Homebrew Saber-Tooth Tabaxi Species Details

We had an abnormally large tabaxi come through once, a few winters back. She kept the taproom packed each night with her stories and spent most days out in the village helping out. We thought she was going to leave when a few goblins were seen coming towards the village, but when the group of goblins being lead by a hobgoblin arrived looking for trouble, she was out the door before I could blink an eye, and before long a loud roar echoed out as the sounds of combat started to be heard, an hour later she walked back in and threw the head of the hobgoblin into the firepit.

— Torven Stonebreaker, innkeeper

Hailing from the cold northern regions, the Saber-Tooth Tabaxi are larger and stronger than their southern cousins, who are driven by curiosity to collect interesting artifacts, gather tales and stories, and lay eyes on all the world’s wonders. Nomadic by nature, the Saber-Tooth Tabaxi rarely stay in one place for long. Their innate nature pushes them to constantly improve themselves.

Wandering Hunters

Most Saber-Tooth Tabaxi remain in their distant homeland to the north, content to dwell in small, tight clans. These Tabaxi hunt for food, craft goods, and largely keep to themselves.

However, not all Saber-Tooth Tabaxi are satisfied with such a life. The God of the Hunt and Battle, the divine figure at the head of the Saber-Tooth Tabaxi's pantheon, gifts each of his children with one specific trait along side the trait gifted by the cat lord. Those Tabaxi gifted with a want to learn, Improve, Or protect are compelled to wander far and wide. They seek out stories, artifacts, lore, and ways to improve themselves. Those who survive this period of wanderlust return home in naught but a few years to share news of the outside world. In this manner, the Saber-Tooth Tabaxi remain isolated from the southern regions like most northern denizens but they are never ignorant of the world beyond their home.

Northern Warriors

Saber-Tooth Tabaxi treasure their friends and family more than any material item. A chest filled with gold coins might be useful to buy food or a coil of rope, but it’s not intrinsically part of their life. In the eyes of a Saber-Tooth Tabaxi, gathering wealth or fame is like packing rations for a long trip or not doing well on you're first hunt. It’s important to survive in the world and a harsh lesson, but not worth fussing over.

Instead, Saber-Tooth Tabaxi value knowledge, new experiences, and their friends. Their ears perk up in a busy tavern, and they will often buy food and drinks for the hungry and thirsty or bring the taven fresh meat. Saber-Tooth Tabaxi might walk away with empty purses, or mere rumors, but they almost always leave with a new friend and travelling companion as they mull over the stories, and rumors they heard like a miser counting coins.

Although material wealth holds little attraction for the Saber-Tooth Tabaxi, they have an insatiable desire to improve themselves and protect those they care for. Aside from the satisfaction they gain from Fighting to protect their allys and improving their skills, a Saber-Tooth Tabaxi takes great joy and pride in their friendships, for if someone earns their trust, and respect they gain an eternal friend and ally, this bond is even greater for those of the slow to trust member's of the Frostfang Clan who treasure their true friends above all else.

Desires and Loyalty

Wandering Saber-Tooth Tabaxi are creatures who stand undaunted by the worlds challenges, trading one goal for the next as they achieve them. A Saber-Tooth Tabaxi’s desire burns bright, but once achieved it disappears to be replaced with a new desire and goal that drives them on.

A Saber-Tooth Tabaxi could happily spend months saving up gold, only to spend it on food and drink for the poor, or better gear for their companions. The Saber-Tooth Tabaxi might take some to get their personal equipment repaired, but they rarely buy many material possessions for themselves.

Wanderers and Drive

A need and want to improve themselves or protect their pride drives some of the Saber-Tooth Tabaxi found outside their Den or Pride, but only a small handful have ever journeyed through the Ridge Back mountains and into the southern regions. Saber-Tooth Tabaxi who journey south and seek a safer path to learn and satisfy their drive will often seek out a troupe of their smaller cousin's and travel with them for a time before heading back to their northern home.

These tabaxi work in small groups referred to as Prides, usually consisting of Two Elders, Twelve to sixteen younger adults, the two more experienced elder tabaxi tend to lead the Pride, guiding and teaching up to six cubs of their traditions and helping learning their way in the world. Some Prides travel in a protective formation, moving from place to place. When they arrive, they set up a small camp in an easily protected area where they sing, play instruments, tell stories, and teach the cubs how to hunt. While other larger Prides choose to simply stay in a small vilage known as a Den.

These wanderers keep to cold realms of the far north, preferring to hunt and battle instead of pursuing the comforts of city's and towns. However, they aren’t above seeking aid from nearby city's or town's when a member of their pride is sick or injured.

Saber-Tooth Tabaxi Names

Unlike their smaller cousin's who have a single name, determined by clan and based on a complex formula that involves astrology, prophecy, clan history, and other esoteric factors Saber-Tooth Tabaxi names are less complicated and are gained upon reaching their sixth winter. Saber-Tooth Tabaxi names can usually apply to both males and females with a small number of exceptions, as well as having a secondary name that is based around a single achievement or trait, such as slaying a great beast or never missing a shot, these secondary name's are closer to titals that are gained after having reached their sixteenth winter and passing a coming of age ceremony.

The Clan names of the Saber-Tooth Tabaxi are usually based on either a geographical feature located in or near the clan’s territory or the location of their territory.

Saber-Tooth Tabaxi Names: Ragin, Vark, Atkon, Toruk, Enis, Aeku, Dagrah

Male specific name's: Khamal, Indura, Tusk

Female specific name's: Ariel, Janisa, Kyla

Saber-Tooth Tabaxi Clans: Frostfang, Lions Jaw, Elders Ridge, Wild Peaks, Silver Moon

Saber-Tooth Tabaxi Traits

Your Saber-Tooth Tabaxi character has the following racial traits.

Ability Score Increase

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

Age

Saber-Tooth Tabaxi have average lifespans of up to 180 years.

Alignment

much like their cousins Saber-Tooth Tabaxi tend toward chaotic alignments, as they tend to follow their instincts more often than not. They are rarely evil, with most of them driven by a need to protect rather than greed or other dark impulses.

Size

Saber-Tooth Tabaxi stand eye to eye with even Goliaths reaching anywhere between 8-10ft tall. Your size is Medium.

Speed

Your base walking speed is 35 feet.

Darkvision

You have a cat’s keen senses, especially in the dark. 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.

Primal Agility

Your reflexes and agility allow you to move with a burst of speed. When you move on your turn in combat, you can double your speed until the end of the turn. Once you use this trait, you can’t use it again until you move 0 feet on one of your turns.

Cat’s Claws

Because of your claws, you have a climbing speed of 20 feet. In addition, your claws are natural weapons, which you can use to make unarmed strikes. If you hit with them, you deal slashing damage equal to 1d4 + your Strength modifier, instead of the bludgeoning damage normal for an unarmed strike.

Primal Instinct

You have proficiency in the Perception and Stealth skills.

Ambush Predator

Once per long rest you may trade you're weapon for you're fangs and claw's, temporarily foregoing you're weapon proficiency's to engage you're primal instincts to stalk and track you're prey. While this is active you're movement is doubled, you're dark vision is extended by 40ft and gains more detail, and you gain a +4 to dexterity and a +3 to strength.

Additionally you gain advantage on stealth checks while within 60ft of you're chosen target. This abilities effect ends once you attack you're target, or once 1 hour has passed.

Upon launching you're attack You sink you're large 6-9 inch long K9 teeth into you're target as you use you're claw's to hold them dealing 1d6+4 piercing damage and causing you're target to take 1d4 bleed dmg untill a successful DC8 Constitution saving throw

Languages

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