Homebrew Elfaxi Species Details

I was just a guard back then, doing my usual rounds at the gate before my shift as watch was finally over, I never could have expected what would happen that night. On my way back to my bunk for the night a hand made its way over my mouth and a knife around my throat, multiple languages were spoken into my ear before I heard one I knew and it seemed like that was noticed. I heard the common I knew so well from a voice gravelly and deep, “Where are the captives being held?” It was like a beast spoke into my ear, I felt a primal fear and knew the only thing I could do at the moment was tell it what I knew. “They were taken to Broadwood maybe an hour ago, eastward!” I responded rapidly in hopes of the knife being removed from my throat without my blood being on it. Then suddenly it vanished. I turned quickly but only caught a glimpse of its figure. Tall but quick, broad shoulders and back, it seemed to have horns?
. . . no . . . elf ears. . . but, what was on its head?

“AAAAUGH!!” a scream came from the captain’s room, I rushed there only to find the accountant for our keep on the floor crying in front of the door. It was smashed and splintered, inside was what remained of the captains body, broken bones shown through his flesh and cuts littered his body. His head was removed cleanly and placed upon his desk with a note that read only one sentence. “You may choose to look the other way but you can never say again that you did not know.”

A few weeks later I heard rumor of the slaves in Broadwood having been freed by a monster, one of slit eyes, and four ears that had rescued the slaves and led a revolt against the slavers. It was only then that I realized how lucky I truly was that I had the information that thing wanted, or the previous captain and I would be in the same place.

— Interview with Captain Booth of Greenwich Keep

Walking in their parent’s worlds but truly belonging to neither, Elfaxi combine the best qualities of their half-elf and half-tabaxi parents: human curiosity, inventiveness, and ambition tempered by the refined senses, love of nature, and artistic tastes of the elves along with the primal instinct and spiritual sense as the tabaxi. Some Elfaxi try to live among others, set apart by their emotional and physical differences, watching the few friends and loved ones they have age while time barely touches them. Others live with family, growing restless as they reach adulthood in the timeless boredom of life without friends. Many Elfaxi, unable to fit into any society, choose lives of solitary wandering or join with other misfits and outcasts in the adventuring life.

Outcasts

To others, Elfaxi look strange or like monstrosities. In height, they’re on par with both parents, though they’re neither as slender as elves and tabaxi, nor as broad as humans. They range from under 5 feet to above 6 feet tall, and from 100 to 340 pounds, with both genders being dependent on their heritage for their size. Elfaxi do have facial hair and their tabaxi ancestry shows on it in colored patterns. Elfaxi coloration and features lie somewhere between their parents, and thus show a variety even more pronounced than that found among either race. They tend to have a mix of both parents eyes.

Killers or Wanderers

Elfaxi have no lands of their own, and they aren’t welcome in human cities and even less welcome in elven and tabaxi forests. In large cities in regions where many races interact often, Elfaxi are sometimes seen in small communities of others they can trust. They enjoy the company of others, especially other Elfaxi, the only people who truly understand what it is to live unwelcome in any world.

In most parts of the world, though, Elfaxi are rare enough that one will live for years without meeting another. Some Elfaxi prefer to avoid company altogether, wandering the wilds as trappers, foresters, hunters, assassins, or adventurers and visiting civilization only rarely. Like elves, they are driven by the wanderlust that comes of their longevity. Others, in contrast, throw themselves into the underbelly of society, putting their dexterity and stealth skills to great use in roguish roles or as assassins.

Elfaxi Names

Elfaxi use either a combination of their parents naming conventions or take the name of a past relative. As if to emphasize that they don’t really fit in to any society, Elfaxi that are abandoned often give themselves names based on their birth environment.

EXCELLENT ASSASSINS AND ADVENTURERS

Many Elfaxi learn at an early age to use their racial abilites effectively and that they are different from others. As a race, they have elven grace without elven aloofness, human energy without human boorishness and tabaxi instinct without tabaxi carelessness. They often make excellent assassins and adventurers.

Elfaxi Subraces

Some Elfaxi have a racial trait in place of the Skill Versatility trait. If your DM allows it, your Elfaxi character can forgo Skill Versatility and instead take the elf trait Keen Senses or a trait based on your elfaxi parentage. Elfaxi also have several subraces based on their tabaxi ancestry and the abilities they learned in their upbringing.

Elfaxi Traits

Your elfaxi character has some qualities in common with elves, tabaxi, and some that are unique to elfaxi

Feline Agility

Your reflexes and agility allow you to move with a burst of speed. When you move on your turn in combat, you can double your speed until the end of the turn. Once you use this trait, you can't use it again until you move 0 feet on one of your turns.

Cats Talent

You have proficiency in the Perception and Stealth skills.

Cat's Claws

Because of your claws, you have a climbing speed of 20 feet. In addition, your claws are natural weapons, which you can use to make unarmed strikes. If you hit with them, you deal slashing damage equal to 1d4 + your Strength modifier, instead of the bludgeoning damage normal for an unarmed strike.

All Ears

As the best of both Tabaxi and Elf, your genes have gifted you two sets of ears, two of an elf and two of a tabaxi. This gives you a menacing look and is the reason most Elfaxi are treated as monsters and outcasts. You receive advantage on perception checks that rely on hearing. You also receive proficiency in intimidation due to your menacing looks.

Natures Eyes

As the best of both Elf and Tabaxi, your genes have gifted you with unique eyes. They are both the sharp attentive eyes of the elf and the clear, focused eyes of the Tabaxi. Elfaxi eyes have slit-like pupils, allowing you to focus just the right amount of light in to focus the long-range vision received from your elven blood. Your eyes grant you an advantage to perception checks that rely on sight.

Ability Score Increase

Elf ancestry: Your Charisma score increases by 2, and two other ability scores of your choice increase by 1.

Tabaxi ancestry: Your Dexterity score increases by 2, and your Charisma score increases by 1.

Age

Half-elves mature at the same rate humans do and reach adulthood around the age of 20. They live much longer than humans, however, often exceeding 180 years.

Size

Elfelis are about the same size or taller than humans, ranging from 5 to over 6 feet tall. Your size is Medium.

Speed

Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

Superior Darkvision

Thanks to your elf and tabaxi blood, you have superior vision in dark and dim conditions. You can see in dim light within 120 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, only shades of gray.

Fey Ancestry

You have advantage on saving throws against being charmed, and magic can’t put you to sleep.

Skill Versatility

You gain proficiency in two skills of your choice.

Languages

You can speak, read, and write Common, Elvish, and one extra language of your choice.