Homebrew Catertaur Species Details

Catertaurs are caterpillars whose upper bodies are humanoids. Their legs are more pronounced allowing for faster, almost centipede-like movement. Their humanoid halves sometimes have insect-like features, such as segmented-appearance eyes, small antenna, or fluffy down-like hair. Most tend towards tanned or olive skin, with their caterpillar halves being various flora tones such as green, purple, and red with black or brown spots or stripes. Their mouths have small but potent and durable canines. Young Catertaur are more humanoid with only their tails being more like caterpillars, but with age the tail grows into their lower body.

Catertaurs possess a voracious appetite, even for their size. If left to their own devices they usually focus on eating or getting more food with a seemingly unlimited stomach. It is said that if a Catertaur is well fed indeed, it becomes capable of moving onto the next stage of development. Underfed (or sometimes unwilling) Catertaurs may spend their entire lives without changing.

Catertaurs internally fertilize and lay soft shelled thick leathery eggs. They usually keep them in secluded damp places, and lay clutches of 1-4 at a time. Children must be provided food quickly lest they starve in short order or worse, attempt to eat each other.

The change, of course, is a major thing in Catertaur society and biology. This form is technically the child form in which they transform into winged moth-like people. Like the caterpillars they resemble they wrap themselves up in a cocoon and enter a dramatic process of conversion into a new life form, a being which is both the same and slightly different from its base form. The change comes with certain neurological alterations, so while both forms share memories they may react to the memories in a different way.

Catertaur culture is very isolated, having almost never encountered any other civilization up close. Living in forests and trees, they have a close minded view of the world and no advanced technology. They have no use for things like jewelry or painting, and is therefore forbidden. All members are expected to follow strict tradition and not form any bonds in any capacity except to that of the civilization. No bonds means no burdens to tie the group down. Any members of society who go against this order are killed.

Catertaur Traits

Hale and hearty, they suffer from simple minds. After all, their minds must remain malleable for future changes.

Ability Scores

+2 to constitution, -2 to intelligence

Darkvision

d a r k  v i s i o n  3 0 f t

Immunities

Catertaur are immune to poison

Size

• Large (long): As a Large (long) creature, a Catertaur takes a +4 size bonus on special attack (bull rushes, grapples, overruns, and trips) checks. It can use larger weapons than humans use, and its lifting and carrying limits are three times those of a Medium character. They have a space of 10 feet and a reach of 5 feet. 

Create Silk

Create Silk: Catertaurs are capable of creating up to 2 feet of silk thread each day over the course of 1 minute. It can be used to make proper rope, coverings, or possibly even clothing with the appropriate craft checks. It is sticky when fresh and silky when dried, has hardness 2, 8 hp per inch thickness, is immune to acid, bludgeoning, and sonic damage, quarters fire damage, takes full damage from slashing, and takes half damage from everything else.

Natural Weapons - Tail

Natural Weapons: Catertaurs have a strong tail and a surprisingly solid bite. The tail slap deals 1d8 points of damage plus Strength as a primary weapon, and gives +2 on trip attempts. The bite deals 1d6 points of damage plus 1/2 Strength as a secondary natural weapon, and has poison (see below).

Natural Weapons - Bite

Natural Weapons: Catertaurs have a strong tail and a surprisingly solid bite. The tail slap deals 1d8 points of damage plus Strength as a primary weapon, and gives +2 on trip attempts. The bite deals 1d6 points of damage plus 1/2 Strength as a secondary natural weapon, and has poison.

• Poison (Ex): Catertaurs have a venom in their bite (Contact, 1 damage per round for 1 minute). Poison overlaps, it does not stack. As a standard action it can be shot up to 30 ft, dealing no damage but forcing a save vs poison. Regardless of success or failure, poison can only be used once every short rest. The DC is constitution based.

Mount

Adult Catertaur can be rode as mounts.

Language

Catertaur can speak Catertaur and Common