Homebrew Catfolk Species Details

 

"Miss Maple? I have a deal to offer you." He smoothed his jacket and shifted in his seat as a woman with the ears and tail of a ginger cat entered through the parlor door. She circled him, running her fingertips gently over his shoulders before bringing her mouth to his ear.

"Think you can afford my services, sweetheart?"

"Lives are worth quite a bit, are they not? Seeing that I'd say your pay would be more than reasonable."

The woman made an exaggerated pout. "Honey, I only deal with luxury goods."

"What makes you think your services are worth so much, half-beast?" The man retorted back.

"Sweetheart, there's your answer right there." Her fingers paused over his cheek.

"There are many ways to skin a cat."

"That there are." She dug her fingernails in, drawing a little blood. "But the reason you come to the underbellies is because we're able to do it. You'll be properly paying me for all of the work I do for you. Down here debts are deadly; A bit of honest advice from me to you." She released his cheek, patting the other with her fingers but still staying over his shoulder and behind the chair. The noble's face flowed between different emotions as quickly as the red from his face.

 

— Exerpt from the play "Pauper, Prince and Puppet"

Self-confidence is the means of many catfolk, who are both hard to find and difficult to control. Lacking an outright intimidating appearance, they are often met with more curiosity and wonder than many other rarer races, though being different will still draw the caution of many individuals.

A flirt with chaos

Born from the rare union of a tabaxi and human, catfolk come in as much of a variety as their parentage will allow. While many posses more body hair than their human parent, much of their bare skin is still visible. A catfolk's ears attach close to the crown of their head, matching their catlike parent's in size and shape. A catfolk's tail connects at the very base of the spine, naturally resting downward when not being used to express emotion or feebly trying to help balance. Due to genetic factors the vast majority of catfolk are female, making a healthy male a sight to behold.

Self-Reliant and Proud

Being generally more rare than tieflings and dragonborn, many catfolk develop a sense of pride and confidence in themselves. It is not uncommon for one to be considered beautiful (or at the very least exotic) in the cities where they often find themselves. As a result, many catfolk enter careers involving theater or other fields that call for interacting with the general public.

The rarity of catfolk unfortunately also means that they are treated or seen as second-class citizenry, even if they have a reasonable social standing in their communities. Catfolk as a result won't immediately trust someone who offers help, but will often warm to someone who does well in front of them and respects their personal space. 

Catfolk Names

It being more common for a catfolk to be raised by their human parent, many will have or use human names. Sometimes though, a catfolk might dislike their given name or find it necessary to change what they're called. In such cases many will choose the name of some plant, concept, or thing that is important to them regardless of stigmas attached to it. 

“Chosen” Names: Lily, Faith, Coconut, Rye, Choice, Morning, Peel, Bell, Dance, Book

No Desire for Masters

Perhaps due to the natural curiosity and wanderlust of their parents, Catfolk rarely take kindly to being subservient or controlled by another. A potentially unhealthy dose of self-confidence on top of this often leads to a failure to gel with more orderly or lawfully strict races and groups.

 

Catfolk Traits

The mixed blood of catfolk come with many benefits.

Ability Score Increase

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

Age

Catfolk mature at the same rate as humans.

Alignment

The independent lifestyles adopted by most catfolk best suit people who are willing to bend or break rules. They are inclined to be chaotic.

Size

Catfolk are about the same size and build as humans, if slightly shorter. Your size is Medium.

Speed

Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

Darkvision

Some of the adaptations of a Tabaxi's eye have been based onto you. You can see in dim light within 45 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.

Self Grooming

Many catfolk's sense of pride centers around their appearance, giving you more practice in caring for yourself during a short respite. When burning hit die during a short rest, you may re-roll any ones and take the new roll.

Graceful Tumble

You know the Feather Fall and can cast on yourself once per short rest without components.

Languages

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