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Core Rules

Catfights

A Catfight is a conflict settled with the dice. It takes two forms, which use the same mechanics but have very different consequences.

Fang Catfight

This is the most common form among Animals. Opponents bristle, hiss, trade insults, argue and puff out their chests. Nobody tries to hurt anyone: the aim is to impress or convince the opponent until he gives in.

Claw Catfight

This is the rarest and most violent form. Claws, knives and other weapons come out, and each side tries to hurt or even kill the other.

  • Ability: Strong or Smart
  • Skill: only Scratch
  • A weapon listed among the Purr-ecious items gives re-rolls

Entering a Claw Catfight is so stressful that a Kitten loses 1 Furr-endship point straight away. If he has none left, or does not want to fight, he must run away.

Animals almost never turn to claws, unless driven by great anger, hatred or extreme violence. When one does, the others either flee or, if they are numerous enough, pile onto him, whatever side they are on, to hold him down and calm him. Predators are the exception: these monsters want to eat Animals and attack without hesitation.

A Fang Catfight can turn into a Claw Catfight when a participant decides to raise the stakes. If it is a Kitten, he loses 1 Furr-endship point.

His comrades then choose to support him, to leave the Catfight, or to jump on him to stop him. In that last case, each of them loses 1 Furr-endship point.

Violence has consequences and should stay the exception. The Storyteller encourages the players to rely on wit, cunning and strategy, and most Catfights remain Fang Catfights.

Initiative

The players decide which Kitten acts first, and the Storyteller decides if they cannot agree. If all the Kittens were surprised, an opponent acts first.

After an aggressive action, meaning one aimed at an opponent, the player hands the initiative to the Storyteller, who plays an enemy. After a non-aggressive action, she can pass it to another player. The Storyteller follows the same rule for the enemies.

A turn ends when everyone has acted.

For example, Ficelle attacks a haughty skunk. This is an aggressive action, so the initiative goes to the Storyteller, who plays the skunk. The skunk attacks back, and the initiative returns to the players.

One of Ficelle's comrades then chooses to help instead of attacking. This action is non-aggressive, so his player passes the initiative straight to another player.

Actions

  • Attack (aggressive): each success removes 1 Heart point from the opponent.
  • Hinder (aggressive): at least 1 success on a suitable roll gives the opponent a disadvantage. A successfully cast spell that does not remove Heart points can be used instead.
  • Help (non-aggressive): the action always succeeds and gives a comrade an advantage on his roll.
  • Defend (non-aggressive): a Strong or Smart roll with Shake Your Booty or Keep Calm & Carry On. During the turn, each success cancels one of the opponent's successes on any attack.
  • Move (non-aggressive): a big movement, a stunt or a large obstacle, sometimes with a Strong or Smart roll with Shake Your Booty. This action also covers hiding or moving silently.
  • Interact (non-aggressive): talking, picking a lock, healing a comrade, acting on the scenery without threatening anyone.

Extras follow the same rules as Kittens.

Leaving a Catfight

At any point in a Fang Catfight, either side can lift its paws and concede victory. It cannot return to that Catfight afterwards, even after being healed. In exchange, the winner is magnanimous and an arrangement can be negotiated, which avoids the consequences of a total defeat at 0 Heart points.

To leave a Claw Catfight, a Kitten must flee, which usually takes a successful Smart roll with Shake Your Booty, or surrender, which is safe after a successful Cute roll with Seduce & Charm.

Consequences

A creature reduced to 0 Heart points in a Fang Catfight raises its paws, tucks its tail or runs away. It accepts defeat and cannot act until at least the end of the scene. The winner takes nothing beyond the subject of the quarrel: after a dispute over who crosses a bridge first, there is no stealing from the loser or taking him prisoner.

In a Claw Catfight, falling to 0 Heart points means a serious injury. The Kitten rolls on an injury table in the book, which ranges from a few scratches to a critical injury.