important to your character or so you dont need to invoke an aspect to take advantage
of it.
Some example stunts follow, but you can build your own using the rules from
page 88 of Fate Core System.
General Stunts
Nine Lives: Cats have nine lives, or so the legends say. When you are taken
out of a physical conflict, you can give your opponent a fate point to concede
instead. You dont get any of the fate points youd get for conceding normally.
Im Not Dead Yet: If youre taken out of a continuing conflictor have
concededbut are still physically present, you can spend a fate point to take a
single action. You can use this stunt even if you died, taking a last gasp at life.
You can only use this stunt once per conflict.
Athletics
Leaper: Youre very good at jumping obstacles. +2 to Athletics when leaping
onto or over things.
Death from Above: You can use Athletics instead of Fight when you jump to
attack your foe from above.
Offensive Defense: Carefully positioning yourself, you make your opponents
injure themselves as you dodge away. When you defend with Athletics and succeed with style, you can forgo your boost to deal two stress to your attacker.
Burglary
Cat Burglar: +2 to Burglary to move by rooftops, chimneys, or other high places.
Getaway Cat: You can use Burglary instead of Athletics when youre fleeing
pursuit with ill-gotten gains.
Invisible Pockets: You can carry one or two small items, up to the size of a
chicken egg, without holding them in your mouth. Nobody is quite sure where
you hide them or how you get them back, and you cant make them reappear if
you know anyone is watching.
26
Deceive
Ventriloquist: Youre good at throwing your voice. +2 to Deceive rolls to create
advantages that make others think your voice is coming from a zone adjacent to
your actual location.
Method Actor: No matter how unlikable you usually are, when you adopt a
guise you ooze charisma. You can use Deceive instead of Rapport when you
interact with someone under a false identity in a friendly way.
Lying to Myself: Your psyche is armored in a sheath of lies. Use Deceit rather
than Will to determine your extra mental stress boxes.
Empathy
Psychopomp: You know when someone is ill or dying. +2 to Empathy when
detecting an illness or injury, even if its hidden, and when determining whether
a visible death, injury, or illness is feigned or real.
False Friend: You use your relationship with a target to deceive her. You can
use Empathy instead of Deceive against someone when one of you has an aspect
defining a positive relationship with the other.
I Feel Your Pain: Once per session, you can transfer someones mental consequence to yourself.
Fight
Pounce: Youre an expert at pouncing from concealment. +2 to your Fight roll
when you make your first attack of a conflict from ambush.
Dangerous Moves: Your every movement telegraphs your martial prowess. You
can use Fight instead of Provoke to intimidate.
Scrapper: Youre used to punching above your weight. Once per scene, after
a successful attack against something larger than you on the scale ladder
(page20), you can spend a fate point. If you do, your target must absorb your
attack with a mild or moderate consequence, if it has any remaining.
Investigate
Reconstruction: Unlike most cats, youre great at working out what humans did
and why. If theyve left behind clues, +2 on Investigate rolls.
Ive Already Won: If youve watched an opponent for a few minutes, you can
plan where to strike them most effectively. You can use Investigate instead of
Fight to attack that target in your next conflict with them.
Were a Lot Alike: To put your foe off balance, you point out that the two of
you are very similar. Roll Investigate opposed by their Will. If you succeed, each
of you gains one of the others aspects until the end of the scene, and you get a
free invoke on both. If you succeed with style, gain a second free invoke on one
of those two aspects.
THE SECRETS OF CATS
27
Lore
Literate: Unlike most cats, you can read written text. +2 to Lore when reading
could help.
Ive Seen Your Moves Before: Youre a student of feline movement, considered a
formal expert by other cats. You can use Lore instead of Athletics when defending by moving your body.
Many Lives: Youve lived in the same area through successive reincarnations.
Once per session, without spending a fate point you can declare a story detail
related to your home areas history. For example, Oh, sure theres a hidden shaft
that leads into the old mine. It was blocked up some 85 years ago, but theres
enough of a gap for bats to get through
Notice
Preternatural Awareness: Your sense of the other is particularly strong. +2 on
rolls to notice invisible beings, astral travelers, and other subtle supernatural
weirdness.
Look Before You Leap: Youre an expert at judging distances, gaps, and other
leaping hazards. If you have an aspect related to having appraised an area, you
can use Notice instead of Athletics when jumping.
Skittish: Youre so paranoid and nervous that you react very quickly to any perceived threat. Even if youre ambushed, you always act first in a conflict.
Physique
Iron Constitution: +2 on Physique rolls to resist poisons and diseases.
Not Skin and Bones: Youre better padded than your average mouser. You can
use Physique to defend against Fight attacks.
Size Advantage: If youre attacking something smaller than you on the scale
ladder (page20) and succeed with style, you can reduce your damage by one
to create an advantage like Pinned rather than gaining a boost.
Provoke
Night Terror: Youre a much scarier cat by night than by day. +2 to Provoke rolls
to induce fear at night.
Bravo Cat: You have a reputation in the neighborhood for being a bully. You
can use Provoke rather than Territory to obtain information or favors from other
cats in the region. Any cat you bully this way gains a situation aspect to reflect
resentment.
Caaaaaaaat!: Youre an expert at jumping out and inspiring terror. Once per
session, during a tense scene in which your victim cant see you, use Provoke as
a Weapon:2 mental attack, opposed by Will.
28
Rapport
Top Cat: +2 to Rapport when persuading cats who see you as a leader.
Totally Lovable: Youre so sweet and loveable that its almost impossible to lie
to you. You can roll Rapport instead of Empathy to detect lies, except white lies.
Snazzy Cat: When you create an aspect related to your looks, like Well Groomed,
you get an extra free invoke.
Stealth
Prowl: Your ability to move silently is legendary. +2 to Stealth when hearing is
the most likely sense to give you away.
Stalk: You can use Stealth instead of Fight to launch your first attack during a
conflict, if youve been stalking your prey from concealment.
Surprise!: Once per session, you can reveal your hidden presence in a scene you
werent in. You immediately gain a boost called Surprise!, which only lasts for
one exchange.
Territory
Mysterious: No matter when the crime took place, you werent there! +2 on
Territory rolls to convince other animals to offer false alibis for you.
Its Not What You Know: You never bothered to learn muchyouve got others
for that. You can use Territory instead of Lore to know stuff you heard from
others.
Iron Grip: Youre good at holding on to your turf. You can never have more
than two negative Territory situation aspects, regardless of your Territory rating
(page12).
Will
Insatiable Curiosity: +2 on Will rolls when opposing attempts to persuade or
bully you out of satisfying your curiosity.
Stubborn: Once youve set your mind on something, you wont be swayed. You
can use Will to defend against Rapport.
Iron Will: You gain another mild mental consequence.
THE SECRETS OF CATS
29
PART III: SILVER FORD

Between 1878 and 1892, Maine experienced a silver boom and became home to
more than a dozen small mines. The quality of the ore was overstated, though,
and the lack of local smelters drove expenses too high for mining to become
profitable. Silver Ford was one of several towns that sprang up during the boom
to service the mines.
Nestled on the shore of Lake Murkitt in the heart of breathtaking hill country,
Silver Ford survives today as a tourist destination. Starting on Labor Day the
population of the town begins to swell, until the out-of-towners outnumber the
locals by almost three to one as fall begins.
Silver Ford has more than its fair share of ghost stories. A draw for tourists,
theyve enlivened many a campfire cookout in the hills above the town, but the
residents speak of these stories with caution. Though the town enjoys very little
crime, over the years a few people have gone missing in the woods and mountains, not to be found until the next springif at all.
As a feline living in the town, youre well aware that every ghost story contains
a grain of truth. Your Parliament keeps tabs on the known spirits, but most of
you agree its wise to leave them alone unless they threaten the people of Silver
Ford.
Most of the time, you work to protect your Burdens against other people
or the sometimes-unnatural creatures that venture into the town from the surrounding wilderness. But every now and again, something far more sinister
raises its head.
30
Issues in Silver Ford

Current IssueTourists Are a Blessing and a Curse: While the town survives wholly on tourism, the yearly influx of out-of-towners also brings trouble
of a criminal and, sometimes, supernatural naturefor example, The Red Leaf
Killer. When the leaves start turning red and gold, you know to be extra vigilant
around young humans. Every fall for the last five years, a nearly grown human
has run away from Silver Ford, never to be seen again. Seekers have found the
victims cremated remains buried in seemingly random wilderness spots, but the
killer remains elusive.
Pending IssueAncient Evil Spirits: The town is becoming a magnet for a
variety of disquieting and unquiet spirits, some seemingly waking from generations-long slumbers. Among them might be The Shriveled One, an unnatural
creature who hasnt been seen for years, but used to appear as a walking corpse
with a noose around its neck. Nobody knows what causes it to appear and torment its victimsdriving many of them madbut its murderous hatred of cats
is common knowledge.
Places & Faces
The places and faces for Silver Ford are detailed in Part IVBlack Silver:
The Meeting Place (The Milly Ross Play Park): Neutral ground where the cats
of Silver Ford meet. Its faces are Jezzabella (page36) and Sable (page37).
The Burnt Place (The Old Mining Museum): A burnt-out, boarded-up shell
of a building. Its faces are a very bad cat named Scarlet (page40) and a spirit
named The Burning Ghost who has a talent for local history (page41).
Blue Moon Woods: An ancient wood of oak and pine trees. A popular haunt for
young lovers by day, by night its an eerie borderlands between realms. Its face is
Hieronymous Screech, a wise owl (page38).
The House Across the River (Longmans Covered Bridge): A warped and
twisted bridge across the river from the old mine. Its face is Fuscus, a large
brown bat who guards the bridge against evil (page34).
The Dark Place (The Old Silver Mine): The mine has been boarded up for
decades, and rumor says something evil is trapped inside. No living cat has gone
in there, so nobody knows what its like inside or what the rumored evil might
befor now (page43).
THE SECRETS OF CATS
31
PART IV: BLACK SILVER

Its the day after Halloween, and something evil is stirring in Silver Ford. Can
our feline heroes put an end to the menace before townsfolk start disappearing?
Adventure Overview
During the height of the silver boom, a man called Ezekiel Morton killed his
three partners, stealing the silver nuggets they were keeping as proof of a new
claim. He was caught by the friends and family of his victims, who sealed him
up in a mineshaft with his ill-begotten silver and left him to starve to death.
There his spirit has rested ever since.
Last night, four kids tore through the boarded-up entrance to the mine and
went down the shaft. Breaking through a crumbling wall, they found Mortons
rat-gnawed skeleton clutching the four nuggets. This was unbelievably cool, so
they each took a nugget as a souvenir. This woke Mortons spirit from its slumber, angered by their theft of his silver. The ghost possessed a horde of large
and cannibalistic albino rats living in the mine, forming a Rat King to hold its
consciousness and magnify its powers.
Now it sends its rat minions into the town on a mission: find the nuggets and
take revenge on the thieves and his murderers descendants. Each of the players
Burdens is one of these potential victims.
32
The Beginning
Yesterday our heroes were dealing with strange, unpleasant beasts that took
advantage of the shallow border between worlds to cross over and pursue their
malevolent agendas. To break the ice and get the players thinking in character,
spend a few minutes discussing the threat each dealt with last night.
Blake decides Tack was dealing with the obligatory pumpkin-headed
man, while Peter says Swift was ridding the town of a living flame.
Taking a different tack, Rod says that Black Paw was guarding his
little girl, Lily, from creepy guys while she was trick-or-treating.
At around 11 pm, one gigantic albino rat with a hunched back and tiny vestigial eyes comes scurrying into each players neighborhood. If not intercepted,
the rats get into the PCs homes and start to poke their noses into everything,
making a hell of a mess and freaking out anyone who sees them.
They mutter to themselves about the shinies, and search through laundry,
under carpets, and so forth until theyre interrupted.
If attacked theyll put up token resistance and then fleefor now.
Albino Giant Rat
Other Aspects: Nearly Blind, Big and Strong

Skills

Great (+4): Fight

Fair (+2): Athletics, Investigate

Poor (1): Notice
Stress

Mental: 2 no consequences

Physical: 2 no consequences
Notes
These animals are cat-sized. Theyre barely sapient on
their own, but they become smarter as they gather.
Questioning or Following the Rats
If the PCs capture a rat, they can interrogate it. Unfortunately, it isnt too bright.
Its looking for the shinies, which it needs to return to the master in the
deep place. After a while, it will stop talking and revert to behaving like an
unintelligent animal.
If the PCs follow the rats and get noticed, the rats will turn and fight. If
the PCs remain undetectedwhich is easy if they follow from a distance using
Seekingthey can follow the rats as far as the House Across the River, where
Fuscus and the bats let the huge rats pass unchallenged. This is very out of character for him.
THE SECRETS OF CATS
33
The House Across the River (Longmans Covered Bridge)
The PCs must cross the Black River to get to the old mine from the town. The
Longmans Covered Bridge is the only way across without getting wet. The
bridges timbers are badly warped and the whole thing tilts to one side, but its
stable enough for a cat to pad across.
Inside the covered bridge the air smells strongly of dry mold and bat droppingsalmost enough to choke a cat on a windless day. The floorboards are
sprung in places, revealing the long drop to the rocks below. The PCs could
easily fit through some of the gaps, but they arent too hard to avoid.
The face of the bridge is a bat named Fuscus, one of the few sapient bats in
the area.
Fuscus
High Concept: Guardian Bat

Trouble: Pacifist
Other Aspects: A Fine Specimen, I Command Many,

Manners Matter
Skills

Great (+4): Notice

Good (+3): Flight, Provoke, Empathy

Fair (+2): Rapport, Investigate, Deceive
Average (+1): Will, Physique, Stealth, Lore
Stunts
Shriek (Notice): Fuscus emits a near-deafening, high-pitched sound that
can knock a nearby target unconscious if they can hear it, which cats can.
He can use Notice to attack a target in the same zone. He can choose to
attack multiple targets in the zone by splitting his shifts among them.
Ultrasound (Notice): Fuscus can see in absolute darkness using echolocation. This also lets him detect heartbeats and other physiological signs,
giving him +2 to Empathy when detecting emotional states and +2 to
Lore when diagnosing injuries (2 stunts).
Stress
Mental: 3
Physical: 3
Notes
Fuscus is a particularly large brown bat with silky fur and powerful wings.
His eyes gleam red in the darkness, and he always looks like hes wrinkling his nose up at something. Hes polite and conducts himself with a
sense of brittle dignity, wrapping his wings around himself like a martial
cloak. Hell happily talk with those approaching the entrance to the
House Across the River, but wont let anyone pass under normal circumstances. The other bats, all non-sapient, obey him without question. If he
orders them to attack, treat them as an environmental hazard that attacks
everyone in up to two zones once per exchange with Good (+3) Fight.
Its impossible to take out the swarm without using an attack that affects
their whole zone, though they can be driven away with fire.
34
WHATS UP WITH FUSCUS?

Hes being controlled by the Rat King (page43). He lets servants of
evil pass in both directions, but bars their enemies. A Seeker using Astral
Projection sees this control as a black malaise around the bats head.
Those in the astral plane can attempt to break the Rat Kings control
over Fuscus, engaging in a contest of Will opposed by the Rat Kings
Clever. If the evil wins, the astral traveler takes a moderate mental consequence. The PCs can also get around Fuscus by beating him in a fight,
sneaking across the top of the bridge, or finding other routeswhich
probably involve swimming.
Investigating the Dark Place
When the PCs investigate the mine entrance, they find that the boards sealing
it off have been broken apart, leaving a three-foot square hole into the mine.
Toolmarks and footprints suggest that a group of young humans was responsible.
Inside the mine, the PCs find a previously walled-off tunnel. The skeleton of
Ezekiel rests within, along with evidence that the wall was freshly broken down
and the body tampered with. The sound of scurrying rodents begins to fill the
mine, as the albino rats move up from their low cave to investigate the sounds
of movement above. Hundreds of rats emerge from a crack in the tunnel floor,
moving with scary coordination. Its obvious that fighting would be suicidal. If
the PCs choose stay and fight anyway, see Fighting the Rat King on page42.
The Next Morning
The next morning, Jezzabella calls the Parliament to gather at the Meeting Place
to discuss the albino rat menaceapparently they were all over town.
The Meeting Place (The Milly Ross Play Park)
Considered neutral ground by the cats of Silver Ford, this grassy space is lined
with flowers around its edges. Off to one side there is a large pit of sand, perfect
for taking care of your ablutions, and in the middle there is a delightful array of
framework climbing structures and ingenious moving things, each surrounded
by bark chips that are lovely and soft on the paws. During the day the cats of
Silver Ford graciously allow children to play here, but at night this is where they
meet to discuss business.
The face of The Meeting Place is Jezzabella. An old black Seeker, shes too
infirm for active work but directs the towns younger cats as the leader of the
Parliament. She lives with an ancient human woman named Mrs. Haggerty,
whom the towns children like to pretend is a witch. Jezzabella doesnt guard
Mrs. Haggerty by herself, though. Shes helped by a much younger cat named
Sable, an arrogant Namer who lives with her.
THE SECRETS OF CATS
35
Jezzabella
High Concept: Venerable Seeker and Leader of the Parliament

Trouble: Youth Is Wasted on the Young

Burden: Witchy Old Widow Haggerty
True Name: Lie Dancer
Other Aspects: Impossible to Surprise
Skills

Great (+4): Seeking, Territory

Good (+3): Will, Lore, Deceive

Fair (+2): Investigate, Notice, Provoke, Naming
Average (+1): Rapport, Warding, Burglary, Stealth, Empathy
Stunts
Prognostication (Seeking): See glimpses of future events.
Psychometry (Seeking): See past events related to a place or object.
Invisibility (Warding): Become invisible, allowing stealth even when it
would be impossible.
Harm (Naming): Wound a small animal to hurt a foe whose True Name
you know.
Ive Seen Your Moves Before (Lore): Substitute Lore for Athletics when dodging attacks.
Well Organized (General): When you provide a teamwork bonus, give +2
rather than +1.
Literate (Lore): You can read. +2 to Lore rolls when you have access to
appropriate texts.
Stress
Mental: 4
Physical: 2
Notes
A scrawny old black cat, Jezzabella maintains a sense of prickly dignity
and refuses to allow her great age and increasing frailty to afford her any
special treatment from other cats. She enjoys the company of younger
cats, but their lack of wisdom often frustrates her quickly. She enjoys
affecting an air of mystery and will never give a straight answer unless
straits are particularly dire.
36
Sable
High Concept: Arrogant Namer

Trouble: Lying to Myself

Burden: Witchy Old Widow Haggerty
True Name: Black Heartrelates to
Sables utter ruthlessness.
Other Aspects: For the Greater Good
Skills

Great (+4): Deceive

Good (+3): Naming, Provoke

Fair (+2): Rapport, Physique, Territory
Average (+1): Warding, Stealth, Will,
Shaping
Stunts
Cipher (Naming): A rite on your True Name makes
you immune to Seeking powers used against
you. However, you are completely unable to use
Seeking magic yourself.
Control (Naming): You can gain complete control over an
opponent whose True Name you know.
A Knack for Change (Shaping): You may take two Shaping
aspects rather than one.
Mysterious (Territory): +2 to Territory rolls to arrange
false alibis for yourself.
Surprise! (Stealth): Once per session, you can reveal
that you were hidden in the current scene all
along. When you do, gain the Surprise!
aspect, which lasts one exchange.
Lying to Myself: Use Deceit to determine extra
mental stress, rather than Will.
Stress
Mental: 4 Physical: 3
Notes
A compact black cat with a splash
of white on his chest, Sable is being
groomed by Jezzabella to be her successor.
The Parliament appears to respect him, but
nobody has anything nice to say about him
behind his back. Many felines think that
Jezzabellas support of this arrogant
cat is evidence of her mental decline.
The more charitable cats feel she chose
Sable out of practicalitybecause they
share a homeletting her more easily
pass on her wisdom and experience.
THE SECRETS OF CATS
37
Hieronymous Screech
High Concept: Wise and Enigmatic Owl

Trouble: Not from Around Here
Other Aspects: Quid Pro Quo, No Patience for Fools, Long Memory
Skills

Great (+4): Lore

Good (+3): Investigate, Flight

Fair (+2): Notice, Territory, Rapport
Average (+1): Empathy, Physique, Will, Provoke
Stunts
Oracle (Lore): Hieronymous can sacrifice a small animal and use Lore to
know something he couldnt possibly knowfor example, something
happening right now in another part of the world. The information he
gains in this way is always cryptically worded, though, which explains
much of his reputation for being wise but enigmatic.
Death on Silent Wings (Flight): Hieronymous can use Flight rather than
Stealth when hes trying to avoid notice while flying, and can use Flight
rather than Fight when he dives to attack (2 stunts).
Stress
Notes
Hieronymous is a handsome great grey owl with distinctive plumage marked with spots of darker grey. His claws are wickedly long
(Weapon:1), and he is a master of the cold, unblinking stare. Some say
hes a creature of the eerie mist that rises some nights in the Blue Moon
Woods and that this unnatural origin is what makes him so very wise.
Perhaps the cats of Silver Ford would consult with him for help more
often if his favors werent so expensiveto get something from him, you
have to agree to perform a task on his behalf. His tasks are often strange,
dangerous, and without any discernible logic, but presumably the owl has
reasons for everything he does.
38
Next Steps
Jezzabella asks the PCs to investigate the rats and lead the fight to put an end
to their menace. If they havent been to the mine yet, shell suggest they visit
Hieronymous Screech at the Blue Moon Woods for some help figuring out
where the rats are coming from.
Blue Moon Woods
To the northeast of the town is an ancient wood of oak and pine trees. In a
clearing at the center of the woods stands a broad, ancient oak that humans call
The Millennium Tree. Its a pleasant place by day and a popular haunt for young
lovers, many of whom carve romantic messages into the old trees bark.
After dark, though, the woods grow eerie and threatening. On some nights an
unnatural mist rises from the ground, clouding vision and muffling sound; the
woods become a bridge to realms beyond our own, ushering forth faeries and
nightmares to plague the town.
The face of the woods is an old owl named Hieronymous Screech, who nests in
The Millennium Tree. This enigmatic bird is demanding and has little patience
for fools, but can be a valuable source of adviceif you can meet his price.
Hieronymous Price
If the PCs ask Hieronymous where the rats are coming from, he asks them to
fetch a glowing fungus from the edge of the woods at twilight tonight. This
seems straightforward until an eerie, glowing mist falls and an ethereal hound
appears, who sets off in pursuit of the PCs. Escaping the hound is a contest
of Athletics opposed by the hounds Great (+4) Hunting. Any cat the hound
catches takes a consequence. After that, the hound lets them escape, lesson
learned. Once the PCs return with the fungus, the owl directs them to the mine.
Local History
If the PCs have already been to the mine, Jezzabella will suggest they speak with
The Burning Ghost at The Burnt Place to see if he can identify the spirit in the
mine from his knowledge of local history.
The Burnt Place (The Old Mining Museum)
Gutted in a fire some 50 years ago, this boarded-up shell of a building is still
waiting to be rebuilt by its owners. Humans shun the place, believing it haunted
by the arsonist who died in his own conflagration. The cats of Silver Ford know
that the haunting is genuine. They also know the angry ghost has a long memory
for town history, which makes him useful on occasion.
The face of The Burnt Place is Scarlet, a legendarily bad-tempered cat who
makes the museum her permanent home despiteor perhaps because ofits
ghostly resident. Scarlet claims a wide swath of territory around The Burnt Place
and resents visitors unless they bring suitable gifts.
THE SECRETS OF CATS
39
Scarlet
High Concept: Solitary Shaper

Trouble: I Drive Everyone Away in the End

Burden: The Burning Ghost
True Name: Walks Alonerelates to Scarlets self-reliance and
inability to work in a team.
Other Aspects: One Day Ill Find a Lady Cat to Love
Skills

Great (+4): Fight

Good (+3): Physique, Shaping

Fair (+2): Athletics, Burglary, Stealth, Territory
Average (+1): Will, Notice, Empathy, Provoke
Stunts
Change Size (Shaping): Grow or shrink radically larger or smaller.
Shadow Form (Shaping): Take on a physically invulnerable, two-dimensional shadow form.
Disguise (Shaping): Physically disguise yourself to look exactly like another
cat.
Nine Lives (General): When you would be taken out of a physical conflict,
give your opponent a fate point to concede instead.
Dangerous Moves (Fight): Use Fight instead of Provoke when intimidating
others.
Preternatural Awareness (Notice): +2 on rolls to notice invisible beings, astral
travelers, and similar entities.
Stress
Notes
Scarlet is a large, russet-furred tabby cat with a nasty scar over one eye.
She hates being alone but drives away anyone that tries to get close to her.
Shes afraid theyll leave eventually, anyway. She has no interest in tomcats.
She prefers lady cats, but hasnt yet found one that returns her affection,
fueling her isolation. Her Burden is The Burning Ghost himself. While
hes a terrifying and curmudgeonly apparition, she feels more comfortable with him than with other cats. She knows hell never leave because
hes bound to haunt the place where he died. She guards the ghost jealously from anyone looking to pump him for information, but she can be
persuaded if shes in a good mood. You could try visiting The Burnt Place
while shes out patrolling her territory, but youd better not be caught
there by her.
40
SPIRITS
Spirits in The Secrets of Cats use approaches from Fate Accelerated
Edition rather than skills. See Spirits on page46 for more details.
The Burning Ghost (Jedediah Morton)
High Concept: Fiery Apparition

Trouble: Cursed to Haunt the Old Mining Museum
Other Aspects: 50 Years Dead and Still Pissed,

You will show respect!, Local History Buff
Approaches

Careful: Mediocre (+0)

Forceful: Great (+4)

Clever: Good (+3)

Quick: Average (+1)

Flashy: Fair (+2)

Sneaky: Fair (+2)
Stunts
Pyrokinesis (Forceful): Take at least one stress to ignite an object or creature.
Haunt (Flashy): Take one stress to create an aspect like Hot Spot or The
Sound of Flames with Flashy for the rest of the scene.
Telekinesis (Quick): Take at least one stress to create an aspect like Whirling
Shards of Glass on a zone. This aspect lasts for a number of exchanges
equal to the stress taken.
Stress
Spiritual: 4
Notes
The Burning Ghost appears as a
stocky man in black jeans and a
black leather jacket with charred
skin and a permanent scowl. A
wreath of flames surrounds him at
all times. He was killed by his own
devicesthe fire he set to burn
down the museum spread faster than
hed anticipated, and hes still angry about
that more than 50 years later. Hes a bitter misanthrope who demands respect for his family
and himself. If you ask him about the fire, hell
tell you he set the museum ablaze because an
exhibition described his grandpa as a greedy
murderer. While hed never admit it, hes glad
that Scarlet lives in the museum with him. She
tolerates his mood swings and makes the place
hes doomed to haunt feel less lonely.
THE SECRETS OF CATS
41
Dealing with the Burning Ghost
The Burning Ghost knows exactly who the body in the mine belongs to and
why its there. In fact, The Burning Ghost is Jedediah Morton, the grandson of
the man in the mine, Ezekiel Morton. The Burning Ghost is loyal to his family,
though, so the PCs must be careful in approaching him. If they reveal their true
intentions, the ghost will obstruct them rather than help them. He tends to
respond well to flattery, however.
Stopping the Rat King
There are four main ways to put an end to the Rat Kings menace:
1. Fighting the Rat King
If the PCs kill the Rat King in which Morton is manifested and exterminate the
remaining rats, they will consign the spirit to powerlessness. This is probably the
hardest option; the rats are myriad and coordinated, even if the Rat King himself
stays out of the battle.
42
The Rat King (Ezekiel Morton)
High Concept: Vengeful Spirit

Trouble: Four Cursed Nuggets
Other Aspects: Greed Beyond Death, The Sins of the Father, Overconfident
Approaches

Careful: Good (+3)

Forceful: Great (+4)

Clever: Fantastic (+6)

Quick: Average (+1)

Flashy: Fair (+2)

Sneaky: Superb (+5)
Stunts
Corrupt (Clever): The Rat King can corrupt a living thing and add it to his collection of vessels. By taking one stress, he begins a mental conflict of Clever
opposed by the victims Will. If this conflict takes out the victim, he becomes
the Rat Kings servant. The Rat King can use his victims senses and force it
to do his bidding until its corruption is cleansed. If the Rat King is taken out
during this conflict, then he falls dormant until the next sunset and can never
again try to corrupt that target. The Rat King can use Corruption in his zone
or in any zone holding three of his existing vessels.
Entomb (Forceful): Taking one stress, the Rat King uses Forceful to inflict a terrifying hallucination of being entombed alive on a victim, who opposes with
Will. While this Vision of Entombment is active, the victim cannot act except
for trying to overcome the hallucination with Notice, opposed by the Rat
Kings Forceful. The victims allies can provide a teamwork bonus to his escape
by talking him through the illusion and touching him to make him realize he
isnt alone. Only one victim can be entombed at a time.
Rat Swarm (Sneaky): Rather than attacking with his own clumsy body or instructing rats to attack for him, the Rat King can take direct control of his rat swarm.
They move as stealthily as possible and seem to attack out of nowhere. Costing
one stress, this is a Sneaky attack with Weapon:3 that ignores scale.
Stress

Spiritual: 4, 1 mild, 1 moderate, and 1 severe consequence

Physical: 4, 2 mild, 1 moderate, and 1 severe consequence
(the Rat Kings body)
Notes
The Rat King is a circular mass of twenty-some giant hunchback albino rats, their
chattering teeth facing outward with tails clubbed into a filthy, tangled knot in
the center. It exudes malevolence and glows with faint greenish light. Its many
eyes are tiny glowing pinpricks in the darkness. These rats are the descendants
of the same rats that fed on Ezekiels flesh and gnawed on his bones. Since then,
theyve fed on grubs, bats, insectsand each other. Their cannibalism means
every rat contains a tiny remnant of Ezekiels body, giving him amazing control
over them. The Rat King cant be attacked spiritually until Ezekiel is forced out
of his corporeal vessel. As long as more rats are around him, he can take one
spiritual stress to create another Rat King body in around one sleep.
THE SECRETS OF CATS
43
2. Convince the four kids to return the nuggets
To make Morton rest, the children who took the nuggets must return them. If
the PCs do it, there will be no effect. Each kid keeps a nugget for a different
reason:
One because it makes him feel like a grown-up.
One because its proof of their Halloween adventure.
One because she cant persuade the others to take theirs back with her; she
doesnt want to go by herself.
One because its part of her collection of weird and interesting things.
GMs, if youre short on time, consider letting the cats just collect and
return the nuggets themselves. You can make things more challenging
by requiring them to persuade the spirit to be satisfied with this and
return to his slumber.
The PCs need to find the kids first. They can do the do the legwork using
Investigate or Territory, and they can get help in many ways:
Hieronymous Screech can assist with his oracular ability, but will want
payment.
If Fuscus is cured of the Rat Kings influence, hell describe the kids in
enough detail for one to be found with Seeking.
If one of the PCs Burdens was involved in the theft, then the PCs might
discover a nugget in his or her possession.
Once the PCs find the children and the nuggets, they must lead the kids back
to the mine. Using Dreamwalking to persuade them is a logical approach, but
more overt methods like using Control also work.
3. Collapse the mines entrance
Trapping the Rat Kings minions inside the mine will neutralize the Rat King
for now because hes permanently anchored to the mine. The PCs can persuade
humans in a dream to collapse the entrance, or they could try to use Animate on
a large object to the same effect. Either way, theyll have to fight off rats and bats
near the entrance until the collapse begins.
4. Use Mortons True Name to seal him
If the PCs handle The Burning Ghost with tact, they may discover Mortons
True Name. If so, they can gain control over him using Naming or Warding.
Understanding his history might give them the edge they need to defeat him in
a mental conflict and get rid of him that way.
44
PART V: COMPLICATIONS AND THREATS

Complications
If youre running Black Silver as the beginning of a campaign, or if you want to

stretch it over more than one session, here are some complications you can drop
into the story:
Betrayal: Jezzabellas second-in-command, Sable, has come to realize that cats
shouldnt be fighting monsters but rather using them to gain power. If a few
humans happen to come to sticky ends, well its all for the greater good, isnt
it? Why should cats work themselves to the bone to protect ungrateful humans
anyway? What he does, he does for cat kind. Once he hears of the Rat King,
Sable will see the potential for a very beneficial relationship. He wont want the
players to interfere, but he also wont want to give away his true nature.
The Shriveled One: (page31) This ghost is a former warlock, executed for
witchcraft, who wears a noose around his desiccated neck. He had never harmed
the other villagers, but false witness was borne against him. He now appears to
punish or torment those who bear false witness against others. He especially
despises cats because he was betrayed by his own feline familiar. If the players
lie during their investigation, he might arise to hunt them down. He can be
temporarily killed, appearing to fall to pieces and melt away, but he can only
be permanently killed by someone who has never lied.
Unlucky Kid: One of the kids who stole the silver from the mine disappears
with his or her nugget. The child fell prey to The Red Leaf Killer (page31),
an out-of-towner who visits Silver Ford regularly to perform the magical ritual
that maintains his eternal youth. Can the players save the kid andand retrieve
the nugget if neededbefore The Red Leaf Killer leaves town for another year?
45
Threats
Monsters are real, and theyve got an appetite for humans. Whether for their
flesh, souls, innocence, or something else, humans are like a walking buffet bar
for creatures of darkness. Here are a few of the things lurking out there, waiting
to take a bite.
Spirits
Spirit is a blanket term for ghosts, forces of nature, and other intangible entities that are essentially engines of will contained within ectoplasm shells. Rather
than skills, spirits use the approaches from Fate Accelerated Edition. Spirits have
only one stress trackspiritual stresswhich is based on Forceful, though
some may also be able to possess corporeal beings and use their bodies. Many
spirits have stunts that affect the real world, but they always cost stress. If a spirit
is taken out, it is dispelled and cant manifest again until the next new moon. To
kill a spirit permanently, you must also destroy their anchor, an object or place
named in one of their aspects that lets them reform in the real world. Some
spiritsusually those associated with emotions or naturedont have anchors,
making them particularly vulnerable. Spirits with anchors can be seen by cats
and other spiritually aware beings when theyre within a few yards, but can stay
hidden by rolling Sneaky opposed by Notice.
Below are some sample spirit stunts:
Haunt (Flashy): You press against the barrier between worlds to exert minor
influence in the real world. By taking one stress, you can create an aspect like
Ghostly Apparition or Whispering Voices with Flashy for the rest of the scene.
Pyrokinesis (Forceful): Taking at least one stress, you concentrate on a flammable object to make it burst into flame. If you attack a living target with this
power, each point of stress you take after the first increases the Weapon value of
the attack by one. The target of this attack defends with Physique.
The Burning Ghost tries to set Swift on fire. Marking off his fourth
stress box, the Ghost attacks her with a Weapon:3 attack.
Telekinesis (Quick or Forceful): Taking at least one stress, you set a number
of small objects moving in a chaotic pattern, creating an aspect like Whirling
Shards of Glass or Cloud of Soot on your zone. If you whip up something
dangerous like glass or metal shards, this will inflict an environmental attack on
anything trying to pass through the affected zone. This aspect lasts for a number
of exchanges equal to the stress you took to activate the power.
Telekinesis (Forceful): Taking at least one stress, you can psychically interact
with a physical target. You can use this to break a window, shove a person or
slap them with psychic force, lift a table, write with a pen, and so on. You can
continue to interact with the chosen object for a number of exchanges equal to
the stress you took to activate this power.
46
Misdirect (Clever): You can take one stress to attempt to confuse someones
sense of direction. During a conflict, if an opponent tries to move multiple
zones during an exchange, she must succeed on a Will or Seeking overcome
action, opposed by your Clever plus the passive opposition of any obstacles in
her intended path. If you successfully oppose your opponent, you can place
them in any zone you choose. Outside of conflict, you may initiate a contest of
their Will or Seeking opposed by your Clever to get them hopelessly lost or force
them to go to a place of your choosing. You can also use this power to create
advantages like Disoriented or Lost.
Were-Creatures
The idea of a human that becomes an animal or part-animal hybrid at certain

times is common throughout the world. From the were-hyenas of Africa to
the loups-garous of French myth, theres a grain of truth in all of them. And
unfortunately cats cant wield silver weapons, one of the were-creatures only
vulnerabilities.
Its rare for cats to go toe-to-toe with a were-creature in its transformed state.
Its far safer to keep their Burdens inside on nights when the creature roams,
searching for the fiend in human form. Ideally the transformation is caused by
a curse that can be liftedif not, more direct solutions are sometimes necessary.
To create a were-creature, start by building a main NPC as described in Fate
Core System, page 22. Add three stunts related to animal features or powers that
it gains when it transforms, and note what causes it to transform. In their transformed state, were-creatures are immune to physical damage not inflicted with a
silver weapon or, in rare cases, a different metal or weapon theyre vulnerable to.
Fairies
Fairies appear most commonly at the borders between inhabited areas and the
wild. Most are mischievousif not malevolentand they cause no end of trouble with their pranks, rituals, and obsessions. Many of them can be placated
with a specific offering such as bread and honey, but such gestures dont always
work even if you gift the right item. Fairies sometimes steal children and often
eat the dreams of mortal folk, leaving them drained and exhausted in the morning. For reasons long lost in the depths of time, most of the Fair Folk cant stand
cats and will go out of their way to torment the felines they happen upon. Most
faeries are supporting NPCs with one or two signature stunts related to their
nature: for instance, Red Caps can make wounds bleed and Will o the Wisps
can entice people into following them. Because theyre vulnerable to wrought
iron, faeries must take consequences to absorb stress inflicted with this material.
THE SECRETS OF CATS
47
Tulpas
Tulpas are a special form of physically embodied spirit that take their form from
the fears and nightmares of humans. Because children have especially vivid fears,
they are responsible for most tulpas.
Tulpas have both physical and mental stress tracks, but theyre otherwise built
as normal spirits. A tulpas anchor is the human from which it originated. They
feed on fear and can only be seen by psychically aware beings like cats, unless
they choose to appear. The only way to permanently kill a tulpawithout killing the originatoris by getting the originator to stop fearing it.
Sorcerers
Magic is real, and most people who can use it are evil and corrupt. Such sorcerers need copious time to enact their spells, which use complex rituals and exotic
ingredientssuch as eye of cat or a human sacrificeto achieve astonishing
feats of magic. Sorcerers are almost always main NPCs with access to feats similar to the schools of feline magic as well as several powerful spell effects, such as
immortality, storm calling, or necromancy.
48
INSPIRATIONS & RELATED MEDIA

Our ancient forebears worshipped cats and, if the Internet is anything to go by,
many of us still do. I drew from a long and storied tradition of cats as heroes
when writing The Secrets of Cats, and the following is a short list of works that
inspired me or which draw from the same tradition.
Cat by John Wick
A Little Game About Little Heroes that features housecats protecting their
owners from monsters they cant see. With a very straightforward system and a
lighthearted tone suitable for younger players, Cat is well worth checking out.
You can find the revised version at:
www.johnwickpresents.com/market/products/cat.html
The Call of Catthulhu by Joel Sparks
This recently Kickstarted tome takes the guardian cat idea in a Lovecraftian
direction, focusing primarily on animalistic eldritch horrors. For more see:
www.catthulhu.com
Another Fine Mess by Gray Ghost Games
A FUDGE game featuring a band of animal companions trying to rescue their
masters from danger in a high fantasy setting. See:
www.fudgerpg.com/products/fudgerpg/anotherfinemess.html
The Price by Neil Gaiman
This short story, originally published in Smoke and Mirrors, was one of the
major inspirations for The Secrets of Cats. Its very dark, and poetic in the way
Gaimans writing is always poetic, and focuses on the terrible price paid by one
cat to protect his family from the forces of evil.
Old Possums Book of Practical Cats by TS Eliot
Another of my main inspirations. Ive paid homage to Eliots deliciously
quirky poems at various places throughout The Secrets of Cats, most obviously
in The Naming of Cats, where I tell you that a cat has not one but three names.
Stephen Kings Cats Eye
This wonderful (and wonderfully strange) film from 1985 was the other major
influence for The Secrets of Cats. If youve seen it, youll know exactly which
sequence Im talking about: the deliciously creepy scenes where the cat, General,
protects a little girl from the troll thats trying to steal her breath.
In addition to the main inspirations Ive mentioned above, there are countless
books, films, and TV series that helped form the brain-stew that led to this book,
including The Rats of NIMH, the TV shows Sleepy Hollow and Supernatural, and
the Night Warriors book series by Graham Masterton.
THE SECRETS OF CATS
49
RANDOM TABLES FOR RANDOM CATS

Looking to create a cat quickly? Need some adventure hooks and all youve got
is a few moments and a handful of Fate dice? Youve come to the right place!
In this section youll find a number of random tables. There are two styles:
Triangular tables like the first one below are used as follows: roll 4dF; then,
starting from the upper left, count right for each + you roll, and down for each
- you roll. So if you rolled +0+- on the first table below, youd count
right twice, down once, landing on the ... Scout result.
Rectangular tables like the second one below are used as follows: roll 2dF,
then consult the Roll column for the matching result. So if you rolled a +0 on
the second table, youd end up with the Excitable, Dedicated, Keen, ... result.
Pick one and match it to your first roll to get your cats True Name! (Id go with
Hopeful Scout, myself, but maybe youre more of a Grinning Scout kind of cat.)
True Name Generator

0
... Cipher
... Storyteller
... Daredevil
... Oathkeeper
Hope Bringer
... Dancer
... Hunter
... Scout
... Finder
... Chaser
... Trickster
... Haunter
... Avenger
... Dreamer
Doom Bringer
Roll
50
If your result starts with a ..., roll below for suggestions!

Adjectives
--
Lonely, Hollow, Midnight, Lie, Fear/Fearful, Malicious
0-
Night, Dark, Moonlit, Shadow/Shadowed, Haunted, Fearful
-+
Twilight/Twilit, Solemn, Mist/Misty, Hidden, Stealthy, Gray
00
Mystery/Mysterious, Enigma/Enigmatic, Paradox/Paradoxical,

Occult/Occulted, Weird, Strange
0+
Excitable, Dedicated, Keen, Hope/Hopeful, Happy/Happiness, Grin/Grinning
++
Daylit, Bright, Exuberant, Truth/Truthful, Fearless, Joy/Joyful
Burden Generator
0
... Ghost
... Priest or
Rabbi
... Artist or
Novellist
... Doctor or
Veterinarian
... Celebrity
... Taxidermist
Roll an
Individual
Roll a Family
(below, 2nd col.)
... Dog Fanatic
(below, 1st col.)

-
... Professor
or Scientist
(below, 3rd col.)
Multiple*
... Mortician
... Cat Burglar
... Elderly
Person
Roll a Group
If your result starts with a ..., roll a

Description below for suggestions!
* For Multiple: Roll a Family or Group below & then again on above table
Roll
Individual
Family
Group
--
... Man
Single Parent Family
Homeless Shelter Visitors
0-
... Teen Boy
Nuclear Family
Street Residents
-+
... Boy
Foster Family
Sports Team
00
... Girl
Same Sex Parent Family
Dorm Residents
0+
... Teen Girl
Large Family
Fire Station Crew
++
... Woman
Very Large Family
Retirement Home Residents
Roll
Description
--
Cynical, Stingy, Jealous, Judgmental, Misanthropic, Creepy
0-
Misunderstood, Witchy, Narcissistic, Lonely, Shunned, Devious
-+
Pessimistic, Argumentative, Unpopular, Unpredictable, Lazy, Depressive
00
Perfectionistic, Obsessive, Eccentric, Ingenious, Absent-Minded, Impractical
0+
Wealthy, Friendly, Generous, Optimistic, Approachable, Intuitive
++
Caring, Loving, Overprotective, Devil-May-Care, Cheerful, Wise
THE SECRETS OF CATS
51
Cat Stunt Generator

0
General Stunts
Empathy
Provoke
Awareness
Investigate
- Nine Lives
- Psychopomp
- Night Terror
- Preternatural
- Reconstruction
0 You choose
0 False Friend
0 Bravo Cat
0 Were a
+ Im Not
+ I Feel Your Pain
+ Caaaaaaaat!
Awareness
0 Look Before
You Leap
+ Skittish
Dead Yet
Territory
Athletics
Stealth
Physique
- Mysterious
- Leaper
- Prowl
- Iron Constitution
0 Its Not What
0 Death from Above
0 Stalk
0 Size Advantage
+ Offensive
+ Surprise!
+ Not Skin
You Know
+ Iron Grip
Defense
Fight
Rapport
- Ventriloquist
- Pounce
- Top Cat
0 Method Actor
0 Dangerous Moves
0 Totally Lovable
+ Lying to Myself
+ Scrapper
+ Snazzy Cat
Burglary
Will
- Cat Burglar
- Insatiable
0 Getaway Cat
Pockets
Curiosity
0 Iron Will
+ Stubborn
Lore
- Literate
Won
Roll three times on each table to get your stunts. For the
first, after you roll your four Fate dice, roll one moreor
you can roll five if one of them is a different color!
Once you have your stunts, allocate your skill ranks to
take best advantage of your cats special abilities.
0 Ive Seen Your
Rolled the same stunt twice?

Pick another in the same box, or roll again!
Moves Before
+ Many Lives
52
Lot Alike
+ Ive Already
and Bones
Deceive
+ Invisible
Prognostication*
(Seeking)
Cat Walk*
(Warding)
Shadow Armor*
(Warding)
Absorb*
(Warding)
Control* OR
Multitasking*
(Naming)
Change Size*
(Shaping)
Harm
(Naming)
A Knack for
Change (Shaping)
Psychometry*
(Seeking)
Astral Projection*
(Seeking)
Invisibility
(Warding)
Dreamwalking
(Seeking)
Disguise*
(Shaping)
Shadow Form*
(Shaping)
Animate* OR
Multitasking*
(Naming)
Stunts marked with a * are exclusive (page13);

you cant have exclusives from more than one
skill, and that (mastered) skill will need to
be your highest-ranked magical skill.
If you roll the same stunt twice, pick another from
that same (color-coded) skill; if you roll an exclusive
you cant take, pick one from your mastered skill.
Threat Generator
0
Malevolent Cat
Red Cap Fairy
Sapient
Mammal
Human
Kidnapper
Human
Arsonist
Spirit
Were Creature
Pixie Fairy
(Roll type below,
(Roll type below,
4th column)
3rd column)
Sapient
Mutated
Animal
Tulpa
Sapient
Reptile
Sorcerer
Human Thief
Sapient Bird
Human
Murderer
Got a Malevolent Cat? Use the stunt generator on the

opposite page to work out their abilities. Sorcerers too!
Were
Creature
Roll
Motive
Inciting Incident
--
Spirit
Power-Mad
Someone Disappears
Cat
Demon
0-
Psychotic
Someone Is Hurt or Killed
Lizard
Nature Spirit
-+
Vengeful
Physical Evidence Is Found
Wolf
Near-Human Ghost
00
Hungry
Something Is Seen Or Heard
Bird
Inhuman Ghost
0+
Greedy
Something Is Taken or Broken
Fox
Emotion Spirit
++
Misguided
A Warning Is Received
Spider
Angel
What Stupid Thing Did My Burden Do Now?

Roll
- Bad Ideas
0 Mistakes
+ Good Intentions
--
Locked Me Inside
Stole Something They

Shouldn't Have
(That Turned Out to Be Evil)
0-
Dared to Stay the Night

at a Haunted House
Fell Down a Hole
Let Troubled Friend

Stay Over
-+
Held a Sance
Woke a Sleeping Spirit
Bought a Cursed Object
00
Ate a Special Mushroom
Angered Something
Dangerous
Babysat a Terror Child
0+
Disrespected a Sorcerer
Trespassed Somewhere
Went to the (Evil) Doctor
++
Shared Personal
Info Online
Broke Something
Important
Invited a Threat Inside
Adopted a Stray Dog
(see above tables)
THE SECRETS OF CATS
53
Prophecy Generator
0
Someone
Is Lost
The Enemy of
My Enemy
A Happy
Accident
The Right
Place at the
Right Time
Something
Changes
Forever
An Old Enemy
Returns
A Mysterious
Stranger
A Falling Out
Something
Is Found
A New Enemy
Appears
Something
Is Lost
A Horrible
Mistake
A Betrayal
A Terrible
Accident
A Death
Location Generator
0
School
Museum
Shack
Factory
Mansion
Store
Bar
House
Apartment Block
Warehouse
Cemetery
Cottage
Library
Hospital
Prison
Roll
- Obstacles
Roll one or more times below to

determine features of the location!
0 Condition
+ Secrets
--
Haunting Spirit(s)
Falling Down
A Spirit's Anchor
0-
Human Criminals
Overgrown
A Summoning Circle
-+
Territorial Sapient Animal
Abandoned
Something Missing
00
Eerie Whining Noise
Ramshackle
A Hidden Body
0+
Guard Dog
Worn
A Useful True Name
++
Cat Proof
Cared For
A Hidden Safe
If rolling more than once on the second table, you only need one Condiiton;
if you roll another, pick a neighboring Obstacle or Secret on the same row.
54

The Secrets of Cats

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

The Secrets of Cats

Uploaded by

Document Information

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

The Secrets of Cats

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Secrets

writing & adventure

interior & cover

An Evil Hat Productions Publication

Thanks go to my good friend and alpha reader Jon Peacock, to my playtesters

Using This Supplement

FATE: WORLDS OF ADVENTURE

PART I: THE DUTY OF CATS: INTRODUCTION

The Hidden World