Homebrew Desert Tabaxi Species Details

The sandy descendants of those hailing from a strange and distant tropical land, wandering tabaxi are catlike humanoids driven by curiosity to collect interesting artifacts, gather tales and stories, and lay eyes on all the world's wonders. Ultimate travelers, the inquisitive tabaxi rarely stay in one place for long. Their innate nature pushes them to leave no secrets uncovered, no treasures, or legends lost.

Desert tabaxi are around the same size as most humans between four and six feet. Their bodies are slender and covered in spotted or striped fur. Like most felines, Tabaxi have long tails and retractable claws. Desert tabaxi fur color often has sandy tones that range from light yellow to darker golds and even orange-reds. Tabaxi eyes are slit-pupilled and usually green or yellow, and young ones have blue or light grey eyes that change as they grow older. They often have large tufted ears that are quite emotive and can betray their inner thoughts.

Desert tabaxi were once competent swimmers, but have since lost that ability and are more wary of entering water. They have a good sense of balance and an acute sense of smell, and are very stealthy in their actions.

For weapons, tabaxi traditionally favor bolas, slings, macas, and javelins with atlatl. These weapons often are made from wood, bone or stone. Tabaxi are just as likely to use weapons as they are to use their claws and teeth. Their preference of simple weapons is not due to a lack of capability, tabaxi are quite capable of adapting to new technology or salvaged weapons.

Desert Tabaxi Traits

The agile tabaxi brought outside of the jungle and into the desert have various feline abilities.

Ability Score Increase

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

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.

Darkvision

 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.

Cat's Talent

You have proficiency in the Perception and Stealth skills.

Feline Agility

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

Languages

You can speak, read, and write Common and one Extra language.

Heat Wave Resistance

Due to the large cooling ears and desert life, tabaxi are more suited to the heat and are less affected by dangerous temperatures. They have a resistance to heatwaves and extreme heat does not affect tabaxi as heavily as other races.

Age

Tabaxi have lifespans equivalent to humans, typically a century or less. 

Alignment

Tabaxi tend toward chaotic alignments, as they let impulse and fancy guide their decisions. They are rarely evil, with most of them driven by curiosity rather than greed or other dark impulses.

Size

Tabaxi range from under 5 to over 6 feet tall and have slender builds. Your size is Medium.

Sandy Paws

Through the many generations in the sandy deserts these tabaxi reside in, they have gained the ability of efficient travel over loose sands, and their movement is not decreased by loose or sandy terrain. Their movement speed remains the same on sandy, gravelly, dusty, or unstable ground.