Homebrew Bakeneko Species Details

The abilities attributed to the bakeneko are various, but include shapeshifting into humans, wearing a towel or napkin on the head and dancing, speaking human words, cursing humans, manipulating dead people, possessing humans, and lurking in the mountains and taking wolves along with them to attack travelers. As an unusual example, on Aji island, Oshika District, Miyagi Prefecture and in the Oki Islands, Shimane Prefecture, there is a story of a cat that shapeshifted into a human and wanted to engage in sumo.

Hidden Creatures

Wherever humans can be found, there are Bakeneko; the question is whether their presence is known.

One folk belief concerning the bakeneko is that they would lick the oil of oriental lamps, it is said that for a cat to lick this oil is an omen of some strange event about to occur. People in the early modern period used cheap oils from fish, like sardine oil, in the lamps, and that could explain why cats would want to lick them. However, since cats are carnivores, such a diet would have been lacking in protein, and therefore they would have been even more attracted to the oil in the lamps. Furthermore, the sight of a cat standing up its hind legs to reach the lamp, with its face lit up and eyes round with anticipation, could have seemed eerie and unnatural, like a yōkai.

In creating a Bakeneko adventurer, consider the character’s relationships with people around them. Does the character conceal their true changeling nature? Do they embrace it? Do they have connections to other changelings or are they alone and in search of companions?

Masks and Personas

A Bakeneko can alter its physical appearance with a thought. While this can be used to deceive others, it is a natural form of expression for the Bakeneko. A Bakeneko shifts shapes the way others might change clothes. A casual shape — one created on the spur of the moment, with no depth or history — is called a mask. A mask can be used to express a mood or to serve a specific purpose and then never used again. However, many Bakeneko develop identities that have more depth. They build an identity over time, crafting a persona with a history and beliefs. This focused identity helps a changeling pinpoint a particular skill or emotion. A Bakeneko adventurer might have personas for many situations, including negotiation, investigation, and combat. 

Bakeneko Traits

Your Bakeneko character has the following traits.

Ability Score Increase

Your Charisma score increases by 2, and either your Dexterity or your Intelligence increases by 1 (your choice).

Age

Changelings mature slightly faster than humans but share a similar lifespan — typically a century or less. While a changeling can shapeshift to conceal their age, the effects of aging still catch up to them.

Alignment

Changelings hate to be bound in any way, and those who follow the path of the Traveler believe that chaos and change are important aspects of life. Most tend toward pragmatic neutrality as opposed to being concerned with lofty ideals. Despite common fears, few changelings embrace evil.

Size

In their natural forms, changelings average between 5 to 6 feet in height, with a slender build. Your size is small.

Speed

Your base walking speed is 25 feet.

Change Appearance

As an action, you can transform your appearance or revert to your natural form. You can’t duplicate the appearance of a creature you’ve never seen, and you revert to your natural form if you die.

You decide what you look like, including your height, weight, facial features, the sound of your voice, coloration, hair length, sex, and any other distinguishing characteristics. You can make yourself appear as a member of another race, though none of your game statistics change. You also can’t appear as a creature of a different size than you, and your basic shape stays the same; if you’re bipedal, you can’t use this trait to become quadrupedal, for instance. Your clothing and other equipment don’t change in appearance, size, or shape to match your new form, requiring you to keep a few extra outfits on hand to make the most compelling disguise possible.

Even to the most astute observers, your ruse is usually indiscernible. If you rouse suspicion, or if a wary creature suspects something is amiss, you have advantage on any Charisma (Deception) check you make to avoid detection.

Languages

You can speak, read, and write Common and two other languages of your choice.

Nimble Escape.

You can take the Disengage or Hide action as a bonus action on each of your turns.

Naturally Stealthy

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

Bakeneko Nimbleness

You can move through the space of any creature that is of a size larger than yours.