Cat's Decision Point

Summary

Cat's Decision Point occurred in Session 10 when Cat witnessed Safia steal keys from the Thunder Hogs and flee into the tunnels pursued by the gang. The GM, Shawn, presented Cat with a choice of how to respond to the chase. Brad, playing Cat, initially suggested that the character "just lets this play out," exercising restraint rather than intervening. This choice prompted immediate commentary from Abdul, who highlighted the contradiction between Cat's willingness to murder Nick Silver without provocation versus the current restraint shown when companions were in danger. The moment became comedic when Shawn narrated the possibility of Cat simply leaving the scene entirely, walking away through the gate to New Smoke and never being seen again, with Dayna joking about introducing a new character. The decision remained unresolved as the conversation shifted.

Details

The scene unfolded after Safia obtained a keyring from the Thunder Hogs. Shawn described the situation to Brad: "You see Safiya get smacked to the ground with the keyring. And start running away. The Thunder Hogs in close pursuit. What do you do?"

Brad's response was unexpected. Rather than rushing to help Safia or attempting to intervene against the Thunder Hogs, Brad stated: "Cat just lets this play out."

This choice immediately drew commentary from Abdul, who called out the apparent inconsistency in Cat's behavior: "You were going to murder Nick Silver for no reason and now in this situation, you're exercising restraint?" The contrast between Cat's aggressive stance toward Nick Silver—someone who posed no immediate threat—and the current passive response to companions in danger created an ironic comedic beat.

Shawn leaned into the absurdity of the moment by narrating a possible outcome: "Cat watches the situation, turns around, walks up the stairs. Stairs and leaves. He carries on through the gate to new smoke, into the distance and is never seen again."

Dayna added to the joke by suggesting: "And instead my new character arrives."

The moment remained unresolved as the table conversation shifted to out-of-character discussion about a fringe comedy show.

Participants

Cat — The character facing the decision point, observed Safia's flight from the Thunder Hogs and chose initial restraint
Brad — Player of Cat, made the decision to have the character hold back rather than intervene
Safia — Stole keys from the Thunder Hogs, got knocked down, and fled into the tunnels with the gang in pursuit
Thunder Hogs — Gang members pursuing Safia after the theft of their keys
Shawn — GM who framed the decision point and narrated the comedic possibility of Cat abandoning the scene entirely
Abdul — Highlighted the contradiction in Cat's behavior, comparing the restraint to Cat's earlier willingness to attack Nick Silver
Dayna — Made a joke about introducing a new character if Cat departed

Consequences

Character Choice Tension — The decision highlighted Cat's unpredictable nature and created uncertainty about whether the character would help allies or abandon them
Unresolved Action — The moment did not reach a definitive resolution within the session, leaving Safia's fate in pursuit by the Thunder Hogs unclear
Comedic Commentary — The scene became a moment of table humor, with players and GM acknowledging the absurdity of Cat's contradictory moral calculus
Player Agency — Brad's choice demonstrated player freedom to make unexpected character decisions even when they created narrative tension or potential party conflict