Homebrew Catfolk Species Details

Appearance

The appearance of Catfolk vary even greater than humans, with their size ranging from just three feet, all the way up to eight. They are almost always covered in a coat of fur, from short to long, thin to thick, though hairless variations are not unheard of. They have the bone structure of a cats, but are bipedal, though small catfolk are comfortable switching back and forth to quadrupedal. They have retractable claws in their hands and feet, and are feline in appearance. Their markings are also innumerable, with the most common being wild cats, such as lions, tigers, cheetahs, leopards, and lynxes. Another common variety are typical housecat patterns, such as the simple tabby, ranging from any color to any pattern typical of a standard Tabby house cat. Their sizes generally correspond to their ancestry, with Lions and Tigers generally being quite large, and Tabbies and Lynxes being quite a bit smaller, though the reverse, with large tabbies and small lions and are not uncommon.

Children of Curiousity

Catfolk were created by Xalyn, a goddess of knowledge who takes the form of a cat. She delights in mortals’ pursuit of knowledge, and desired to be the mother of her own race of truth-seekers. When other gods suggested that she simply give a blessing to a scholarly race like the elves, Xalyn replied “But I didn’t make them!”

And so, a clowder of cats chosen by the knowledge goddess was awakened and transformed into bipedal race of creatures with a hunger for travel and enlightenment. Through the tribe’s travels, catfolk learned about the other races, and began to disperse themselves among them in order to learn more. Catfolk became well-known for being quick learners, devoted workers, and loyal companions.

Diverse Heritage

It is said that the first tribe of catfolk bore the most resemblance to their parent species. Thick coats of fur covered their bodies, and their legs were reminiscent of haunches. Through intermingling with other races, these traits have been widely dispersed over thousands of years.

Some catfolk retain most of their original features, with a layer of fur covering most of their bodies and faces that remain largely feline. Other catfolk have developed more humanoid appearances. These specimens tend to have straight, silky hair, slim frames, and slanted eyes, while bearing the ears and tail that mark them as catfolk.

Caravans and Camps

Though catfolk love to interact with other races and can be perfectly happy living in smaller groups, many catfolk organize themselves into roaming bands that travel the lands in search of new experiences. This lifestyle makes them good company for merchants and adventurers, especially since the catfolk welcome others into their numbers.

Some catfolk clans find that enlightment will come to them, if the right spot is chosen. These clans make camp where travelers of all kinds are likely to pass by, and end up forming stable settlements. While most of these settlements tend to be no larger than a small village, a few bustling cities are known to have grown from humble catfolk camps.

Carefree and Kind

Catfolk are very accepting of other people. They take every opportunity to try and understand the world around them, even if that sometimes ends up getting them hurt. Because the Feline language lends itself well to music, many tribes teach their young about the race’s history through song and dance. This informative entertainment tends to pique the interest of outsiders, leading to the inspiration of many a catfolk bard.

When spending time in the company of other races, catfolk make themselves useful as minstrels, scholars, and healers. Some catfolk hone their natural grace to become circus performers, and others practice precision in order to make a living as a locksmith. Stronger specimens prefer to work as guards, but some have been known to be very successful farmers. No matter the task, for better or worse, catfolk approach life with confidence, believing that even failure is an opportunity to learn and improve.

History

Catfolk descended from felines thousands of years ago, only just older than humans. Catfolk are Tribal people, whose passion and love run deep. They form tribes around the world, often in harsh climates, ranging from deep in the rain forests, to scorching savannahs, all the way to freezing arctic regions, but are far more common around forest edges. Like Elves, Catfolk are attuned to nature, respect it, and defend it against those who would do it harm.

With no large settlements and a tribe style government structure, they have little to do with the outside world and their schemes. They pass their history as an oral history.

Society

Catfolk are a nomadic race, often traveling from tribe to tribe to experience different cultures. Catfolk get along with most other races, and is quite common to find Catfolk integrated into other societies, especially human, elves, and halflings. It is less common to find them with Orcs and Dwarves, but it not unheard of due to the variety of Catfolk personalities.

They have a tribe hierarchy. Chief>Scouts>Druids> Rest of Tribe. They are a deeply spiritual people usually a god of nature. Catfolk as a race get along with just about every other race. Their sense of curiosity is what compels them to seek adventure. Some that experience that wanderlust find the sound of battle to be exciting and draws them deeper into the life of adventuring.

Catfolk Traits

A race of Cat people, with as many variations as there are colors.

Ability Score Increase

Your Dexterity score increases by 2 and your Charisma score increases by 1.

Darkvision

As a nocturnal race, you have superior vision in dim conditions. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, additionally you see darkness as if it was dim. Colours in darkness show as shades of grey.

Cat's Claws

Because of your claws, you have a climbing speed of 20 ft. Additionally, your claws are natural weapons, which you can use to make unarmed strikes. The damage die for your unarmed strike is a d4, and it deals slashing damage instead of bludgeoning damage.

Feline Empathy

You can communicate simple ideas with feline creatures, such as cats, lions, and tigers.

Catlike Reflexes

You may add half your proficiency bonus, rounded down, to your initiative rolls.

Size

Catfolk normally stand at around five and a half feet tall and weigh around 120 pounds. Large-Breed Catfolk are more physically imposing, at about six and a half feet tall and about 200 pounds. Your size is Medium.

Alignment

Catfolk tend toward chaotic alignments.

Speed

Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

Age

Catfolk reach adulthood in their teens, and can live up to three centuries.

Languages

You can speak, read, and write Common as well as another language of your choosing.

Catlike Tread

You are proficient in the Stealth skill.

Drenched

Due to your cat-like nature, you become weaker when wet. Lose -1 Dexterity score and -1 Strength score when wet. (light rain does not cause you to become wet)