Homebrew Feliden Species Details

Small cat-like humanoids, Feliden hail from a strange faraway land. Driven by curiosity, many take jobs on ships to seek out new lands and peoples, despite their usual distaste for water. Although similar in appearance, and often in temperament, to the larger Tabaxi, the two species are only very distantly related. 

 

Small and Sneaky

Feliden have small, fur-covered and stubby, padded hands. When holding their opposable thumb close to their 3 fingers, their print could easily be mistaken for that of a common house cat. Their eyes are large and can take on many colours ranging from icy blues through menacing yellows to deep emerald or acid green, always with large, black, diamond or slit-shaped pupils. Their faces are usually round with a mid-sized, whiskered snout, although some may have a much more square jaw or a much flatter face in general. Their colours can vary greatly depending on their lineage, with black, white and ginger fur being most common in various combinations of patterns including stripes, spots, and brindle. Rarer examples may be grey, murky yellow, or even deep olive-drab green.

Capable of moving equally on 4 legs or on 2, and often smaller in size than even halflings, Feliden often appear more like pets than people. But do not let their diminutive stature fool you: they are stronger than their size may suggest, and are capable of disappearing apparently from plain sight. Indeed, many a man has been caught out when the cute kitty they adopted pulled a knife and demanded his coin-purse! 

 

Tribal Pride

Obligate carnivores, Feliden have no need for grains and berries, except as a means of attracting prey animals, and for this reason large-scale farming is a rarity. Without the full-time farmers to support a concentrated population, large, permanent settlements are few and far between in their homelands. Instead, Feliden society is largely nomadic, with family tribes moving from place to place to follow the prey and the weather. 

These tribes still follow the traditional structure of a strong male, or rarely a set of male brood-mates, leading a group of women and children. Leadership is determined by battles where a leader and a challenger will go head to head in ritual combat, using the methods agreed upon beforehand - usually determined by generations of tradition. If an adult male is not strong enough to lead, they risk being cast out or killed following a failed challenge. The outcasts will usually migrate to the few, but growing, permanent settlements where they form a lower caste of society than those born into the pride which founded the city. If they wish to join the pride and achieve full citizenship, they must either prove themselves to be worthy to the Alphas , or be be accepted as a mate by a female. For these reasons, if a male Feliden is not able to prove their value in combat or with magic, they will usually instead work on their charm and wit in the hopes of securing a mate. 

It is rare for a Feliden woman to be cast out of a tribe, and any city would be happy to accept them - provided they were willing and able to provide the Alphas with strong children. However, as tales have spread from other lands, many have grown tired of their traditional place in society and have instead struck out to find new lives in far away lands, where they can be seen more equally.

Tribeless Feliden who choose not to inhabit the cities often take passage to faraway lands on ships that visit their shores. Most ships would be pleased to have a Feliden on board: they are excellent pest control and can be extremely handy for climbing the rigging. Some Feliden have even taken ships of their own, crewed fully by their own kind, and become merchants, ferrymen or even pirates. Many sailors from all kinds of lands consider swimming to be bad luck, so the fact that most Fliden detest the water does not raise any eyebrows; however individuals from tribes that inhabit riverbanks and shorelines often hunted fish and waterfowl, making them excellent swimmers, unusually for their race.  

 

Notice me... When I want you to

Despite their natural talent for stealth and sneaking, many Feliden who can afford to will keep a fine wardrobe of brightly coloured garments and flashy Jewellery. In Felident society, bright colours were a sign of wealth: stealth is necessary for the small creatures to capture prey, and could only be sacrificed if you could afford to have others do the hunting for you. For this reason, Feliden who have settled in new lands where meat can be bought over the counter cheaply, will often save up their gold to spend on glamourous capes and sparkling necklaces. It is rare for a Feliden to return to their birthland after finding a home in the new (to them) world, but when they do they are often admired for their new-found riches and given prestigious places as teachers or advisors should they choose to stay. 

 

Feliden Names

Traditionally, a Feliden would only be known by a single, gender-neutral name: a Tribe was always a single-family group and a whole tribe would usually be referred to by the name of the alpha male. Personal names often reflect the environment which the tribe called home: plains tribes may have names such as Sunlight, GoldCorn or Oxpath. River tribes may name their children River or Salmonjump. Mountian tribes may include Snowball, Greatgorge, or Boulder.

However, when permanent villages and towns began to spring up, and outcasts would join, they would often take the name of the alpha they were born under as a surname. Sometimes outcasts who particularly revered the name of their leader would affix a preposition before or after it, in the tradition of some faraway lands; these prepositions could include words meaning 'Of' (eg du, di, von, O' ), 'Of The' (eg le, la, del della), or 'Son/Daughter' (eg son/dottir, bin, sen).  Rarely, a strong male from another land may have taken over the tribe, resulting in names from mixed environments

Example Full Names:  Boulder Snowdottir, River O'Falls, Sunrise Tide

 

Feliden Traits

Your Feliden character has a number of traits in common with all other Feliden.

Naturally Stealthy

You can attempt to hide even when you are obscured only by a creature that is at least one size larger than you.

Ability Score Increase

Your Dexterity score increases by 2.

Age

A Feliden hits maturity at around age 5, and usually lives around half a century.

Alignment

Feliden 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.

Ambush Predator

You have proficiency in the Athletics and Stealth skills.

Size

Feliden average about between 2 and feet tall. They can weigh as little as 10lbs or larger examples can be healthy at 25lbs . Your size is Small.

Lucky

When you roll a 1 on the d20 for an attack roll, ability check, or saving throw, you can reroll the die and must use the new roll.

Speed

Moving slightly faster than most creatures your size, your base walking speed is 30 ft.

Feliden Nimbleness

You can move through the space of any creature that is of a size larger than yours.

Languages

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