Homebrew Turtle Cat Species Details

"I am sure of what I saw," the young man whispered. He looked upon the mighty wizard with fear in his eyes. "These things, they were unlike any I've seen before! True spirits of chaos, pure bringers of destruction! The whole town, gone! Just like that!"

"Child," the great wizard replied, "tell me, how large were these beasts that you have witnessed? For such destruction, they were sure to be large, yes? Towering higher than even the largest of dragon hatchlings?"

The young man shook his head, rising to his feet as he explained, "No, sir. The creatures, though powerful and destructive, were not the size of a young dragon. These beings, these things, were no larger than a feline. No higher than my knee." The wizard was clearly confused. How could such a small creature cause such destruction? As the wizard pondered this thought, he heard a small, yowling cry come from beyond his tower door. It sounded like a small cat. With confusion still written plainly across his face, the wizard made his way over to the door, debating whether or not to trust the pitiful mews from the other side.

Physical Description

Turtle Cats have a whole range of possibilities, from a cat with a turtle shell to just a normal turtle with a cat tail. As long as it's a cat with noticeable turtle features or a turtle with noticeable cat features, you're already on your way to having your very own turtle cat!

Due to the proximity to the fey realms upon birth, Turtle Cats can come in many different colors, even unnatural ones. Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, even pink! 

Though chromatic turtle cats are possible, it does not always mean that elemental abilities will form. Sometimes they can just be a normal turtle cats with technicolor fur. In short, color does not always mean magical abilities. Keep in mind that fur color does not always mean you have those abilities. Yellow turtle cats can have aquatic abilities, pink turtle cats can have fire abilities, and blue can have acidic properties. Fur color does not automatically give you the abilities commonly associated with that fur color.

Natural feline colors - such as blacks, whites, greys and browns - have also been shown to gain magical abilities. This may result in a singular patch of technicolor fur somewhere along their bodies. Size of the colorful patches have not been shown to directly associate to the strength of magical abilities.

History

Once upon a time, the grand turtle Marina fell in love with the alley cat Furbus from the village of Barovia. They were closer than close could be. But the villagers did not support the love of two creatures from different species in the animal kingdom, and banished the couple to the wild of the forests. Once in the forest, they found a portal to the Fey Realms. The fey invited them into their homes, but the couple were happy where they were. They built a home near the portal, and eventually, a family. Half turtle, half cat, the turtle cats were born.

As it turns out, Marina and Furbus were not the only cat-turtle couple in the lands. Cat-turtle couples from all over the land came and settled near their home, soon becoming a large successful farming village named Teicee (Tee-see). The cat-turtle couples formed a pact with the fey, giving the portal they lived near protection from unwanted visitors. Such was the lives of the cat-turtle couples and their half-breed children.

Over centuries of producing similar children, the original couple of Marina and Furbus were considered the founders of a new race of creatures. In good terms with the fey and a lifetime of humor under their belts, the Turtle Cats were born.

Society

Turtle Cats are hospitable by nature. They know how it feels to be at the lowest of the low, being a strange breed combination. They commonly live in small villages within the forest, places well known for magical properties or portals to the Fey Realms. Though not naturally capable of magic themselves, most Turtle Cats have dedicated their lives to protecting the Feyfolk of the Fey Realms, with others being known to stray from their homes in the forest to seek adventure elsewhere, seeing what all the world has to offer..

Being born from two separate species, Turtle Cats see no issue with inter-species relationships and will have trouble understanding why some folk have problems with it. This combines with their hospitality and understanding of being rejected by society and causes them to be very accepting of many situations people might be in and are not quick to judgement.

Names & Naming Schemes

Turtle Cats are a very humorous race, and poke fun at their own cat-like nature. Most Turtle Cat names if not all include some sort of Cat Pun. Names can be puns on colors, Human names, objects, anything.-

Male: Alexanpurr, Catrick, Meowchael, Tailor (Unisex), Purrince, Purrple, Catillac

Female: Purrincess, Tailor (Unisex), Veronicat, Tabbytha, Meowsical, Jennifur, Furbulous

Turtle Cat Traits

turtle cat characters have an assortment of inborn abilities.

Age

Turtle Cats would, naturally, only be able to live up to 100 or so years. But due to their natural link with the fey world, they have been observed to live up to 400 years old. Turtle Cats reach maturity at 16 years of age, though they retain a youthful appearance for an average of 200 years before physically maturing into adulthood.

Alignment

Turtle Cats believe in honor above all else, and are more commonly Good or Neutral in alignment. Evil alignments are shunned upon in Turtle Cat culture and have been kicked out of Turtle Cat villages.

Size

Turtle Cats vary widely in height and build, though most commonly have sizes similar to that of common house cats. Your creature size is Tiny.

Speed

Your base walking speed is 25 feet.

I Believe I Can Spy

As long as you BELIEVE you are sneaking, your walking speed increases to 35 feet. You don't actually have to be successfully sneaking to simply believe you are. If you are sneaking and are noticed by a creature, the creature can make a deception check contested by your passive perception. If the creature succeeds the deception check, you will continue to believe you are sneaking, and any attacks made by the creature that noticed it will have advantage against you.

Water Breather

Due to their cat ancestry, Turtle Cats tend to avoid water. However, they do have the ability to breathe underwater for up to 5 minutes if necessary.

A Quadruped's Downfall

Due to walking on all 4 legs, anything requiring 2 or more hands should be rolled with disadvantage. This includes weapons, tools, tasks, and other items or actions.

Turtle Defense

Due to having a literal turtle shell on your back, as well as being a four-legged creature, you are unable to wear armor. However, your shell provides a natural defense, giving you a +1 to your AC at level 1. Every 3rd level you gain, this bonus increases by +1 up to a max of +7 at level 19. For example, at level 4 you have +2 to your AC, level 7 you have a AC +3, level 10 you have a AC +4 bonus. If you multi class, you still get this every 3rd level no matter which class you put your level into; however, this bonus caps at +7 to your AC.

Cat Vision

You can see in dim light as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can discern color in darkness, but only slightly.

Bite The Hand That Feeds You

Your maw is a natural weapon, which you can use to make unarmed strikes. If you hit with it, you deal piercing damage equal to 1d4 + your Strength modifier, instead of the bludgeoning damage normal for an unarmed strike.

Feline Senses

Though Turtle Cats have turtle qualities, their senses are just as strong as their cat ancestors. You are proficient in the perception skill.

Monkey Cats

Turtle Cats have advantage on checks to climb trees due to their species' generations of living in the forest.

Languages

You can speak, read, and write Common and Sylvan

Colors

While Turtle Cats are not naturally magical, living so close to the fey realms has resulted in strange abnormalities over the generations causing them to exhibit small elemental abilities. These mutations commonly exhibit themselves through the color of the Turtle Cat's fur, but exceptions are possible. You can choose between Red, Yellow, Green, Blue, Purple, Pink, and Black.

Red Turtle Cat

Fire Breath. As an action, Red Turtle Cats can shoot a stream of fire from their mouth up to 15 feet. you roll 1d6 + your Dexterity modifier.

Yellow Turtle Cat

Shock Dome. As an action, Yellow Turtle Cats can create a dome of lightning around themselves in a 15 foot circle around their center. Any creature attempting to enter or otherwise penetrate the dome must make a Strength save. If the target fails there save, roll 2d8 for damage. you have resistance to lightning damage.

Green Turtle Cat

Plant-mancer. You are able to manipulate smaller plant-life, up to a plant 1ft by 1ft in size.

Blue Turtle Cat

Water Gills. You are able to breath underwater for an undetermined amount of time. This trait negates the "Water Breather" trait given to all Turtle Cats.
Bringeth Thine Water!. As a bonus, you are able to take the create or destroy water spell no matter what class you end up choosing. It will not count towards the rest of any spell count you are able to gain. You are able to cast this spell equal to a number of times per short rest equal to your proficiency bonus.

Purple Turtle Cat

Got that Big (El)dritch Energy. As a bonus, you can take the eldritch blast cantrip no matter what class you end up choosing. It will not count towards the rest of any spell count you are able to gain.
Spiked Shell. All purple Turtle Cats have a spiked shell, giving those who throw them an extra 2d4 + 2d6 piercing damage on a successful hit.

Pink Turtle Cat

Acid Breath. As an action, you are able to breath a stream of acid up to 15 feet, dealing 2d10 plus your Dexterity modifier acid damage to everything in its path.

Black Turtle Cat

Superior cat vision. You may see in nonmagical darkness and dim light as if it were bright light, and you can discern colors. In magical darkness you use regular cat vision.
Rock climber. The advantage granted by Monkey Cats applies to climbing in underground terrain instead of in trees