Homebrew Lapine Species Details

Sometimes called "rabbit folk," lapines are medium-sized humanoids with rabbit-like features, including large, highly sensitive ears and powerful legs. Their bodies are covered in a coat of short fur, most commonly in shades of brown, black, grey, and white. Lapines have three-fingered hands with a single opposable thumb, long, four-toed feet, and large, powerfully muscled legs. Their fingers and toes end in short claws. Adult lapines stand between four and five feet tall, with females generally larger and more powerfully-built than males. A lapine warrior favors light or medium armor and prides him- or herself on being strong, fast, watchful, and clever. A large female can weigh 120 pounds or more, although the average is closer to 100 pounds. Like their rabbit kin, lapines have keen senses, particularly hearing, and tend to maintain an alert, watchful stance even when at rest. For this reason they are often taken as jumpy or fearful by other humanoid races.

Descended from prey animals, lapine culture places a high priority on security and emphasizes the importance of the group over the individual. As a result, lapines tend to be extremely reclusive, bordering on xenophobic. Lapines see themselves as surrounded by enemies, called elil or u embleer hrair (“the stinking thousand”), and rarely venture beyond the safety of their own communities. Lapine player characters tend to be outcasts, misfits, renegades, and others who have been separated — often unwillingly — from their people.

Lapine Traits

Sleek, fast, and alert, lapine traits reflect their leporine ancestry.

Ability Score Increase

Your Dexterity score increases by 2

Age

Lapines reach maturity at about age 10 and live around 65 years.

Alignment

Lapines may be any alignment, but tend to gravitate toward lawful and neutral alignments. Lapines are rarely chaotic.

Size

Adult lapines stand between 4-5 feet tall and weigh between 60-120 pounds. Your size is Medium.

Speed

 Your base walking speed is 35 feet.

Darkvision

Accustomed to life in the warren. You can see in dim light within 60 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.

Keen Senses

 All lapines have proficiency in the Perception skill. In addition, you have advantage on all Perception checks that involve hearing.

Language of the Hedgerow

Through a combination of body language, gestures, and sounds you can communicate simple ideas with Small or smaller creatures native to forests, woods, meadows, grasslands, deserts, wetlands, and any other habitats to which rabbits and hares are native.

Obligate Vegetarian

 Lapines cannot eat meat. If you do so you must make a DC 15 Constitution saving throw or be poisoned until you take a long rest.

Languages

You can speak, read, and write Common, and Sylvan. 

Powerful Jumper

You can long jump up to 25 feet without a run-up and high jump up to 15 feet.

Caste

Lapine individuals are separated into different castes depending on birth and ability. Two of these castes are Council and Warrior which are both important members of any warren. A rare mutation causes a subrace called Jackalope, which often allows an individual to rise to the highest caste, even if they are of low birth.