Homebrew CatWere Species Details

CatWere are a race of antherions who essentially live and breath as the opposite of lycanthropes. CatWere creatures pass their traits and condition down through family lines unlike those who may receive lycanthrope curses or infections via attacks from Were-based creatures. Antherions typically have their animal based trait as their prefix thus the CatWere is born. Wild and chaotic within their very souls, Catwere broadly tended toward unpredictable behaviors, often opting to be more independent and value individual freedoms. As Catwere sometimes have a personality that can be assumed as aloof due to how independent they try to be, most humans and others assume that Catwere are cold and unfriendly. Despite this, many Catwere are more mischievous, curious, and playful with pranks and lively actions such as dancing, acrobatics, and more.

Appearance:

Animal form: 2'-3'
Hybrid form: 5'-6' with Animal Appearance and features more distinct of their animal form.
Human form: 5'-6' with some Animal like features that are distinct of their animal form.
Each of the Antherions forms have their own benefits and drawbacks as the animal form limits the movements of what may be done in the human form instead. This is to say that a Catwere who is very talented at Performance based skills may find that these are best suited in their Human form where they may not have the best benefit in their animal form due to their hindlegs and tiny stature. Within the animal form, the Catwere is not able to make the most of clothes, armor, or manipulate items as they could in their hybrid and human forms. Verbal communication is very limited in this form which hinders the ability to perform majority of all spells or speak more complicated languages outside of rudimentary common. Catwere are also observed to be able to speak with other feline animals in their animal form and often have difficulties without additional aides attempting to speak to non-feline based animals. Catwere can, however, understand most languages that they know and have heard before so they may be able to hear what another person says without being able to respond. 

With their hybrid form, the Catwere is able to take on characteristics of their animal form but also be able to wear clothing, armor, and weapons as well as cat magic and speak clearly each language they know. If a Catwere takes on a more human form, they lose more of their animal traits including their cat-like benefits of sight and smell. They are also unable to move and function like their animal form, having to walk and run only as fast as a human.

Vulnerability:

Unlike lycanthropes, Antherions typically do not have a vulnerability to silver though they do share the vulnerability to magical items. Antherions are vulnerable to cold-iron based weapons.

CatWere Traits

Climbing, Claws

Keen Senses

The cat has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sense of smell, sight, and hearing.

Damage Resistance

In Hybrid form (which requires concentration), the CatWere takes half damage from all damage other than psychic damage, uses per day equal to CON modifier. After receiving damage, must make a CON saving throw instead of WIS to maintain concentration. 

Damage Weakness

All forms of Antherion are weak against moonfallen iron, cold, and fire damage. 

Cat's Claws

You have a climbing speed of 30 ft. and your claws are natural weapons that deal 1d4 + STR slashing damage, instead of the normal bludgeoning damage for an unarmed strike.

Dark Vision

You can see in darkness (shades of gray) up to 60 ft.

Cat's Talent

You have proficiency in the Perception and Stealth skills.

Shapechanger

The catwere can use its action to polymorph into a cat-humanoid hybrid or into a human, or back into its true form, which is a tiny cat. Its statistics, other than its AC, are the same in each form. Any equipment it is wearing or carrying isn't transformed. It reverts to its true form if it dies.

Languages

You can speak, read, heard, and write Common, Animal Speak to other Felines, and one other language. You can only speak in Human and Hybrid form.