Homebrew Cat (Cats & Catacombs) Species Details

A Daring Entrance

Barnabas leaped towards the chandelier, reaching it as an arrow struck the hardened iron of the chain connecting it to the ceiling, and deflected towards the wall. Another arrow almost took his hat off. Dropping nimbly to the floor, Barnabas brought his sword up — just in time — to block a vicious downward hack from one of the guards. Liveried in bright orange and green, he almost felt sorry for the poor fool. Almost. With a reflexive twist of the blade, he disarmed him and was gone. Always keep moving, he said to himself as another arrow struck the flag stone he had been standing on moments before; always keep moving. He danced past a second blow, this time from an ineptly held halberd, and drove his sword into the guard’s foot in revenge. He was doing okay, but he couldn’t keep it up. Not much longer. Where were they?

From the balcony above, a strangled gasp and one of the archers who’d been threatening to skewer him for the last five minutes suddenly tumbled over the wooden railing. He fell, Barnabas noticed, with a strange rigidity - his limbs splayed out but unmoving, as though he wasn’t even trying to cushion his landing. When the guard landed, he did so with the sound of glass cracking in the cold. The adventurer felt shards of ice streak past him, flung out by the impact of the landing. Ah, he thought, about time they made it!

Noise came from above. A thin, high noise. A call of welcome. Something thin and hairless leaped up onto the railing. It sniffed at the air and then noticed the adventurer.

“Oh, hello Barnabas,” said the figure. Barnabas nearly snarled in irritation. Typical Whisper turns up late and acts as though I were the problem, he thought. But decided to keep his mouth shut. At least the sorcerer had turned up. Now, where was…

An explosion blew him backward. Molly, Barnabas said to himself trying to shake the ringing from his ears, had arrived. A lithe black creature meandered into the room, looking around curiously.

‘Some nice stuff in here, Barnabas. Thanks for inviting me.’

‘No stealing, Molly. You promised.'

'Did I? That doesn’t sound very like me.’

‘She’s right, you know shouted Whisper, from the balcony, ‘It doesn’t sound like her.’

‘Oh shut up, both of you,’ growled Barnabas.

‘Did you have to blow the doors up, Molly?’

‘Have to? No.’

‘But..?’

‘Well, I’d retrieved this lovely little scroll with such an interesting spell on it and I thought…’ ‘Is that where my scroll went, you little thief!?’ said Whisper. ‘No. Definitely not.’ ‘Where are the others?’ Barnabas said, trying to control his rising anger. Did no one ever take this seriously?

From somewhere behind them came the slap of leather-clad feet on stone. More guards. Barnabas turned around, his armor heavy on his back and his sword loose in his grip. Fatigue fell on him. Another dozen guards were lined up, halberds pointed at Barnabas and Molly.

‘Cats?’ spat the Guard’s leader, a grim-faced woman whose left eye was streaked white where a blade had done something nasty, many years ago. ‘We’re meant to fight cats?’

‘Not just cats!’ boomed a voice, rich and strident and filled with the fury of the frozen north; ‘we are warriors! Warriors who will gut every single one of you!’

A hulking cat strode into the hall, ear torn, a wild grin painted across its lopsided face. Alongside him came a black, elegant cat, a bow drawn and arrow nocked.

‘Good to see you, Pawkus,’ said Barnabas, nodding at the bulky, rough-looking tom. ‘And you, Chloe.’ The ranger, her cheek pressed into the bowstring, nodded in acknowledgment. ‘And good to see you, Barnabas! How much have you been complaining about us being late?’

‘I...I haven’t…’ Barnabas tried to say, but Whisper got there first.

‘Oh, endlessly.; ‘

Ha! Thought so,’ said Pawkus and then he snarled, ‘Let’s have them!’

Barnabas grinned, suddenly suffused with renewed strength. ‘Yes! Charge!’ he yelled.”

A Cat’s the Only Cat...

A sudden, fleeting movement glimpsed in the corner of an eye. A svelte shape insinuates itself into an implausibly small gap. A small, curled form in front of the fire, suddenly startled from sleep. Cats get everywhere, are comfortable in any situation, and are adaptable in a way that few creatures are. They find a home in the most inhospitable of places, making themselves warm and comfortable almost instantly. But they are also deeply loyal, often friendly, and willing to defend those they love to the death. Cats are the perfect adventurers; they are capable of withstanding hardship, and do not trust lightly but protect fiercely those in whom they have placed their trust.

Common Interest

Cats are, by nature, somewhat solitary creatures, often preferring their own space and company to that of a pack or group. But this is not always the case. Cats often form small circles of friends which, while looser than those formed by other animals, are no less devoted. If a cat is in trouble, their friends arrive in moments to assist them. Cats also form groups to achieve specific goals; solving a mystery? Looting a dungeon? Stopping a villainous wizard with designs on the city’s supply of treats? Cats band together when faced with such threats, utilizing each other’s differing strengths to achieve their ends. Afterward, they may part ways or may remain together...not that they need to. They could split up any time they want…

An Old Bond

Cats have been welcomed into the homes of man, dwarfs, elves, and even orcs and goblins for thousands of years. They provide an invaluable service, after all. Catching mice, rats, and other small vermin requires speed and coordination, not to mention a small stature, that most of the bigger races simply do not possess. And so, a relationship of mutual advantage began and continued, strengthening the strange bond between the cats and those who, quite mistakenly, believe themselves to be the owners or masters. Cats aren’t recklessly loyal like dogs, but they do love and form deep attachments to those who take the time to earn such devotion. It is not enough, with a cat, to simply feed it and expect adoration. It requires patience and persistence, it requires consistency. Cats are as varied in temperament and appearance as humans or dogs and need to be treated with respect, care, and attention. But they repay those who are prepared to spend the required time to earn their friendship a thousandfold. This is true even with awakened cats, blessed with human levels of intelligence. They can be suspicious but, if treated properly, become fiercely loyal companions.

Agile, and Hard to See

Renowned for their nimbleness, cats can make the most extraordinary leaps, fit into spaces that barely seem wide enough to slide a sheet of parchment through, and walk away, casually, from the most dangerous of falls. Awakened Cats still possess these traits, but it is now combined with acute intelligence and an understanding of how to use these natural traits to their best advantage. This makes cats extremely dangerous combatants, able to evade enemy attacks before suddenly appearing at their enemy’s back, pouncing onto a vulnerable patch of flesh and sinking their claws in. This makes even heavily armored and well-trained soldiers fear facing Awakened Cats in combat... you never know from where they’ll strike next!

Cat (Cats & Catacombs) Traits

While the many different breeds of cat make generalizing difficult, there are a few traits which pertain to all felines:

ABI

All cats increase their DEX score by 2.

Age

Cats reach maturity between the age of 1or 2, and live, on average to the age of 15.

Alignment

Cats tend toward neutral alignments; they are very rarely wholly evil or wholly good. Their main preoccupation is themselves and the small circle of loved ones they seek to protect. This can occasionally seem like callousness or disinterest in the larger world. This is often misleading, however.

Size

While there are larger and smaller cats, this variation in size and length is much more limited than it is in dogs. As a result, all cats are considered small.

Speed

A cat’s basic speed is 30 feet.

Languages

A cat can speak and read Common, Feline and one other Language. Cats only use language with humans and other races; when with each other, they communicate entirely through gesture, small inflections of the face and eyes, and carefully modulated thrusts of the paw or flank. This language is called Feline and can only be spoken fluently by other cats. (You have to add Feline as a custom language)

Darkvision

Cats have Darkvision up to 60 ft.

Bite & Scratch

Sharp teeth, and claws which can be quickly unsheathed and used to slice through flesh - all cats possess these natural weapons. Cats are proficient with this attack, which counts as both a weapon attack and an unarmed attack. The attack does 1d6 damage plus the attacker’s STR modifier bonus.

Subrace

There are 3 variations of cats, yet you can only select one to play as: Hefty Cat, Regular Cat, or Lap Cat