EDIT - as an aside, I think the closest thing to a canine race we have are werewolves. We've gotten a couple bird races, a turtle race, a snake race and a cat race, but rats, spiders, wolves seem to be reserved as antagonists, especially in the mind of weres and drider types.
You can still be a Canine Shifter.
From the Shifter race page.
Wildhunt shifters are born from any creature that tracks its prey.
That could easily include Canines if you wanted it to.
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Just a little fyi, Hyenas are actually related to cats. So the knoll is actually closer to a tabaxi than a is to a werewolf for K9 traits.
That’s debatable.
”Although phylogenetically closer to felines and viverrids, as part of suborder Feliformia, hyenas are behaviourally and morphologically similar to canids in several elements due to convergent evolution; both hyenas and canines are non-arboreal, cursorial hunters that catch prey with their teeth rather than claws. Both eat food quickly and may store it, and their calloused feet with large, blunt, nonretractable claws are adapted for running and making sharp turns. However, hyenas' grooming, scent marking, defecation habits, mating and parental behavior are consistent with the behavior of other feliforms.”
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Well, that sucks. I had made a homebrew race based on a race from MtG, and had posted it here. Because of that, it got deleted and my homebrew got de-published. I’m not mad, just upset that I can’t change the name of my subraces and therefore no one can ever use my race again.
The problem with gnolls is that the Monster Manual and Volo's establishes them as remorseless killing machines on par with demons. I think it'd make more sense to homebrew a different canine humanoid race that isn't driven solely by an urge to kill and feed.
Or just ignore the pieces of lore that don't suit one's narrative. It's just lore, after all.
This is how I reskinned the tabaxi when I made a dog person:
Ability Score Increase
Your Strength score increases by 2, and your Wisdom score increases by 1.
Age
Dog people have lifespans equivalent to humans.
Size
Dog people are taller on average than humans and relatively stocky. Your size is Medium.
Speed
Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
Darkvision
You have a dog’s keen senses, especially in the dark. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can’t discern color in darkness (or in bright light), only shades of gray.
Pack Tactics
You have advantage on an attack roll against a creature if at least one of your allies is within 5 feet of the creature and the ally isn’t incapacitated.
Dog's Bite
Your teeth are natural weapons, which you can use to make unarmed strikes. If you hit with them, you deal piercing damage equal to 1d4 + your Strength modifier, instead of the bludgeoning damage normal for an unarmed strike.
Yeah I'm playing one in a homebrew game. My dm made a one shot and okayed the use of it in there. Then made the caveat that any character that was used in a one shot can be imported to the main campaign. He basically dropped it in that I was a victim of a failed experiment of someone trying to become a planeswalker. That being said, it's been incredibly fun leaning into the whole khenra legacy and going through the trials that shaped me into the zealot barbarian of hazoret, turned vengeance paladin on the creatures that killed my twin. Since the race itself is lighter on features than even a dragonborn, the DM granted me keen senses via hearing or smell used to either track or perceive things. Overall love the character but the race is technically very weak as far as 5e is concerned.
Well after some tweeking and feed back this is what I have so far. https://www.dndbeyond.com/races/943355-canine-folk do keep in mind this still under development and the sub-races are called wolf kin, fox kin, and dog kin
I'm surprised Wizards has brought them back in some form. We have every other animal humanoid out there, cats have 2 if you go with lions and tabaxi, so why not dogs?! A gnolls doesn't count because that is a hyena and as the video explains they are not really the same thing. A shifter isn't a true canine in the sense either so they don't count. It is pass time...let the dogs out Wizards! 🐶❤️
Just want to say that flavor is your friend! One of my players wanted to play an awakened giant space hamster (But medium sized). I just gave them tabaxi stats and called it a day!
If you're not willing or able to to discuss in good faith, then don't be surprised if I don't respond, there are better things in life for me to do than humour you. This signature is that response.
You can still be a Canine Shifter.
From the Shifter race page.
Wildhunt shifters are born from any creature that tracks its prey.
That could easily include Canines if you wanted it to.
A caffeinated nerd who has played TTRPGs or a number of years and is very much a fantasy adventure geek.
The page you mentioned is actually completely blank
Just a little fyi, Hyenas are actually related to cats. So the knoll is actually closer to a tabaxi than a is to a werewolf for K9 traits.
That’s debatable.
”Although phylogenetically closer to felines and viverrids, as part of suborder Feliformia, hyenas are behaviourally and morphologically similar to canids in several elements due to convergent evolution; both hyenas and canines are non-arboreal, cursorial hunters that catch prey with their teeth rather than claws. Both eat food quickly and may store it, and their calloused feet with large, blunt, nonretractable claws are adapted for running and making sharp turns. However, hyenas' grooming, scent marking, defecation habits, mating and parental behavior are consistent with the behavior of other feliforms.”
Want to start playing but don't have anyone to play with? You can try these options: [link].
Well, that sucks. I had made a homebrew race based on a race from MtG, and had posted it here. Because of that, it got deleted and my homebrew got de-published. I’m not mad, just upset that I can’t change the name of my subraces and therefore no one can ever use my race again.
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My homebrew stuff:
Spells, Monsters, Magic Items, Feats, Subclasses.
I am an Archfey, but nobody seems to notice.
Extended Signature
You could go with Celestial Lupinal from 3.5E Monster Manual 2 Pg 42-43.
You will just have to make conversion from 3.5E - 5E, though make sure you ask your DM
Or just ignore the pieces of lore that don't suit one's narrative. It's just lore, after all.
"Not all those who wander are lost"
Well if anyone still cares a have made a simple base on this topic. https://www.dndbeyond.com/races/943355-canine-folk
One thing you could do is go with a Tabaxi but replace it's climbing speed and claw attack for a bite and adv on Perception checks using smell.
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Check out my Homebrew Class The Evoker
This is how I reskinned the tabaxi when I made a dog person:
Ability Score Increase
Your Strength score increases by 2, and your Wisdom score increases by 1.
Age
Dog people have lifespans equivalent to humans.
Size
Dog people are taller on average than humans and relatively stocky. Your size is Medium.
Speed
Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
Darkvision
You have a dog’s keen senses, especially in the dark. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can’t discern color in darkness (or in bright light), only shades of gray.
Pack Tactics
You have advantage on an attack roll against a creature if at least one of your allies is within 5 feet of the creature and the ally isn’t incapacitated.
Dog's Bite
Your teeth are natural weapons, which you can use to make unarmed strikes. If you hit with them, you deal piercing damage equal to 1d4 + your Strength modifier, instead of the bludgeoning damage normal for an unarmed strike.
Bloodhound
You have proficiency in the Perception and Insight skills.
Languages
You can speak, read, and write Common and one other language of your choice.
Yeah I'm playing one in a homebrew game. My dm made a one shot and okayed the use of it in there. Then made the caveat that any character that was used in a one shot can be imported to the main campaign. He basically dropped it in that I was a victim of a failed experiment of someone trying to become a planeswalker. That being said, it's been incredibly fun leaning into the whole khenra legacy and going through the trials that shaped me into the zealot barbarian of hazoret, turned vengeance paladin on the creatures that killed my twin. Since the race itself is lighter on features than even a dragonborn, the DM granted me keen senses via hearing or smell used to either track or perceive things. Overall love the character but the race is technically very weak as far as 5e is concerned.
Take the Kobold entry. Rename: Canild
Remove: Darkvision and Sunlight Sensitivity
Replace with:
Keen Hearing and Smell: The dog has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on hearing or smell.
Tracking: You are proficient with the Survival skill.
Because both pact tactics and the Grovel & Beg skill from kobold go well with a dog based creature.
Well after some tweeking and feed back this is what I have so far. https://www.dndbeyond.com/races/943355-canine-folk do keep in mind this still under development and the sub-races are called wolf kin, fox kin, and dog kin
It was mentioned earlier, but Lupin from 3.5 might be a good source of inspiration for a canine player race.
This is the race I was looking for. It pulls up as non exists t. Do I need a specific book?
I think it needs to be home brewed.
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Apparently, back in the day, there was a canine race called Lupins.
Here's a video link on them: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=vbsoN8SJLaw !
I'm surprised Wizards has brought them back in some form. We have every other animal humanoid out there, cats have 2 if you go with lions and tabaxi, so why not dogs?! A gnolls doesn't count because that is a hyena and as the video explains they are not really the same thing. A shifter isn't a true canine in the sense either so they don't count. It is pass time...let the dogs out Wizards! 🐶❤️
Just want to say that flavor is your friend! One of my players wanted to play an awakened giant space hamster (But medium sized). I just gave them tabaxi stats and called it a day!
Or play as an Ardling.
If you're not willing or able to to discuss in good faith, then don't be surprised if I don't respond, there are better things in life for me to do than humour you. This signature is that response.
Custom Lineage? Flavor is free.