Homebrew Tabaxi (5e Race Variant) Species Details

Description
Tabaxi were taller than most humans at six to seven feet. Their bodies were slender and covered in spotted or striped fur. Like most felines, Tabaxi had long tails and retractable claws. Tabaxi fur color ranged from light yellow to brownish red. Tabaxi eyes were slit-pupiled and usually green or yellow.
Tabaxi were competent swimmers and climbers as well as speedy runners. They had a good sense of balance and an acute sense of smell.
Etymology
Depending on their region and fur coloration, tabaxi were known by different names. Tabaxi with solid spots were sometimes called leopard men and tabaxi with rosette spots were called jaguar men.
The way the tabaxi pronounced their own name also varied; the "leopard men" pronounced it ta-BÆK-see, and the jaguar men tah-BAHSH-ee.
Personality
Tabaxi were a reclusive people who often avoided interaction with other intelligent races. However, as each tabaxi possessed a specific feline trait, some had an innate curiosity that compelled them to travel and seek out stories, artifacts, new experiences and knowledge, never remaining in the same place or obsessing over the same piece of lore for too long.
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In general, tabaxi did not care for wealth, but they had an almost obsessive interest in ancient artifacts, relics and magic items, but not for the items themselves, as much as the stories and secrets they held. Once an item had been thoroughly examined and studied, and its secrets revealed, it would lose its allure and the tabaxi would quickly lose interest and pass it on.
Not all tabaxi were motivated by curiosity to leave their homeland, however. Some found safer ways to satisfy their fleeting obsessions by becoming traveling minstrels and tinkers, often accepting interesting objects and stories as payment for their services.
Combat
Tabaxi were exceptional hunters and utilized these skills in combat. Speed and stealth combined with their natural camouflage meant that tabaxi were particularity skilled at surprise attacks. Tabaxi were even known to disguise their scent with aromatic herbs. Their hunting skills and intelligence made them formidable tacticians. Groups would often drive prey into ambushes, sometime playing with their doomed foe before killing them. Tabaxi clans did have berserker warriors within them, these were known as blood-stalkers.
For weapons, tabaxi favored bolas, slings, maces, and javelins with atlatl. These weapons would often be made from wood, bone or stone. Tabaxi were just as likely to use weapons as they were to use their claws and teeth. Their preference of simple weapons was not due to a lack of capability. Tabaxi were quite capable of adapting to new technology or salvaged weapons.
Due to their knowledge of hunting, intelligence and sense of smell, it was practically impossible to trap a tabaxi.
Society
Tabaxi society was built around clans. Clans were split evenly between males and females with 3 to 12 young. Each clan had several Hunts each made up of two to eight individuals. The Hunts patrolled the area around the clan's lair.
Although tabaxi lairs were sometimes just temporary, they were more often small villages of ramadas. Each ramada was built from wooden poles with grass roofs.
Clans were led by elders. About half of the time, leaders were aided by shamans. Clans tended to avoid each other and did not engage in trade. Tabaxi considered trade to be demeaning but in rare instances would use third party agents to trade for them.
When the tabaxi started wandering out of their homeland of Maztica, rumors followed about strange happenings there, but the tabaxi themselves said little about them.
Language
The Tabaxi language was an ancient form of the Payit language. Those who spoke modern Payit and knew what to listen for could usually understand about half of the Tabaxi words they heard. It was completely unrelated to the Tabaxi language of the Tabaxi tribe of Chult.
Religion
Most clans worshiped Tezca, Nula, or (rarely) Azul. A minority of clans owed their allegiance to a jaguar lord. In this instance, Zaltec was the dominant deity of the tribe.
The creator figure in the tabaxi pantheon was the Cat Lord, a fickle and tricky entity who bestowed each tabaxi with a specific feline trait and was believed to wander the world, watching over them.
Interracial Relations
Tabaxi had few enemies and only the most degenerate clans would attack members of other intelligent species without good reason.
Threats
Tabaxi were sometimes hunted for their pelts. Each pelt could be sold for up to 50 gp. Hishna shapers could use tabaxi skin and claws to enhance their strength. Young tabaxi could be sold on the black market for around 225 gp.
History
Because of the black market and slave trade that brought them to Faerûn, some tabaxi made the jungles of Chult their home after escaping captivity. Tabaxi minstrels primarily lived in and around Port Nyanzaru, but hunters roamed the entire peninsula.

 

Tabaxi (5e Race Variant) Traits

Tabaxi originate from a jungle far away from where most adventures take place in the Forgotten Realms. These tall, feline humanoids tend to remain with their clans in their homeland, but some of been known to travel far and wide to uncover the world’s mysteries and find treasure. Tabaxi are strong athletes with heightened senses, making them powerful in combat and proficient hunters.

Ability Score Increase.

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

Age.

Tabaxi have lifespans equivalent to humans.

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 feet to well over 6 feet tall, with males generally being taller and more robust than females. 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.

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 1d8 + your Strength modifier, instead of the bludgeoning damage normal for an unarmed strike.

Feline Agility.

During combat, you can move up to double of your speed but then you can only use it again after you use 5 feet of movement on one of your turns.

Cat's Talent.

Get proficiency on both Perception and Stealth skills.

Mask of the Wild.

You can attempt to hide even when you are only lightly obscured by foliage, heavy rain, falling snow, mist, and other natural phenomena.

Pounce.

As a bonus action, you can leap up to 20 feet to an unoccupied space that you can see that is within 5 feet of a creature. This movement does not provoke opportunity attacks.

Nine Lives.

You can fall for 20 feet without suffering fall damage, and up to 40 feet taking only half damage.

Languages.

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