Homebrew Wemic Species Details

Wemics are classically idealistic and honorable, possessing strong codes on how to live their lives, and how to govern what is right and wrong. They walk with a proud bearing that expresses their idealism with every step, and view the world with a calm and collected attitude, until such time they decide to strike. This calm, unconcern can be misconstrued by outsiders as disinterest or boredom, and sometimes leads to a reputation of laziness among the Wemics. When wemics are moved to action, they are decisive and quick. Contemplation and meditation are things that have their time and place, but they are put completely aside when the moment to move in arrives.

All wemics trace their roots through their mothers, who are generally regarded as the elders of the family units or prides. Most prides will wander the plains or jungles within their territories, rarely settling down. They are at one with the land, feeding off of game in the area until they feel it is time to move on to better grounds. Though this existence seems simple, the wemics are by no means primitive. Every pride is networked with all its neighboring units, and through this network, the wemics have a pretty good idea of what passes through their territory. More solitary wemics also keep in touch with their neighbors, but tend towards smaller territories with a central lair rather than the semi-nomadic lifestyle of the prides.

In hunting and in matters of family life, the females will often take the lead, though males have been known to participate in their own hunts from time to time, and they are by no means regarded as an inferior gender. Indeed, Males can easily dominate a pride, and many do, but the larger numbers of females ensure that true despots are rare. Wemics can have varying personalities. Some are sociable, and some are solitary. It varies. The solitary ones often find themselves living apart from the pride, but not out of contact. Sociable ones are often found among other races.

Wemics are similar to other tauric creatures. They have the torso and head of a feline humanoid and the lower body of a big cat. Fur covers the whole body. Tawny, black, spotted, and stripes are quite common and other varieties have been rumored. Wemics may range in size from 5' to 12' long and stand 4' to 6' tall. They can weigh as much as 700 lb.s with a minimum weight around 200 lb.s. Lion and tiger colored wemics tend towards the larger sizes and leopard colored wemics are usually lighter. On their heads, male wemics possess a long mane of hair that matches the color of their lion fur, and can grow to be very long and full. Females also have a mane, but it is much shorter and not as thick.

Wemics also have some leonine facial features, such as whiskers and catlike faces with slitted pupils and eye colors of green or yellow, and sometimes red. Their piercing stares are said to peer into the hearts of those with unpure intentions and corrupt hearts.

Most wemics do not wear any clothing on their lion half, and will only wear modest garments on their humanoid parts, especially females who wear halter tops and sometimes shawls. Wemics wear harnesses of leather to carry their tools and weapons. They are also fond of beads, feathers, and bone fetishes.

Wemic Traits

Wemics have the following traits.

Ability Score Increase

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

Age

Wemic cubs remain with the rest of the pride until they are five years old, at which point they would go on the first hunt. Once they brought back their first kill, they were considered an adult. Wemics live about as long as humans. 

Size

Wemics range between 6 and 7 feet tall, and about 10 feet long. Your size is Medium. 

Darkvision

Being a hunter both day and night, you have superior vision in dark and dim conditions.  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, only shades of gray.

Speed

Your base walking speed is 40 feet.

Natural Athlete

You have proficiency in the Athletics skill.

Survivor

You have proficiency in the Survival skill.

Menacing

You gain proficiency in the Intimidation skill.

Claws

Your claws are natural weapons, which you can use to make unarmed strikes. If you hit with them, you can deal slashing damage equal to 1d4 + your Strength modifier, instead of the bludgeoning damage normal for an unarmed strike.

Daunting Roar

As a bonus action, you can let out an especially menacing roar. Creatures of your choice within 10 feet of you that can hear you must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or become frightened of you until the end of your next turn. The DC of the save equals 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Constitution modifier. Once you use this trait, you can’t use it again until you finish a short or long rest.