Morrowind modder whose kids hate mudcrabs added the family cat to protect them

(Image credit: NoUsernamesNotTaken)

"I made this for my kids when they were little", modder NoUsernamesNotTaken writes in the description. "They liked to play but were terrified of mudcrabs so I made them a companion protector based off the family cat."

Stripes the Cat adds a cat to Morrowind who can zip around and cast shocking touch, a spell choice based on the real cat's ability to collect static electricity "because he is a little furball".

The mod's description tells the story of Stripes: "He was a stray cat that showed up one day and made himself at home. He would follow along side when ever we went for a walk with the kids or when walking the dog. The dog had to be on a leash, but not Stripes he faithfully walked right beside us every where we went. So this mod is actually realistic in that regard."

Wonderful. To use Stripes the Cat in Morrowind, you'll first need the Companionable Cats mod created by Emma (a prolific modder who also has Dog Companions if you'd prefer). Then, download Stripes the Cat. After activating both mods, you'll find Stripes waiting in Caldera. He can be told to follow or stay through dialogue, or by using the spells this mod adds when you approach the cat.

Stripes the Cat is part of the annual Morrowind May Modathon, which this year is also celebrating Morrowind's 20th anniversary. There are 69 mods participating in the competition right now, including mods that make enemies fight more like the player, add the Gray Cowl of Nocturnal and a quest to find the Gray Fox's identity, add a quest to become the Champion of Azura, and put a smiley face on a rock. It takes all kinds.

Jody's first computer was a Commodore 64, so he remembers having to use a code wheel to play Pool of Radiance. A former music journalist who interviewed everyone from Giorgio Moroder to Trent Reznor, Jody also co-hosted Australia's first radio show about videogames, Zed Games. He's written for Rock Paper Shotgun, The Big Issue, GamesRadar, Zam, Glixel, Five Out of Ten Magazine, and Playboy.com, whose cheques with the bunny logo made for fun conversations at the bank. Jody's first article for PC Gamer was about the audio of Alien Isolation, published in 2015, and since then he's written about why Silent Hill belongs on PC, why Recettear: An Item Shop's Tale is the best fantasy shopkeeper tycoon game, and how weird Lost Ark can get. Jody edited PC Gamer Indie from 2017 to 2018, and he eventually lived up to his promise to play every Warhammer videogame.