Catfolks (D&D 5ed)

[Emmerlaus]

I made a version of Catfolks for D&D 5 ed and would like some feedback:

Catfolk (Standard):

Size: Medium

Ability score: +2 Dexterity,

Darkvision : Darkvision. Thanks to your feline heritage, 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
in darkness, only shades of gray.

Naturally Atheltic: You are automaticly proheficient in the Acrobatic skill. You also have a resistance against falling damage




SUBRACES: (names can change)


Wildfolk



Ability: +1 Wisdom

Increased Speed: Your speed is now 35

Natural Foliage: Can hide in natural environnement with small cover (like the wild elves)

Independant: You get a advantage on your will saving throw against enchantement spell and against being charmed



City folk

Ability: +1 CHarisma

Lucky: Like the halfling feature

Bonus cantrip: Get Mage Hand as a cantrip.

[Final Hyena]

I feel that if you drop the feat it is fairly balanced.

[Ninja_Prawn]

I feel that if you drop the feat it is fairly balanced.

Mhm, it's not far away, is it?

I make it...


Base Race
2 ASI
0.5 Darkvision
0.5 Athletics
0.5 Damage Resistance
2.5 Alert

Wild
1 ASI
0.5 Speed
0.5 Mask of the Wild
1 Independent (which is spelled wrong... and Will saves don't exist any more) - maybe I'm overrating this, but it includes Hold Person and Suggestion, so...
TOTAL: 9

City
1 ASI
1 Lucky
0.5 Cantrip
TOTAL: 8.5

There's a lot of synergy in there too, but yeah, take out the feat and it looks fine.

[Emmerlaus]

Mhm, it's not far away, is it?

I make it...


Base Race
2 ASI
0.5 Darkvision
0.5 Athletics
0.5 Damage Resistance
2.5 Alert

Wild
1 ASI
0.5 Speed
0.5 Mask of the Wild
1 Independent (which is spelled wrong... and Will saves don't exist any more) - maybe I'm overrating this, but it includes Hold Person and Suggestion, so...
TOTAL: 9

City
1 ASI
1 Lucky
0.5 Cantrip
TOTAL: 8.5

There's a lot of synergy in there too, but yeah, take out the feat and it looks fine.


How do you calculate this?! Can you give me a link? :smallsmile:

Is it a rating to 1 to 10 ?

[Ninja_Prawn]

How do you calculate this?! Can you give me a link? :smallsmile:

Is it a rating to 1 to 10 ?

No, it's a points system, devised by a guy named Musicus. You can find it here (http://zappyman2.wix.com/musicushomebrew) or here (https://www.reddit.com/r/DnDBehindTheScreen/comments/2yijy9/5e_homebrew_guides_ujamesmusicus_process_and/?st=iq8edcq9&sh=d195c3eb). It should be noted that I'm improvising a bit; received wisdom says the variant human's feat is worth 4 points, but Alert is only a moderately powerful feat, and you're not offering a choice, so I've eyeballed it at 2.5. I'm also guessing that resistance to falling damage is roughly equivalent to resistance to one element and I'm inflating Lucky to 1 because I think Musicus underrates it.

Generally, you should aim for 5 to 7 for a PC race, though there are no hard-and-fast rules. It's just a guideline.

[Final Hyena]

Mhm, it's not far away, is it?
I can't wait for my Monster Munch any longer!


On another matter;

I'm inflating Lucky to 1 because I think Musicus underrates it.
Indeed, Lucky gives about +0.475 on 13 skills, 6 ability checks and all attack rolls (and is a rare bonus beyond the standard stat/proficiency/expertise/gear).
+1 stat gives +0.5 on 1 to 5 skills, 1 ability check, 1 save, some attacks (& DCs) and damage rolls.
On any person they are quite comparable, but on a skill monkey it's arguably worth more.


Generally, you should aim for 5 to 7 for a PC race, though there are no hard-and-fast rules. It's just a guideline.
NEIN NEIN NEIN you must perfectly get 6.35 or you will be put in ze hole!

[Ninja_Prawn]

NEIN NEIN NEIN you must perfectly get 6.35 or you will be put in ze hole!

Ach! Not ze hole! Anysing but ze hole!!

Tangent: my cat did actually get stuck down a hole once. I had to climb down into the fenced-off lightwell of someone's basement flat to get her out... :smallfrown:

[Mr.Moron]

"Catfolk" feels really broad and generic to me and not in a good way. The Elder Scrolls has "Khajiit", Breath of Fire had the "Woren", eberron has "Shifters". Even in standard 5e you've got "Rakshasa" not cat-demon. The key point is each has their own identity, traits and reasons for those traits. This is just a collection of stats that feels like "OK. So you want cat ears and a tail, here's the stats you use for Cat Ears and a tail" also Mage Hand for some reason.

[Emmerlaus]

"Catfolk" feels really broad and generic to me and not in a good way. The Elder Scrolls has "Khajiit", Breath of Fire had the "Woren", eberron has "Shifters". Even in standard 5e you've got "Rakshasa" not cat-demon. The key point is each has their own identity, traits and reasons for those traits. This is just a collection of stats that feels like "OK. So you want cat ears and a tail, here's the stats you use for Cat Ears and a tail" also Mage Hand for some reason.

Well since its not a official build, I need to make it generic enough for any GMs to accept it without them complaining its too OP.

Also, Rakshasa knows Mage Hand and can cast it at will. Linked? Maybe :smallwink:

[Emmerlaus]

By the way, would it be balanced to give them claws that does little damage instead of the feat? :smallconfused:

[Mr.Moron]

Well since its not a official build, I need to make it generic enough for any GMs to accept it without them complaining its too OP.

Also, Rakshasa knows Mage Hand and can cast it at will. Linked? Maybe :smallwink:

I can't speak for any other GMs but as someone who primarly GMs generic ism is a huge strike against, not for acceptance. What are these things? How do incorporate them into the world? How common are they? What do other races think of them, generally? Do they have their own gods? What do the eat? There's now a million quests I have to bed over backwards to answer to make the world seem even minimally cohesive with a PC using this race.

It's just a soulless collection of abilities entirely disconnected from the game world. I mean how caty are these catfolk even?


http://cdn.okccdn.com/php/load_okc_image.php/images/1x1/500x1000/0x0/0x0/0/13302507947404215770

[Ninja_Prawn]

I mean how caty are these catfolk even?

http://cdn.okccdn.com/php/load_okc_image.php/images/1x1/500x1000/0x0/0x0/0/13302507947404215770

Or even Definitely Not a Cat Girl at All! (http://flakypastry.runningwithpencils.com/comic.php?strip_id=19)

[Stan]

It's just a soulless collection of abilities entirely disconnected from the game world. I mean how caty are these catfolk even?
Well, culture, appearance, and everything else don't need to be balanced so feedback isn't very helpful. It's only the mechanics that need careful consideration. Once balanced, the mechanics can be adapted to different races and campaigns.

I think of cats as more acrobatic than athletic but I can see it going either way depending on the variety of cat.

[Mr.Moron]

Well, culture, appearance, and everything else don't need to be balanced so feedback isn't very helpful. It's only the mechanics that need careful consideration. Once balanced, the mechanics can be adapted to different races and campaigns.

I think of cats as more acrobatic than athletic but I can see it going either way depending on the variety of cat.

They do however need to be able to fit well into a generic D&D campaign something between FR & Greyhawk ya know? I'm not entirely sure the bottom-up approach produces the best content for RPGs. That said I guess it's fair enough if you only want mechanics feedback and are content to try have this snap-to-fit any divorced bit of fluff.

As mechanics go nothing strikes me as terribly broken one way or another. They perhaps feel slightly under the curve but that's hardly deal breaker. As "Balance" goes they're fine as is.

[Emmerlaus]

Well, culture, appearance, and everything else don't need to be balanced so feedback isn't very helpful. It's only the mechanics that need careful consideration. Once balanced, the mechanics can be adapted to different races and campaigns.

I think of cats as more acrobatic than athletic but I can see it going either way depending on the variety of cat.

Ahhh, my friend, you deserve a cookie! Definitly my opinion as well!

And you are right. I'll replace the proficiency to be in Acrobatic. Even cats can be fat and lazy but they share a common sense of innate balance and such.

The fluff can be adjusted later on to fit any campaign. What I wanted is to make the mecanics balanced. So thank you all for your advises!

But for cityfolk, I was considering making them close to magic, like the witchs familiar and blessed instead of cursed like the Rakhasha but have some FEEL of them.