Homebrew Screeberagh Race Details

Screeberagh roam the seven seas and their shores either in their humanoid state or in their feline presence. However, their build is always of small stature with strong, long hind legs, broad shoulders, a sloping chest and a muscular and lean build. Their eyes are a shade of gold and their hair/fur comes in all shades of colour. If in human form, they usually have unnaturally long and sharp fingernails, similar to claws. Breaking one of these nails is as dramatic as loosing out on a prey or one of their prize possessions. Their main characteristic in feline form is that they have no tail or only a stump.

Some accounts described the Screeberagh as commonly working as spies, which is strongly denied by any asked specimen. They claim that they only like to keep an ear and eye out for any interesting bits of news and this is a strong relic of their African wild cat ancestors. From these, they have inherited their good hearing which allows them to locate prey or thieves precisely.  Due to their free-spiritedness, they are usually chaotically aligned and tend to roam on their own often. If they make a friend though, they can be very devout and attached.

They reach adulthood at 16 and usually reach a lifesapn of between 90 and 150 years. After reaching adulthood, they develop a strong desire to wonder the world.

Screeberagh Traits

Screeberagh roam the seven seas and their shores looking for adventures and the next big catch.

Curiousness

Curiouser and Curiouser

Creeberagh tend to regard other folk with a detached sense of bemusement. Much of their lore and common wisdom regarding men, dwarves, and elves filters through their guise as house cats. Thus, Screeberaghs see how other races act when they think no one else is around. To a Screeberagh, every intelligent creature is a bundle of secrets just waiting to unfurl before them.

In general, Screeberaghs find humanity's ambition, drive, and fiery passion intriguing. They consider dwarves overly dour. Elves strike them as kindred spirits, as Screeberaghs appreciate that the long-lived races share a similar tendency to see issues from different perspectives. They adore gnomes and halflings and many good-aligned Screeberaghs adopt such folk. More than one kobold or goblin party has descended upon a sleepy gnome village or halfling caravan only to find an enraged Screeberagh waiting for them. Gnome and halfling folk who have benefited from such welcome surprises have strong traditions of taking care of stray cats and treating their feline pets as treasured companions.

Natural Explorers

Natural Explorers

Screeberaghs have no lands of their own. Instead, they dwell on ships or within civilized territories established by other folk. Any civilization that keeps domesticated cats likely houses colonies of Screeberaghs within its cities. They are drawn towards the harbour, magical and multiracial, darker parts of town where adventure and uncertainty lie in the air and they can roam the streets in whatever shape they like. Screeberaghs like to live in some form of luxury, but they like to make their home in a hidden, out-of-the-way street. Many Screeberaghs become petty thieves, raiding pantries for fine foods, liquor, and other creature comforts or join a crew on a ship.

Adventurous

The life of an adventurer comes naturally to a Screeberagh, as her curiosity pushes her ever onward. While some screeberagh satisfy this drive with living a life in a rogue, dark part of town, some tibbits want more out of life. "Adventurer" is seen as a respected occupation among Screeberaghs, and they have a natural fascination for adventurers of other races. In some cases, a Screeberagh in cat form takes to following an adventuring band, concealing its true nature until an opportune moment. A Screeberagh fighter might spring from cat to humanoid form in time to drive off a group of orcs that threatens the party's camp. In this manner, Screeberagh prove their valor and demonstrate their unmatched stealth in hopes of winning a place with their unwitting comrades.

Names

Tibbits tend to adopt names based on their physical traits and deeds or based on their ancestors history.  A Screeberagh kitten is given a nickname by her parents or her master, one that reflects her temperament and appearance. When a Screeberagh comes of age she adopts a name of her choice.

Strangers and business partners use the name a Screeberagh picks for herself, while the Screeberagh's close friends and family use the original nickname chosen by her parents. A Screeberagh allows only her closest friends to learn and use her nickname. A Non-Screeberagh given such a privilege has received one of the highest honors a Screeberagh can grant to an outsider.

As a Screeberagh travels the world, she adopts a surname that reflects her experiences and important deeds. A Screeberagh usually changes her surname after such an event, but her true name uses all of her adopted surnames from childhood onward, and not just her latest one. When two Screeberagh meet, they share these long-form names to express their pasts with one another.

In general, Screeberagh names work for either sex.

Allignment

Screeberaghs have a strong tendency toward chaos and an equally strong lethargy toward moral issues, making the majority of them chaotic neutral. They are carefree, decadent, and are given to long periods of wallowing in luxury which can make them maddeningly lazy. They love hunting for their food, but sometimes they can get their prey mixed up in the heat and can get into amoral dilemma as in to who should and shouldn't be attacked. Some Screeberagh tend toward proactive freedom-seeking, marking chaotic good as their second most common alignment.

Characteristics and Abilities

Darkvision

Because of their feline nature, they have superior vision in dark and dim conditions. They can see in dim light within 60 feet as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. They can't discern color in darkness, only shades of grey.

Proficiencies

Screeberagh gain proficiency in Perception and Stealth.

Ability Score Increases

Dexterity +2

Charisma +1

Intelligence +1

Naturally Stealthy

Screeberagh have a natural tendency to be stealthy and are natural rogues and thieves. They can move through the space of any creature that is of a size larger than them. They gain proficiency in the Stealth skill.

They can attempt to hide even when they are obscured only by a creature that is at least one size larger than them.

Languages

Screeberagh can speak, read and write Common plus up to two languages if they are of the travelling kind. They also have the ability to talk to any cat folk and their hissing, purring and meowing is understood by them as well.

Actions

Soft Fall

Like all cat folk,  their reflexes and feline like appearance gives them resistance to falling damage and they will always land on their feet just like cats. This ability can be used as a reaction to trying to be thrown, falling, and or being knocked prone (without a grapple). This can also be used outside of combat for other situations.

Feline Grace

Because Screeberagh have feline blood, they have advantage on Dexterity checks involving acrobatics. Screeberagh are natural acrobats.

Double Claw

When they take the attack action and make an attack with their claws, they can attack with their other hand's Claw as part of the same attack as long as it isn't wielding anything. They must make separate attack rolls for each hand and damage rolls. 

In general, they have a set of retractable claws. Unarmed strikes deal 1d4 slashing damage. They can use Dexterity instead of Strength for the attack and damage rolls of their Claw attacks.

The Art of Laziness

Due to their feline ancestory, they are used to taking short naps throughout the day whenever they can get the opportunity. They are able to complete a short rest in only 30 minutes, and after resting for at least 4 hours in a day, they gain the same benefit that a human does from 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep. They may still only benefit from one long rest in any twenty-four hour period.

Feline Transformation

Feline Transformation

You can use your action to magically assume the shape of a house cat. You can remain in this form indefinitely, and only revert to your natural form when you are rendered unconscious. You can revert to your normal form earlier by using a bonus action on your turn.

While you are transformed, the following rules apply:

  • Your game statistics are replaced by the statistics of a cat, but you retain your alignment, personality, and Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma scores. You also retain all of your skill and saving throw proficiencies.
  • You can't cast spells, and your ability to speak or take any action that requires hands is limited to those actions which a cat may take. Transforming does not break your concentration on a spell you've already cast, however, or prevent you from taking actions that are part of a spell, such as call lightning, that you've already cast.
  • You retain the benefit of any features from your class, race, or other source and can use them if a cat is physically capable of doing so.
  • You choose whether your equipment falls to the ground in your space, merges into your new form, or is worn by it. Worn equipment functions as normal, but the DM decides whether it is practical for a cat to wear a piece of equipment, based on its shape and size. Your equipment doesn't change size or shape to match the new form, and any equipment that the new form can't wear must either fall to the ground or merge with it. Equipment that merges with the new form has no effect until you leave the form.

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