Homebrew Catfolk Species Details

Appearance

The appearance of Catfolk are very small, with their size ranging from just three feet to four feet tall. They are almost always covered in a coat of fur, from short to long, thin to thick, though hairless variations are not unheard of. They have the bone structure of a cats, but are bipedal, though small catfolk are comfortable switching back and forth to quadrupedal. They have retractable claws in their hands and feet, and are feline in appearance. Their markings are also innumerable, with the most common being wild cats, such as lions, tigers, cheetahs, leopards, and lynxes. Another common variety are typical housecat patterns, such as the simple tabby, ranging from any color to any pattern typical of a standard Tabby house cat. Their sizes generally correspond to their ancestry, with Lions and Tigers generally being quite large, and Tabbies and Lynxes being quite a bit smaller, though the reverse, with large tabbies and small lions and are not uncommon.

Children of Curiousity

Catfolk were created by Xalyn, a goddess of knowledge who takes the form of a cat. She delights in mortals’ pursuit of knowledge, and desired to be the mother of her own race of truth-seekers. When other gods suggested that she simply give a blessing to a scholarly race like the elves, Xalyn replied “But I didn’t make them!”

And so, a clowder of cats chosen by the knowledge goddess was awakened and transformed into bipedal race of creatures with a hunger for travel and enlightenment. Through the tribe’s travels, catfolk learned about the other races, and began to disperse themselves among them in order to learn more. Catfolk became well-known for being quick learners, devoted workers, and loyal companions.

Diverse Heritage

It is said that the first tribe of catfolk bore the most resemblance to their parent species. Thick coats of fur covered their bodies, and their legs were reminiscent of haunches. Through intermingling with other races, these traits have been widely dispersed over thousands of years.

Some catfolk retain most of their original features, with a layer of fur covering most of their bodies and faces that remain largely feline. Other catfolk have developed more humanoid appearances. These specimens tend to have straight, silky hair, slim frames, and slanted eyes, while bearing the ears and tail that mark them as catfolk.

Caravans and Camps

Though catfolk love to interact with other races and can be perfectly happy living in smaller groups, many catfolk organize themselves into roaming bands that travel the lands in search of new experiences. This lifestyle makes them good company for merchants and adventurers, especially since the catfolk welcome others into their numbers.

Some catfolk clans find that enlightment will come to them, if the right spot is chosen. These clans make camp where travelers of all kinds are likely to pass by, and end up forming stable settlements. While most of these settlements tend to be no larger than a small village, a few bustling cities are known to have grown from humble catfolk camps.

Carefree and Kind

Catfolk are very accepting of other people. They take every opportunity to try and understand the world around them, even if that sometimes ends up getting them hurt. Because the Feline language lends itself well to music, many tribes teach their young about the race’s history through song and dance. This informative entertainment tends to pique the interest of outsiders, leading to the inspiration of many a catfolk bard.

When spending time in the company of other races, catfolk make themselves useful as minstrels, scholars, and healers. Some catfolk hone their natural grace to become circus performers, and others practice precision in order to make a living as a locksmith. Stronger specimens prefer to work as guards, but some have been known to be very successful farmers. No matter the task, for better or worse, catfolk approach life with confidence, believing that even failure is an opportunity to learn and improve.

History

Catfolk descended from felines thousands of years ago, only just older than humans. Catfolk are Tribal people, whose passion and love run deep. They form tribes around the world, often in harsh climates, ranging from deep in the rain forests, to scorching savannahs, all the way to freezing arctic regions, but are far more common around forest edges. Like Elves, Catfolk are attuned to nature, respect it, and defend it against those who would do it harm.

With no large settlements and a tribe style government structure, they have little to do with the outside world and their schemes. They pass their history as an oral history.

Catfolk Traits

Catfolks Trait's

Ability Score Increase

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

Age

Catfolk have five times the lifespan in comparison to domestic cats, averaging lifespans similar to those of humans.

Alignment

Catfolk tend toward chaotic alignments, as they let impulse and fancy guide their decisions. It is uncommon for them to be evil, as they are mostly driven by curiosity and passion. Some exhibit a level of greed, but such behavior is looked down upon in their societies.

Size

Catfolk are similar in resemblance to a domestic cat. Your size is Small.

Speed

Your base walking speed is 30 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.

Armor Restriction

Armor worn by catfolk needs to be specially tailored to fit them, either by a seasoned catfolk crafter, or another race under the instruction of a catfolk with proficiency in leatherworking or smithing, depending on the kind of armor.

You can only equip armor that bears the label 'Catcraft' (ex: Catcraft Studded Leather Armor).

Cat's Finesse

You may choose one of a handful of special talents that come easily to catfolk.

Charming Appeal - You gain the ability to flop cutely against the ground as an action once per day. Upon doing so you become prone. All humanoids in a 30ft radius which can see you must make a wisdom saving throw, and do so with advantage if hostile to you. Upon a failed saving throw the targets become Charmed by you for 1 minute.
Evasive Prowess - Your innate slyness enables you to take the Disengage or Hide action as a bonus action on each of your turns.
Feline 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.
Feline Nimbleness - Your small stature and nimble nature allow you to move through the space of any creature that is of a size larger than yours.
Natural Acrobat - Your natural feline talents grant you proficiency in Acrobatics
Natural Hunter - Your natural feline talents grant you proficiency in Investigation

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.

Cat's Talent

You have proficiency in the Stealth skill.

Languages

You can speak, read, and write Common and one other language of your choice. Additionally you are capable of innately communicating with other felines, such as domestic cats, wildcats, and big cats.