SotDL - Victims of The Demon Lord - in Plain Sight [PDF]

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Victims of the Demon Lord for Shadow of the Demon Lord Cats have always lived in Nessus and the plague that drove most folks from the city passed over the cats, leaving them unharmed, if starved for the human companionship they might have enjoyed in better times. And when people started drifting into the city, working to pry the ruins from nature’s grip, the cats did what cats always do, they adapted. People expected the cats to prosper with regular care and feeding, but no one quite knew what to do when the feline population doubled seemingly overnight, and then tripled, and then it seemed wherever anyone looked, there was a cat nearby. What the settlers and the survivor don’t know is that these are no ordinary cats. Oh, they look like cats, prowl and hunt like cats, and, generally, behave in all the ways one might expect a cat to behave, but cats they are not. They’re ferren, a feline people who have the magical ability to adopt human form when they feel the need.

~Credits~

WRITING, Design, and Art Direction: Robert J. Schwalb editing and Proofreading: Jay Spight Graphic Design: Kara Hamilton and Hal Mangold LAYOUT: kara hamilton ILLUSTRATIONs: Jack Kaiser In Plain Sight is ©2021 Schwalb Entertainment, LLC. All rights reserved. Shadow of the Demon Lord, Victims of the Demon Lord, In Plain Sight, Schwalb Entertainment, and their associated logos are trademarks of Schwalb Entertainment, LLC. Schwalb Entertainment, LLC

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In Plain Sight reintroduces the ferren ancestry to Shadow of the Demon Lord by building on the information found in the Demon Lord’s Companion 2 and finding a place for them in the larger setting. Not only does this supplement ground ferren in the imperiled world, it also provides players with expanded character creation rules to make interesting and evocative ferren characters. Ferren might seem new to the lands of Rûl, but they’ve always been there.

Divine Origins

A breed of cat able to adopt a human form? Surely, such a creature has a magical origin. No. Not magical. Supernatural! It would take an act of god to unleash such a menacing species onto an unsuspecting world. And who is more likely to have had a hand in this than the Maiden of the Moon? After all, she’s the goddess of magic, so who else could be responsible?

The Devil’s Curse It’s entirely possible that the Maiden of the Moon reached down from the starry firmament to stroke the head of a particularly beloved feline and impart the gift of shape-changing on this cherished beast. Anything is possible. There’s an old faerie legend about Old Man Cat, whom not even the gods could deny. A constant roamer, a wanderer, and sire to many thousand cats, the story claims he freed the Maiden of the Moon from the wicked servants of Diabolus by transforming the goddess into a cat and leading her through the secret ways until the two finally escaped the Devil’s clutches. As punishment for his interference, the Devil turned Old Man Cat into a man. Yes, some tales claim that the Maiden bestowed the gift, but why ever would a cat want to adopt an inferior form?

The Maiden’s Gift The Maiden’s Sisters, a sect of Old Faith followers of the Maiden of the Moon, recount a different tale. In olden times, Diabolus craved a bride and believed that by taking the Mistress of Magic for his queen his mastery of the mortal world would be complete. To this end, the Devil lured two of the Maiden’s prized stars from the night sky and chained them in Hell. He offered to release the stars in exchange for the Maiden’s hand. The Maiden of the Moon loathed Diabolus and wanted no part of his evil and so descended from the night sky to rescue her beloved stars, but she knew not the way into Hell. She searched the lands, scouring them for an entrance, but the Devil hid all the ways with dark magic. After much searching, the Maiden sat upon a rock and wept bitter tears for her

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beloved stars, whom she knew were suffering in the Enemy’s clutches. But while she wept, Old Man Cat stepped out of the shadows and asked, with a plaintive cry, whatever was the matter, for Old Man Cat, like others who hunted by night, loved the moon. The Maiden explained her sorry state and lamented that she had lost her dearest to darkness. Old Man Cat, however, was clever and knew the ways between places. He took pity on the goddess and offered to show her the way and so the Maiden and the cat took the hidden path into Hell and whisked the stars away without the Devil being any wiser. In return for Old Man Cat’s aid, the Maiden blessed him and henceforth his eyes would shine at night like stars to let all know that he and all his descendants were favored by the goddess.

The Maiden’s Beloved The Men of Gog despised the gods and slew any and all who served them during the conquest of Rûl. To protect her most cherished mortal servants, the Maiden of the Moon gave them the gift to make themselves appear as cats so they could escape the carnage. It’s thought that the ferren descended from these divine-blessed people as the goddess has never withdrawn her gift.

Scions of the Old Man Most stories about the feren entangle them with the goddess of magic, to be sure, but it could simply be that the ferren all share a common ancestor: Old Man Cat. The oldest stories about this quasi-divine being claimed he could adopt any form he wished, appearing as a human, faerie, or something else as the mood struck him. A notorious wanderer and something of a scoundrel, one can imagine him becoming involved in innumerable trysts with lovers who never anticipated the truth of his nature. From these unions, he sired an entire people and his blood carries down through the generations, as strong as that which flowed through his own veins long ago.

Magical Cats

Cats seem mysterious, secretive, and strange. They have their own customs and habits, they see things others cannot, they’re given to strange swings in moods, racing around one moment, only to find a spot of sun and sleep for hours in the warming light. Is it any wonder that people’s fascination with these furred hunters remains as strong as it ever was? With the ferren, the magic is more than just a fine way of describing how weird cats can be and in fact aptly describes their nature.

One question that has yet to be answered asks whether ferren are cats who can adopt human forms or are humans who can adopt feline forms. A ferren would tell you either are true, or neither, or just yawn and turn away, ignoring you for your impertinent question. The truth is that either could be true and not make much of a difference since ferren wear both forms as if born to them, which they were.

Glowing Eyes, Silent Steps

It’s almost impossible to pick out a ferren from a crowd of humans; in their humanoid forms, they look and, mostly, behave as others humans. Their appearance runs the gamut of human characteristics, with the same range of skin tones, facial features, body types, and colorations. Ferren do, though, bring over something of their feline natures when moving about as humans: in the dark, their eyes reflect light, appearing as if they glowed. Other hints come in the form of hirsuteness, feline pupil shape, and whiskers, though these traits are less common. In feline form, ferren appear as ordinary cats, with the usual range of coloration, patterns in their fur, facial and body types, and tail length. They look so much like cats that one might never know that they have taken in a ferren to look at them. Ferren in feline form cannot speak using the languages they know. Among other cats, though, the reactions of ordinary cats reveal their natures. Other cats spit and hiss at them, fleeing from their presence if their warnings don’t drive them off. Even unperturbable cats have a strong reaction to ferren and become angry or afraid if forced to remain in proximity to them. Rarely do ferren show preference for one form over the other and appear perfectly comfortable in either. Exceptions occur, naturally, and some ferren refuse to leave their human forms for fear of being trapped or harmed while a cat, while others have lived so long as cats they don’t remember what it’s like to walk on two legs. Some ferren, not content with the two forms common to their kind, find other forms to adopt.

Big Cats That some ferren can adopt larger feline forms, stronger, faster, and with longer claws and fangs, reinforces the magical nature of their transformation as it is their will that enables the growth of their cat shape. The ability arises in ferren who face regular adversity and might be a natural response to prolonged danger. The big cat form resembles that of a lynx or cougar, but there have been reports of powerful ferren who can transform into tigers, lions, or other great cats.

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Hybrid Forms An extended family of ferren staked their claim on an abandoned fortified town build on the slopes of the Brooding Sister, one of the peaks making up the mountains forming the southwestern border of the Northern Reach. Once an enclave that belonged to the Men of Gog, the Highland Pride moved in and claimed it for themselves. That the community belongs almost exclusively to the ferren is the least interesting thing about these people, however. All members of the same extended family can adopt a form between human and cat, a hybrid of both. In this form, the ferren stand upright, about half the height of a human, with fur all over their bodies. The have cat heads, but hands and feet instead of paws. Even odder, the ferren from this pride prefer this over the others and spend nearly all their time as hybrids. Since many ferren born in recent days to this community have lost the ability to become human, cat, or both, suggests that the ferren, in this case, are drifting toward an ancestry separate from their kin.

Shared Lands

Most ferren live among other peoples, but are most likely to choose human communities since they resemble humans and most, decent, humans appreciate, if not love, cats. Ferren also find places among the faerie and might be prized companions of elf nobles. Hamadryads lack the tolerance for ferren as far too many have lost bark to a scratching, climbing ferren. In the wild places, ferren seek out and live among the fauns with whom they share a kinship of sorts. Ferren might be adaptable to all kinds of living arrangements, but they have little love for the elementals, whom most ferren find strange and whose living conditions prove unsuited to the ferren’s needs. Ferrens prize their fur too much to live in the smoldering cities of the salamanders and few ferren enjoy a swim and thus absent themselves from undine grottos.

Ferren Prides

Ferren have a knack for finding other ferren in their communities and form into social groups called prides. They might squabble and fight, but they stick together, for the most part, to trade news and enjoy a bit of fellowship among their own kind. Members of a pride fall into a hierarchy under the leadership of the oldest and wisest member of their community. This individual chooses the gathering places, approves new membership, and makes decisions that would affect

the larger group. In return, other ferren bring offerings of food and treasure to their pride leaders to curry favor. A good pride leader redistributes these gifts to the other members, but certain treasure might be kept if valuable, interesting, or tasty. In larger communities with sizeable ferren populations, the shapechangers might secure meeting places for themselves in out-of-the-way and difficult to reach spots, preferably those accessible only in feline form. Rooftops, dry sewer chambers, the ends of narrow alleys, forgotten cellars and the like can all serve. These places act as safehouses for the ferren, retreats for them should circumstances become too difficult. Ferren decorate these places, called lairs, with paintings of friendly and hostile faces, words of encouragement, and key events of historical import to their community. Lairs also give ferren leaders a place where they can communicate their wishes, issue warnings, and dispense justice to the ferren they lead.

Loners

As likely as ferren might be to gather into prides, an equal number favor isolation. Many ferren see themselves as self-sufficient and don’t need or require companionship to live fulfilling lives. These loners have several bolt holes for hiding, resting, and where they can forage for food. They move between these locations freely, though often in the same order, until someplace better comes along. Once a haven becomes compromised, though, the ferren abandon the place and never return.

Boundless Curiosity Many ferren find themselves in trouble after letting their curiosity get the best of them. An odd noise could lead one ferren to investigate, while a disguised harvester who betrays its nature through strange mannerisms and appearance might attract the attention of a watchful ferren. Once a ferren takes an interest in something, they turn it over, examine it from all sides, scrutinizing it until they grow bored or figure out how it works, at which point they abandon it.

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Lethargy and Energy Ferren might pass hours reclining in a spot warmed by sunlight or nap in a confined and snug place, but one should not be fooled into thinking them lazy. Like cats, ferren reserve their energy for hunting prey and so don’t waste it on meaningless tasks. Ferren find it difficult to work jobs as other people do, and instead would rather hunt prey when hungry and sleep when not. Play, while enjoyed, serves to help them hone their hunting skills and they might chase other ferren, smaller creatures from which they would derive little or no sustenance, or go exploring to sniff out interesting things. A ferren that goes too long without taking apart prey might become wild and act in a crazed manner, running around in circles, chasing its tail, scrambling up walls, or simply make a racket for the sake of doing so.

Keen Senses Ferren have excellent eyesight that lets them see in low-light conditions, but their sense of smell contributes to their vision, letting them pick up on the faintest odors. When they encounter something intriguing, they might open their mouths to get more of the scent. Their sharp senses contribute to their curious natures, so that they might move off to find the source of an odor they find interesting. Like cats, ferren respond to certain odors in unusual ways. Certain herbs stimulate their pleasure centers and send them rolling or running around. They might stare off into space or dart off in a seemingly random direction for no reason at all.

Fastidious Giving off a strong odor interferes with their senses and also alerts prey to their presence, so all but the oldest and sickest ferren keep themselves clean. In their human forms, they bathe after every meal and might do so between meals as well. In their cat forms, they appear sensitive to the smallest bit of dirt and they might stop whatever they happen to be doing to clean off the dirt, licking for as long as it takes to get the offending substance off their coats.

Ferren Characters

You can find the rules for creating ferren characters in Demon Lord’s Companion 2, but for more detailed characters and even more options for play, you can use the following rules. If you avail yourself of the following rules, be sure to use the supplementary tables also presented here to determine your starting profession, languages, and equipment.

Two Forms You have two forms: a human form and a feline form. You appear fully human while in human form and as an ordinary cat when in your feline form. You can use an action to switch from one to the other. When you switch from human form to cat form, you can drop anything you wear or carry, but anything you still wear or carry becomes absorbed by your feline form and cannot be used until you assume your human form once more. If you become incapacitated, you remain in whatever you were last wearing.

Attribute Scores Your attribute scores depend on your form as shown below, but any increases to your attribute scores apply to both forms. For example, if you increase your Strength by 1 when you choose your novice path, you would have a 10 Strength in human form and a 9 Strength in feline form. Strength 9 (human) or 8 (feline) Agility 11 (human) or 12 (feline) Intellect 10 (human and feline) Will 9 (human and feline)

Random Attribute Scores You might prefer to randomize your attribute scores. If so, roll four d3s, noting the number rolled for each. You then add one number rolled to the following attribute scores: Strength 7, Agility 9, Intellect 8, Will 7. In your feline form, you decrease your Strength by one and increase your Agility by 1.

Characteristics You determine the scores for your characteristics as follows. Perception equals your Intellect score + 1 (human) or + 2 (feline)

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Defense equals your Agility score Health equals your Strength score Healing Rate equals one-quarter your Health Size 1 or 1/4 (feline) Speed 10 (human) or 12 (feline) Power 0 Damage, Insanity, and Corruption 0 Languages You speak the Common Tongue. Professions You determine your starting profession using tables presented below.

Ferren Traits You gain the following traits. Shadowsight You can see in areas obscured by shadows as if those areas were lit. Natural Weapons You have long, sharp nails in your human form. Your unarmed strike deals 1d3 damage instead of 1. In your cat form, you can use your claws and teeth as natural weapons. They have the finesse property and your attacks with them deal 1 damage. Climber (feline form) You can move at full Speed while climbing, ignoring the normal difficult terrain that results from this movement. Stealthy (feline form) You make the Agility challenge roll to hide and sneak with 2 boons.

Level 4 Ferren Expert When you reach level 4, you gain the following benefits from your ancestry. Health Increase your Health by 4.

Ferren Traits Choose one of the following traits. Spell You learn one spell from a tradition you have discovered. Fluid Transformation Rather than use an action to switch between your forms, you can switch forms automatically once while you move. When you assume a feline form in this way, your movement does not trigger free attacks. Hybrid Form You learn how to adopt a hybrid form in addition to your human and feline forms. Your hybrid form combines features from both forms, while retaining the ability to speak. You have the increased Perception and Speed of your feline form as well as the climber and stealthy traits from that form. In addition, your unarmed strikes now deal 1d6 damage and have the finesse property. Lynx Form When you adopt your feline form, you can choose to resemble a larger cat, such as a lynx. When you do so, you gain all the benefits from adopting your feline form, plus all of the following additional benefits. • Increase your Strength and Agility from your human form by 1 each. • Your natural weapons deal 1d6 damage instead and retain the finesse property.

Ferren Development

More than just the numbers recorded on a sheet, a player character becomes the persona you adopt while exploring and struggling to survive in an imaginary world. The more detail you add to your character, the more fulfilling the experience becomes. Establishing personality traits, goals, and motivations helps you define certain behavioral parameters so you can portray your character in a consistent

and believable manner. The following tables offer roleplaying elements. You can determine these elements by rolling dice, choosing them, or making up something else. You should use these tables in place of those presented in Shadow of the Demon Lord and Demon Lord’s Companion 2.

Upbringing Your story begins with your upbringing, which includes details about your parents and siblings, the place where you lived, and your early education. These early experiences lay the foundation for who you will become.

Familial Circumstances 3d6 3

Stolen from your crib, you never knew your blood relations. Perhaps the faeries pilfered you or some vile creature with ill intent made off with you before you could shout or cry.

4–5

Disease, war, betrayal, or some other horrific act wiped out your family, leaving you to fend for yourself. The trauma of this event haunts you still and you find it difficult to make connections.

6–8

One or both parents raised you and your siblings, but hardships, internal or external, left you shaken and uncertain about your future.

9–12

You grew up under the guidance and company of your family. You likely had several siblings, each of whom grew up in a similar way. You probably get on well with most family members.

13–15

A warm and nurturing environment proved everything you needed to be ready for adolescence and beyond. Likely, you have close ties to whatever family remains.

16–17

Tragedy took your parents from you, but a blood relation or close family friend took you in and raised you as their own. You had a good upbringing, even if you wonder what your life would have been like in other circumstances.

Family Your immediate family describes the people around whom you spent your earliest years. These people could be parents and siblings, blood relations, or adoptive guardians. Or, you could have a weirder family, one formed through hardship and circumstance. The following family table offers some possible scenarios.

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Homeland Ferren come to age in all kinds of places. They might live in tightknit communities of ferren or among humans unaware of their neighbors’ magical natures. Some ferren grow up in the wild places, ruins of forgotten cities, or in strange, almost otherworldly places.

Education The importance of a good education varies from family to family. For many, learning enough to provide for oneself by hunting and foraging represents all the education one could ever possibly need, but then there are those who see ignorance as an invitation to bad beliefs, foolishness, and stupid action, and thus ferren put their offspring through the same rigorous systems of education that humans and others do. Regardless of your educational background, use the tables in Shadow of the Demon Lord to determine one profession, which you can choose or generate by rolling dice.

Signature Background Event Everyone has at least one moment that defines them. It could be a brush with death, an amazing windfall, a romance that went sour or blossomed into love, or a disruption caused by war, plague, or worse. Use the following table to come up with your background event.

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Family

You took nothing good from your upbringing. Maybe the problem was you. Maybe you were damaged or broken and you could not accept love and nurturing. Or, your family members might have been wicked people, who tormented you until you finally escaped.

Ferren Homelands 3d6

Homeland

3

Through curtains of falling cherry blossoms, you could see the slender towers of the faerie city in whose shadow you came of age. Yours was an upbringing filled with wonder and magic, counting the faeries as your friends, where you could pick out meaning from the chattering of birds in the trees, and where a friendly fox might offer kind advice to mend your broken heart. You come from a hidden kingdom and your time in faerie makes the mortal world seem drab and dull.

4–5

You spent much of your life caged and studied, made a prisoner by some cruel master who ripped you from your childhood and forced you to fend for yourself. You escaped, but have been on the run for much of your life so far.

6–8

You grew up in the ruins of a town or village abandoned by the humans who lived there. You and your family made what repairs you needed to make and got along in the wreckage of a departed people.

9–12

You came to age in the company of humans. Your family hid the truth of themselves from their neighbors, perhaps confiding in a trusted few. Never did you feel comfortable in this setting as you felt you had to keep concealed who you were, truly.

13–15

Your family belonged to a larger ferren community and so you had plenty of friends who enjoyed the same gifts as you. You might have experienced acceptance and friendship, or ostracism and antagonism, just as a child of any community might.

16–17

Your family lived on the edges of the world alongside a community of fauns. You felt like an outsider despite the friendships you made and took the first chance to find a place of your own.

18

You grew up in a big, cosmopolitan city, where you mingled with other children from all kinds of cultures and ancestries.

Ferren Education 3d6 3

You learned how to hunt, how to determine if water is safe to drink, how to sneak and skulk and do all the other things you need to survive in the world and that’s about it.

4–5

You received the most basic education. You can do sums, perhaps read a bit, and have a sense about the world, but you’re no scholar and the gaps in your training show themselves in the way you talk and in the wanting for substance in what you say.

6–8

You had opportunities to learn, but you chose to use your time for other purposes.

9–12

Your education was no better and no worse than that had by most other people.

13–15

Good instructors and familial support saw you do well in your education. You start the game with one profession of your choice.

16–17

You excelled in your studies and have a bright mind. You start the game with a profession of your choice and you know how to speak, read, and write in one additional language.

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Education

Your family spared no expense when it came to your education; you had the best instructors, access to vast libraries, and were disciplined if you showed anything but enthusiasm. In addition to gaining an extra profession, you know two additional languages (in which you are literate), you also have two areas of scholarship.

Signature Background Event d20

Event

1

An evil child, a monster, or something else hurt you in a bad way. Scars crisscross your body and you might be missing the tip of an ear or walk with a limp. Roll a d6. On a 4 or higher, you later found your tormentor and gave back what you received tenfold.

2

While exploring an urban environment, inhabited or abandoned, you stepped onto a narrow path and followed it into Hell. You became trapped there and had to bargain with a devil for your freedom. Gain 1 Corruption and you start the game with one Mark of Darkness.

3

You remained in the wilderness or you fled to it to escape danger. If you missed other people, you overcame your loneliness to learn how to make it in the forests and the fields. Add one wilderness profession of your choice to your list of professions.

4

Blood stains your hand. You have since explained away the act of murder as a necessary thing, telling yourself that it was kill or be killed, but deep down you know the truth. You killed when you didn’t have to and one day, you fear, you will have to face the consequences. In the meantime, gain 1 Corruption.

5

You had a family for a time, but no more. Someone or something took them from you. Spouse and children, gone. You might search for them still or they might have passed from this world into whatever awaits beyond. Or, maybe you are responsible for their disappearance and you cannot bear to think about the part you played.

6

You found a place in service to the Maiden of the Moon. A temple could have taken you in when you were in need, offering you food and shelter, or you could have sought out a place among the priests, to learn the rites and rituals of the faith in order to serve the goddess. Whether this was a long-term arrangement or short, you have come away with the acolyte of the Moon Maiden profession.

7

When you befriended the sprite, your life changed. The faerie opened your eyes to a whole new world, showing you sights you never imagined were possible. You have since parted ways, but the faerie sometimes lends aid when you least expect. When you roll a 1 for a boon, you can roll the die again and add it to the 1. Once you use this feature, you must wait 4d20 hours before you can use it again.

8

You have become haunted. If you have Demon Lord’s Companion, you begin the game with the haunted complication. Otherwise, people experience weirdness around you, such as knocking in the walls, odd odors, and cold spots.

9

A brat decided to adopt you while you were in cat form. The child dressed you in fancy clothes, made you sit through tea parties, and put you in all sorts of humiliating situations. You tried to turn into your human form, but some queer magic prevented you. That magic was your love. You slipped away, but you still check in on this person from time to time.

10

You were pulled into a whirlwind adventure of danger, excitement, and thrills beyond anything you could have imagined. You made a lifelong friend from the experience, a character who might play a part in the campaign that you develop with the GM, and you gained a taste for adventure that puts your feet on your current path to fame and fortune.

11

You accompanied a merchant and visited many lands, meeting people of all cultures, ethnicities, and ancestries. From your extensive travels, add a language to the list of languages you know.

d20

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Event

12

Ignorance landed you in deep trouble. Some fool discovered your true nature and then came to the conclusion that you are, in fact, a wicked skinchanger. After attacking you with a silver spoon, you transformed into a cat and ran off. You haven’t been back to that community since, as you believe the people there might share in the same stupid ideas as the one who discovered you.

13

Believing your education to be of the utmost importance, your family sent you away to the Nine Cities where you learned from the brightest minds in Rûl. You completed your studies having been exposed to new ideas, beliefs, and philosophy. Add two areas of scholarship to your professions.

14

Hostile humanoids struck your settlement and you counted yourself among the defenders, fighting to protect your friends, loved ones, and home. You emerged from this experience shaken, but resolved to never fall victim to such an attack again. Increase your Insanity by 1, but you begin the game with one military or swift weapon of your choice.

15

You found magic during your explorations and your mind opened to new possibilities. You discover one tradition of your choice. As normal, from discovering this tradition, you learn one rank 0 spell from the tradition.

16

Thanks to your keen instincts, you unmasked a villain in your community. Unfortunately, this person was your lover or closest friend. You didn’t want to believe. You tried to convince yourself that the clues were nothing. But, in the end, you found this person out and stopped them from completing the ritual that would have sent your community spinning off into the Void. Gain 1 Insanity, but you never have to pay for food or drink in your community.

17

You have talent producing art: painting, sculpting, writing, or something else. You produced a piece so good that a noble purchased it, lifting you and your family to a comfortable lifestyle. You start the game with 2d20 ss.

18

You took up with a powerful witch, acting as her companion and, to some extent, her familiar. You helped with her magic and potions, while watching over her when she slept. Your mistress was dragged off by troglodytes and probably eaten. You survived by hiding under a footstool. You escaped with a potion of the GM’s choice while the fires, started by the hideous people, consumed your house.

19

During one of your evening strolls across the rooftops of a large city, you spied through a window a well-known religious leader engaged in lewd conduct with a lover a third his or her age. You might have purged knowledge of this experience from your head after a few nights of hard drinking, but you hated this person, who once kicked you while you were in cat form. You’ve been blackmailing the figure for a while, but it really can’t go on forever and someday you might push this person too far.

20

You served as the ship’s cat on the infamous pirate vessel, The Vengeance. You got along well during this time and enjoyed a fair amount of luxury for your position—turns out that the rats really didn’t want to be on the ship in the first place and so your days and nights were yours. Well, everything went to the bottom of the sea after your captain, whose name you can’t bother to recall, angered the Kingdom of Sails and earned swift and violent retribution after buggering the prince or princess, who was a willing participant, make no mistake. You made your way, but not before you pocketed the captain’s map to buried treasure. You just need a few confederates to help you find the treasure and it should be all the milk, cheese, and mackerel you could ever want for the rest of your days.

Physical Features

In case your eye slid from the page due to some failure of the text to grip your attention, ferren are people who can turn into cats, cats who can turn into people, or, maybe, both are true. From this, you should deduce that you have two forms to define. What do you look like as a human? How about as a cat? The answer to these and other questions might rise to the surface in the following tables.

Apparent Age Maybe you look as old as you really are. It could be that hard living has taken a toll on you, graying you before your time. Or, you could be blessed with youthful looks and yet be old enough to know what a gift this can be. The seeming age holds true in either of your forms.

Feline Form No cat exists that doesn’t have a ferren counterpart. You could be gray, white, a tuxedo, a tabby, or some speckled combination created by generations of bad decisions made in dark alleys under the light of the full moon. Since someone is bound to ask, yes, you might even be hairless.

Human Form Appearance Ferren pass easily for humans. People can go their whole lives without ever guessing their best friend roams the streets in cat form at night or that their prized show cat is in fact the snooty woman who they keep seeing when out and about. You can choose any form for your human appearance.

d20 7

You have a solid black coat.

8

You have a solid gray coat and deep orange eyes.

9

You have a thin, slender body, tail, and overlarge ears.

10

You have a long coat in any color or colors you like.

11

You have short, plush fur, and a scrunched up face.

12

You have incredibly long, thick fur that requires constant grooming. Choose whatever color tickles your fancy.

13

You are quite large, about twice the size of other cats. You have short fur but a big expressive face with a long nose.

14

You have a long body, fluffy tail, and wide face.

15

You have thick fur and a squashed face.

16

You were once pure white, but your fur developed a pattern and color all your own.

Distinctive Traits Distinctive traits are the features that people remember and identify as belonging to you. Such traits can be inborn or gained over time. You can have as many traits as you like or none. The table below gives you some fun, ferren-themed traits.

Apparent Age 3d6 3

Apparent Age You look like a child. You might be one too. At your age, you have the rest of your life ahead of you. Why would you mess it up fighting demons and stuff?

4–5

People might tell you that you’re a bit young to be doing a dangerous job like adventuring. You look as if you have a few years to go before you reach the adult neighborhood.

6–8

Young, vibrant, full of health and ready to do it all. You have all the confidence of youth.

9–12

You look like an adult, full grown and ready for all the responsibilities ages thrusts on your shoulders.

13–15

You found your first gray hairs and notice a bit of weathering around the eyes. Nothing that a few cosmetics can’t cover up.

16–17

In dim light, you look like your young self, but, really, you’re not fooling anyone. You look like you’re running low on middle age years and might have to reach into the old barrel.

18

You look old and, probably, feel old. Wrinkles? You have them. Gray hairs? You’d punch an orc for gray hairs to cover the white on your head. You’ve slowed down a bit and your joints pop and creak. You probably groan when you bend over.

Feline Forms d20

9

Coats

1

You have a mottled coat, striped or spotted, made of browns, tans, and reds. You have a white chin and underbelly.

2

You have an orange coat that runs a bit long. No tail for you!

3

You look like a tabby with a distinctive “m” pattern on your face. You can have any coloration made up of white, black, brown, tan, and so on.

4

You have a black face, ears, and paws, but a long white to tan coat. You have distinctive blue eyes.

5

You have stripes just like a tiger.

6

You have a long, shaggy white coat with black tail, face, and ears.

Coats

17

You have spots all over your body.

18

You have soft, velvety fur with short, bent ears.

19

You have a tan coat with black or dark brown markings.

20

Your coat is so thin, you look hairless. Other cats might call you names.

Human Form Appearance 3d6

3

Appearance Everything about your appearance puts people off, maybe even upsetting them. Your unattractiveness invites stares and inappropriate commentary or sees people cross the street to avoid you or make excuses to leave your presence.

4–5

Utterly forgettable, that’s you. Nothing stands out. It’s so bad, you have to remind people again and again that they’ve met you.

6–8

There’s something off about you, some feature that takes away from commendable physical qualities and instead makes it difficult to form romantic relationships. Others might see you as charming, quirky, or fun, even, but feel little attraction.

9–12

You look like most other people, average in most respects. Some cosmetics and fine clothing can bring you in the vicinity of attractive if not fully there.

13–15

You have natural beauty that draws the eye and suitor to follow. Your beauty stems from one or two fine features.

16–17

For the average person, you might just be the most striking ever encountered. People notice you wherever you go and people’s affections, especially when rebuffed, might lead to some problems for you.

18

People count you among the greatest beauties in the land. You have a form many deem perfect, even considering the widespread opinions of what is and what is not attractive. Is the perfect symmetry of your face? The smoothness of your skin? The flowing, ethereal movements of your body? It’s all this and probably a whole lot more.

d20

Ferren Distictive Traits

Dependability

Trait

Dependability speaks to your overall reliability. Will you do what you say you’ll do or not? How good is your word?

1

You have a tattoo of a cat somewhere on your body. First love? Hated enemy? Someone who moved away, but you never liked much, but thought it funny to tattoo their likeness on your body? You decide.

2

Your eyes are different colors.

3

You have long moustaches, so long they seem to have taken a life of their own. If you don’t want moustaches, you could have fanciful eyebrows, long lashes, or profuse body hair.

4

You keep the nails on your hands long and sharp.

5

Your eyes seem to glow in the dark.

6

You have a furry tail. You might tell folks it’s part of a costume for some obscure stage show that no one has ever heard about or just claim it as your own.

7

You have pointed ears.

8

You make a deep rumbling noise in your chest when you are content and happy.

9

Sudden movement snatches away your attention from whatever it is that you’re doing. Once, you spotted a dung beetle and left a conversation to watch the little creature move its romantic creation across the path in the hopes of impressing the lady dung beetles who most certainly were nearby. You have also taken apart flies, crickets, and small birds without meaning to.

People could exhaust you or feed your soul. Your sociability tells you how well you get along with others and your ability to handle social situations.

Outlook How you see the world describes your outlook. You could see the silver lining in the darkest clouds or live your life expecting the worst at every turn.

Receptiveness Receptiveness describes your willingness to accept change in your life, to take risks, and to consider new ideas.

Affability You could enjoy social gatherings, but be fairly quiet or you could hate them and have a loud mouth and seem gregarious. Affability describes how friendly you can be.

10

When you feel affection for someone, you gently, slowly close your eyes.

11

You are given to sudden outbursts of frenzy that burn themselves out after a few minutes.

12

You keep sprigs of cat mint on your person all the time.

13

You have cat eyes, meaning your pupils contract from side to side.

14

You have long eye teeth.

15

Your hands and feet sweat when you’re hot or nervous.

16

When startled, you scream and hiss until you can get yourself under control.

3d6 3

17

You groom yourself all the time. You’re not so crass as to lick yourself, but you wash your hands, and cover your hands with gloves so you don’t have to touch anything icky.

I make all kinds of promises and then do whatever I want. This might be irresponsible, but it’s my life and I’ll live it in whatever way I choose.

4–5

Was I supposed to do something? Hmm. Hey, look at that!

6–8

If I remember, I’ll do it.

9–12

For important stuff, I do what I said I would do. Yeah, sometimes I let the small stuff slide, but I never mean any harm. You have to have priorities.

13–15

I feel guilty when I don’t follow through and so I try to do whatever I say I will, even if it makes my life a bit more difficulty.

16–17

You can rely on me. I’m one of the most dependable people you will ever meet.

18

You always look like you’re on the verge of falling asleep, but when you sleep, you always have an eye open. Others might find this spooky.

19

Frequently, you cough up disgusting wads so foul-smelling that you can clear a room.

20

You pace all the time. Back and forth, always moving, always twitching, you just can’t sit still.

Personality Your character might have any personality you like, though it’s always a good idea to develop a personality compatible with other members of the group. When constructing your character’s personality, be sure to take into account past experiences, connections to others, and to what extent your character would go to satisfy needs.

10

Sociability

Morality Last comes morality, which describes your knowledge of good and evil, and, when given a choice, what sorts of activities you might perform.

Dependability

18

Dependability

If I say I will do something, I will do it. I won’t allow distractions or obstacles to stop me. And if somehow, circumstances beyond my control prevent me from accomplishing my mission, I will go to any length to make restitution.

Sociability 3d6

Sociability

Affability 3d6

Affability

3

Social interaction vexes me. I clam up, become nervous, and then spend my time looking for a way out.

3

4–5

I find people exhausting. I can handle a few at a time and then I need to be alone.

4–5

I have everyone I need and am not looking to meet anyone else. You have to be interesting or useful for me to take notice of you.

6–8

I prefer the company of friends and I become a little uncomfortable when around strangers.

6–8

I am quiet and reserved. I prefer to listen.

9–12

I enjoy spending time with others, but I’m also fine when I’m alone.

9–12

I am a good conversationalist. I know when to talk and when to listen.

13–15

I seek out social gatherings and enjoy myself with just about anyone.

13–15

I will talk to just about anyone and warm up to people with ease.

16–17

I thrive in social situations. I can hang out all night and be one of the last to head home.

16–17

I talk all the time in social situations. I’m happy to fill the quiet spaces with my chatter.

18

People are amazing! Every person I meet is a new story to learn, new experiences to appreciate. I want everyone to be my friend.

18

If I go too long without other people, I become nervous and upset.

I have no interest in other people. They do nothing for me.

Outlook 3d6

Outlook

3d6

3

I am always worried. If there’s nothing to be worried about, I’ll make up something to worry over. I cry all the time, have the shakes, and tend to jump at the slightest sounds.

4–5

Life is misery. My lot is to suffer. In fact, it’s everyone’s lot but people are too stupid to see it.

6–8

I expect the worst so that I’ll never be disappointed when it happens.

3

Morality I am a monster. I do whatever I want, when I want, and care nothing for the consequences. I have left a trail of damaged people behind me and remembering all the hurts I have caused makes me laugh.

4–5

I will do the right thing if it serves my interests. Otherwise, I will do what needs doing.

6–8

I will do the right thing sometimes, but, really, I’m also likely to just do what I want to do.

9–12

I try to do the right thing when given the chance.

9–12

Not much you can do about life. It happens. Best to roll with the punches and join in on the laughter.

13–15

I try to find the best in every person and situation. I am willing to give others the benefit of the doubt.

13–15

I try to be a good person. I help others when asked and make good choices.

16–17

Nothing gets to me. No matter how bad things are, I remain upbeat and positive.

16–17

I live to help other people. I help others, even when no one asks me to, and to do anything to hurt someone knowingly is unthinkable.

18

I am so positive in my dealings, others find me upsetting. I refuse to accept negative situations and reshape the narrative to make things seem better than they are.

Receptiveness 3d6

Receptiveness

3

I am stubborn to the point of boorishness. I refuse to listen to new ideas. I won’t do anything that I don’t already know how to do. I am fine just the way I am.

4–5

I need routine. I crave order. I don’t want to learn new things, have new experiences, or do anything that might upset the way I have organized my life.

6–8

For the most part, I’m satisfied with the way things are. I have my beliefs, habits, and routines. I have no interest in changing them, so you better bring a good argument.

9–12

I’m open to new ideas and experiences, but I also know what I like and what I prefer. You might change my mind, though.

13–15

I’m always looking for ways to improve and engage in self-improvement activities all the time. If there’s a better way of doing things, I’m all ears.

16–17

I get bored a little too easily and so I’m constantly looking for new experiences and opportunities. I loathe routine and want each day to be fresh and new.

18

11

Morality

I am erratic, unpredictable, and bring chaos to every situation. I have a hard time saying no and that gets me in trouble all the time.

18

I have committed myself to good actions, I sacrifice to my own detriment. If someone needs a shirt, I’ll take it off my back. If someone is hungry, I will go without to feed them. A life of service and selfless action explains why you are here.

Professions Like all starting characters, you have at least two

professions. You might have a profession from your character details that you have determined up to this point or might lack any. The following table gives you a way to determine one or more professions from those commonly held by ferren in the world. Each profession also includes a bonus or penalty that applies to your starting lifestyle. If you generate more than one profession from this table, add the modifiers together.

Ferren Professions d20

Profession and Bonus or Penalty

1

Scholar (roll on the Academic Professions table in Shadow, page 24) (+1)

2

Burglar or pickpocket (–1)

3

Entertainer or musician (+0)

4

Rat catcher (–1)

d20

Weapons

Profession and Bonus or Penalty

5

Courtesan (+1)

Lifestyle

Weapons

6

Dilettante (+2)

Destitute

A club or a sling with 10 stones

7

Merchant (+2)

8

Rabble-rouser (–1)

9

Drug dealer (+0)

10

Gourmand (+0)

11

Wanderer (–1)

Wealthy

12

Detective (+0)

Rich

13

Bodyguard (+0)

14

Outcast (–2)

Poor

A basic weapon of your choice and a knife

Comfortable

A military or swift melee weapon of your choice and a knife Any two weapons of your choice plus a knife Any three weapons of your choice plus a knife

Personal Gear

15

Explorer, cartographer, archeologist (+0)

Lifestyle

Personal Gear

16

Devotee of the Maiden of the Moon (+1)

Destitute

An unpleasant odor and plenty of dirt

17

Adventurer (+1)

18

Fence (+1)

19

Forward observer or guide (–1)

20

Fisher, hunter, or trapper (–1)

The following tables help you generate a set of starting equipment based on your starting lifestyle. To determine your starting lifestyle, roll a d6 and add it to the sum of the bonuses and penalties gained from your professions. Find the total on the following table.

Starting Lifestyle Total

Lifestyle

–1 or less

Destitute

0–1

Poor

2–3

Getting by

4–5

Comfortable

6–7

Wealthy

8 or more

Rich

Clothing Lifestyle

Clothing

Destitute

A filthy shirt full of holes and darkened by your perspiration.

Poor Getting by Comfortable

Sack, loaf of bread, jug of water, flint and steel, and a candle

Poor

Starting Equipment

12

A staff, club, or sling with 10 stones

Getting by

Threadbare basic clothing and a ratty cloak. Basic clothing and a cloak. A fine cloak and three sets of basic clothing.

Wealthy

A fine cloak, six sets of quality basic clothing, one set of noble’s clothing, and jewelry worth 5 gc.

Rich

A fine cloak, ten sets of noble’s clothing, and jewelry worth 10 gc.

Getting by

Backpack, rations, skin filled with water, coil of rope, tinderbox, 2 torches

Comfortable

Backpack, rations, skin filled with water, coil of rope, tinderbox, 2 torches

Wealthy

Backpack, rations, skin filled with water, coil of rope, tinderbox, lantern, 2 flasks of oil

Rich

Backpack, rations, skin filled with water, coil of rope, tinderbox, lantern, 2 flasks of oil

Special Gear Lifestyle

Special Gear

Destitute

—

Poor

—

Getting by

—

Comfortable

A healing potion plus one of the following: scroll containing an incantation of a rank 0 spell, small shield, healer’s kit, tool kit, or writing kit

Wealthy

A healing potion plus one of the following: scroll containing an incantation of a rank 0 spell, small shield, healer’s kit, tool kit, or writing kit

Rich

Three healing potions, a personal servant (commoner), and a bodyguard (mercenary)

Starting Funds Lifestyle

Starting Funds

Destitute

—

Poor

1d6 bits

Getting by

1d6 cp

Comfortable

3d6 cp

Wealthy

1d6 ss

Rich

1d6 gc

Ferren Interesting Things d20

Interesting Thing

1

A ball of yarn, toy mouse, or some other similar diverting bauble

2

A bundle of cat mint

3

A small box filled with sand

4

Something you threw up with which you couldn’t part

5

A mysterious metal object of unknown purpose

6

A dead bird, mouse, frog, or similar small creature

7

A passel of fish

8

A stolen purse, monogrammed and made from silk

9

A moustache brush, wax, and scissors

10

Waggling eyebrows

11

A shiny bit of sea glass

12

A bronze key with the lock it fits

13

The love of a devoted child

14

Fleas

15

A bag of purloined foods

16

A favored blanket

17

A bent and broken birdcage

18

A scratched up log

19

The shredded remains of documents important to someone who is not you

20

A favorite bowl

New Paths

Here, at the end of this engaging supplement you’ll find a pair of intriguing master paths. While designed with ferren characters in mind, any character with an interest in pursuing them might step from their expert paths onto these and unlock talents with which they can take on almost any foe.

Disciple of Old Man Cat

He could stroll unmolested through Hell’s gates, coming and going as he pleased. He wandered the whole world and escape Father Death again and again and again. He could see through any disguise, slip through the smallest spaces, and could catch anything he wanted. These tales attribute marvelous abilities to Old Man Cat, leading many to worship him as a small god. You are one of the many. In return for your dedication, the sire of all felines rewards you with certain gifts, capabilities that signal you as being favored by the Old Man and being about his business.

13

Level 7 Old Man Cat Disciple Attributes Choose two attributes and increase both by 1. Characteristics Health +4, Power +1 Magic You discover one tradition or you learn one spell from a tradition you have already discovered. Nine Lives Father Death has little power over you. You have nine lives, minus one life for each time you have previously died. If you die, your body, along with everything you wear and carry, disappears and reappears in a safe place of the GM’s choosing within 1 mile. You are restored to life, heal all damage, and have one fewer life. Land on your Feet You never take damage from landing after a fall, no matter how far your fall. Weird Eyes You gain the darksight trait if you don’t have it already. Also, you can see invisible creatures and objects within the range of your vision.

Level 10 Old Man Cat Disciple Characteristics Health +4 Magic You learn one spell from a tradition you have discovered. Untouchable You gain the climber and swimmer traits. You can jump and leap twice as far as normal. Your movement never triggers a free attack and you cannot be grabbed or immobilized. Finally, you can squeeze through Size 1/4 openings.

Razor Claw

Whether you had claws or gain them upon taking this master path, you prefer to use them over just about any other melee weapon. You keep your claws nice and sharp so you can flense the skin from your victims’ bodies. And, since the claws are part of your body, you can swipe with great speed and precision.

Level 7 Razor Claw Attributes Choose two attributes and increase both by 1. Characteristics Health +5 Claws Your unarmed strikes become natural weapons (claws) that deal 1d6 + 3 damage and retain their normal properties. In addition, when you attack with your claws and the total of your attack roll is 20 or higher, your claws deal 1d6 extra damage and cause the target to become impaired for 1 round. At level 10, the target instead becomes impaired for 1 minute. Springing Strike When you use an action to attack, you can jump a distance equal to half your Speed before or after you make the attack roll. If you jump first, you make your attack roll with 1 boon. If you jump after, your movement doesn’t trigger a free attack.

Level 10 Razor Claw Characteristics Health +5 Rapid Claw When you get a success on an attack roll to attack with your claw, you can use a triggered action to make an attack with your claw against the same or different target. Once you use this talent, you have to wait until you can use it again. During the end of the round, you can roll a d6 and on a 4 or higher, you can use this talent again. Cut through Anything Your claws can tear through stone and metal. When you make an attack roll to attack with your claws, you can make the roll against the lower of the target’s Defense or Agility.

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