What to do with a cat?

[AuroraGyps]

Cat books

This thread is making me want to re-read all the novels I have about cats... especially the Cat Fantastic anthologies edited by Andre Norton. Maybe I'll read them after Tanya Huff's 2 Keeper books... which have a talking cat in them.

 

[demiurge1138]

Nah, you'd just have a cameo by Choo-Choo Bear from Something Positive.

Somebody got the reference! Good!
And it would probably count as an aberration (gelatinous template from Savage Species, perhaps?)
The cooshee is an elven dog. Elven cats are different, but still cooler.

Demiurge out.

 

[everchanging02]

Well, first, I didn't find the 'elven cat' (or anything that was just a 'cat') in The Complete Book of Elves, just to help (or, in this case, I suppose hinder ) that comment (sorry).

Second, I am lead to recall my bard from a game I am still playing in (though as a different character, now) who wanted a riding dog to carry all her stuff for her (since she only had a Strength of 11 and had a LOT more to carry than she could manage on her own). She looked for an intelligent animal, something not as stupid (pardon the opinion) as your common dog. She found it, but it was whole-heartedly apathetic (the DM doing a wonderful job of RPing it). Hence, it was dubed Eor. Every time Eor was accompanying the party in combat, he would give a sigh and give his power-word: a very uncaring "woof". And, interestingly (yes, it was coincidence (though I'm not saying the DM would be out to kill us)), we would always win the battle following this (so developing the 'power-word' idea, that was more just poking fun at it than anything else).
Anyhow, to get to the point, we eventually came to a tough situation that we really couldn't handle. The DM, not wanting us to die horrible deaths (and maybe being a little plot-driven at this point in the game...), had Eor turn out to be a polymorphed (14th level, I think it was) sorcerer, that was willing to help us for finally releasing him from his imprisoned state.
It wasn't a mere 'pull the party out of a tough situation' (though, yes, that was part of it), but also kind of giving a bit of a reason why we got away with so much when Eor would just apathetically say, "woof."
And, it was not at all a 'planned thing from the start.' It just kind of developed (if it seemed otherwise).

I'm thinking I need to add my babbling comment to my sig... Sorry, all. v.v

 

[Arken]

In case it's a help I think I can shed some light on the 'elven cat' thing.

The elven cat can be found in the AD&D MM.
This is different from teh cathshee (sp?) which is a big elven leopard creature, basically it's the cat version of teh elven dog...teh Cooshee (sp?) You can find those in teh Complete book of elves.

I would lean towards making it immortal as many people suggested, the suggestion is not that it is simple in the campaign to become immortal but rather that the cat is wierd.

There doesn't ahve to eb any reason for this but I suppose you could make it a nexus reality or something. It carries the key to unlocking ultimate truth/destroying the world though nobody realises it until the PCs are of a suitable level. It would sort of be like Dawn from Boffy the Vampire slayer.

Making it an 'ordinary' immortal cat would eb fine though

 

[Guilt Puppy]

The cat is an ordinary cat for six and a half sessions. It acts like an ordinary cat for six and a half sessions. Halfway through the seventh session, regardless of situation (although in combat would be alright), announce "the cat begins moving strangely, back and forth, almost like he's dancing. Then, he begins to opens his mouth."

This is your cue to hit play on the stereo before your players have a chance to react. Before the session you have loaded it up with large quantities of James Brown, and turned the volume up max, so your players can't interrupt. You begin dancing within an instant, passionately, soulfully, despite your players attempts to continue with the game. You are the cat. You are the dancing James Brown cat. Think nothing else. Continue like this for the remaining half of session, and first half of the next session, if players show up.

 

[mehrkat]

pilling the cat great post

The post about the feeding the cat had me giggling until I couldn't giggle any more.

I still vote for a normal cat but make it a wily thing that has an uncanny nack avoiding getting hurt.

Party fireballed. Little meow meow is in the mage's backpack protected. Maybe leaving behind a present or two

Have it leave small creatures around the party while they are wandering through the desert hungry. A few mice, scorpions and lizards to wake up to in the morning.

Make it just a normal cat otherwise (maybe a higher AC and save) but cat's insticts are reasonably designed to keep them alive and well in an ancient world.

 

[jemkym]

I Like Cats...

I reckon the cat should be the familiar of an extremely powerful wizard with more hit points than the party combined. I'm actually playing a sorceress with a cat familiar at the moment. In the past two game sessions, she's taken out two enemy NPCs and scored a critical!

 

[Psychotic Jim]

It could be a boneless, hairless cat.

How about the cat just being hairless and naming it Mr. Bigglesworth. It would be perfectly ordinary, but an ievil medical doctor and his clone 1/8th his size are always looking for it...

The cat could talk and dance but really be just a hallucination induced by a curse or maybe just by having one drink or smoke too many. Cats have been knwon to get a little too Broadway on occassion.

The cat could be normal but to freak out the players, it is locked in an adamantine cell with mithral chains and surrounded by an anti-magic shell guarded by legions of undead and constructs.

 

[Kesh]

Oooh! Ooh! Make it a cat that is always sleeping on one character's head... but that character never notices it.