This will also remove the Supernatural tag for moving the cat, which I realize is the point in order to prevent Katastrophe from having control over the cat. However, maybe Dread should still increase every time the cat is moved?

Also, please tidy up the text “The Black Cat Walk move”. It’s written a little oddly.

Reworded.

From my reading of the current rules, I don’t think Dread increases when the cat moves? Sure it’s a supernatural action, but it happens after the Dread changes occur so it’s never counted.

I’d prefer removing Supernatural status of cat’s moving rather than teleporting the cat at random. And maybe add a restriction of not being Possessed to Kiddle.
And if, per Josh’s comment, Possessed Explorer is prohibited to achieve victory, it will be in their interest to catch the cat and lose that trait.

Not sure about that last assumption quirck - of the role is powerful enough then it acquires a push-your-luck element where your want to keep it right up until the point at which you are able to win.

So the reason the cat has to teleport, at least on gaining the possessed status, is that the cat can follow you the turn after you gain it. i.e. you would only have it for a single turn with little ability to get away unless you have enough space to flee (which might kinda be a little suspicious).

If the cat follows the newly possessed explorer, due to the order of bullet points in the mansion phase rule, if the possessed explorer moves, the repossession check will occur before the cat moves, so that explorer wouldn’t cease to be possessed.
And if the cat randomly teleported to the neighboring room, and the newly possessed explorer happens to go there, they will cease to be possessed on the next turn.
Even if the cat pursues the possessed explorer, they still can repeatedly walk away from it. Though then they are unable to ploy anything interesting.
Leaving the cat under the control of the possessed explorer can make them control how long they wish to be possessed. Leaving the cat under the control of the Narrator gives the Protective Narrator the control over how long the explorer stays possessed.
Finally, the cat can find another lone explorer, and that explorer will get possessed instead.
Maybe we should keep only the last mechanic?

Actually, I’m starting to think that it’s okay as it is.
Let the possessed explorer control the cat so that they can do something and not fear running into the cat, and let other explorers still be able to find the cat, stay alone and steal the spirit.

I’m not seeing the “basically impossible for them to ever lose that trait”: if the cat is shoved into a room and left there, other players can find it and become Katastrophe.

Oh, wait, does the current “that Explorer becomes Possessed by Katastrophe” just fail to happen if somebody else is already Katastrophe, because it’s saying to make two people possessed (which can’t be done)?

It looks like I’d misread the possession rules and I’d been under the impression that the cat doesn’t possess if it already has someone.

I think that’s a misinterpretation on my part though. Withdrawn. 

I think you might be right, though. The fact that ”[Katastrophe] may Possess either nobody or one Explorer” would mean that a cat effect of “that Explorer becomes Possessed by Katastrophe” couldn’t be performed if somebody else was already possessed, as it would mean that two Explorers would be possessed.

Or is there a third rule I’m overlooking that allows it?

Wouldn’t it mean that the previously Possessed Explorer must cease to be Possessed, as it is the only outcome satisfying both rules? Or requiring two Explorers to be Possessed is like setting a variable to an invalid value, and then the Narrator may not perform the Reveal of Consequences?

[quirck] It’s definitely in the arena of ambiguity, to me. Thanks for putting a patch up.