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AngryJesusMan
2017-04-14, 11:10 AM
I've been running a home campaign, and when Volo's Guide for Monsters was released, it had Tabaxi. They're fine as a race, but my players often enjoy more options. Given that my campaign used Magic the Gathering as an inspiration, I decided Catfolk were certainly a group that could be expanded upon. Critiques and input are always appreciated. Hope you enjoy.


Sherkabi
Sherkabi are an anthropomorphic feline race, resembling a fusion of humans and lions. Their bodies are covered in fur ranging anywhere from pure white, to a light tan, and even to a stark black. Along with these tones of fur color they also can have varying fur patterns on their bodies with other shades. They typically wear light hides in the form of loincloths or leg slit skirts; anything allowing them ease of movement. Like lions, male sherkabi sport manes, while females do not.

Most sherkabi have an imposing look to them with their leonine features, and are mostly comprised of lean muscle due to their style of life. They typically have green or golden eyes, but they are rarely as bright as icy blue. Unlike lions, males and females of the sherkabi have roughly equal body mass.

Noble and Steadfast

The sherkabi are a social race, but they typically stay within their individual tribes, known as prides. The sherkabi are an honor-based society that adheres to a strict moral code, placing the needs and lives of others over their own. Though their adherence to their ways can make them rigid and arrogant, they are, at best, honest and forthright. To break these codes is to be cast out and exiled to wander alone from the pride. Stemming from their moral righteousness, they differ from lions in their treatments of the genders. Males have an equal share in the hunting done by their people, and females are afforded equal measures of the spoils of their hunts.

The ethical and moral demands sherkabi place on themselves can vary between each individual; no two are the same. However, when they have set their interpretation of any particular issue, no matter how few or minor these choices are, it is incredibly strict. In most cases, sherkabi will adopt the rules of their job or the career in which they find themselves, holding to them with almost ironclad devotion. This can create a penchant for fanaticism. From a moral perspective, they will often hold certain acts as incongruous to their ways or opposite to what they believe. If this happens, they will attempt to avoid that circumstance completely, even going so far as to report those who commit even a minor offense.

Divine Heritage

Because of their people’s reputation for being paragons of moral superiority, the sherkabi were eyed by celestial spirits. Once one of these spirits takes notice of a particular sherkabi, they send their intentions to the sages of the pride. When a sherkabi is chosen by one of these spirits it is cause for celebration, which are often ritualistic in their complexity. Once the joining happens, the sherkabi and the spirit are no more, forever joined and inseparable. A new being, known as a Leonal, a warrior of the Celestial Guardinals, is born from the union.

Sherkabi Traits

Developed throughout your people's long and proud history, all of the Sherkabi have developed the following traits.

Ability Score Increase. Your Strength score increases by 2. Your Wisdom score increases by 1.

Age. Sherkabi mature by age 15 and often live as much as 90 to 100 years.

Alignment. Sherkabi value order and honor above all things, tending towards law. Sherkabi have a strong disposition towards good, but when pushed to follow the rules or follow their heart, many will choose the former. In this respect, some can be quite chaotic.

Size. Sherkabi are tall and muscular, standing between 6'2” and 7'2” when they reach adulthood. They usually weigh around 200–270 lbs. Your size is Medium.

Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

Darkvision. 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.

Predator’s Claws. Your claws are natural weapons, which you can use to make unarmed strikes. They are considered to have the Light weapon property. If you hit with your claws, you deal 1d6 + Strength slashing damage, instead of the bludgeoning damage normal for an unarmed strike. You can choose to use your claws as an off-hand weapon. If you do, you do not add your Strength or Dexterity modifier to the damage unless another feature allows you to do so.

Natural Hunter. You have proficiency in the Perception and Survival skills.

Sherkabi Roar. Over time, your ancestors have honed the roar of your people into something more than just a vocal display. You can make use of the following abilities by virtue of your roar.


Invigorating Roar. You are able to rouse those that have been sent into a stupor. On your turn you can use an action to choose a creature within 30 feet of you and let loose your roar. If they can hear you, you can remove conditions that are affecting them. Those conditions can be charmed, frightened, or stunned.

Intimidating Roar. Hearkening back to the most visceral times of your forbears, you are able to cow those that hear you. On your turn you can use an action to choose a creature within 30 feet of you and let loose your roar. If they can hear you, they must make a Wisdom saving throw. The DC of this saving throw is 8 + your proficiency modifier + your Charisma modifier. If they fail the save, they are frightened of you for one minute.

You may use each of your roars once. You cannot use them again until you have completed a long rest.

Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and Bokirish, a language shared by all of the feline races.



Rakasta
The rakasta are an anthropomorphic feline race, resembling the fusion of a human and a tiger. Their short fur is usually soft and ranges in color from light tan to dark brown. Many rakasta have a darker hue on the ears and muzzle. Some specimens have white highlights at the ears and muzzle instead or even white or dark patches at the extremities (feet, hands, and tail). Older rakasta show whitening around the face and ears.
Rakasta have a build similar to that of humans; nomad rakasta tend to be slender, while those who live more sedentary lives tend to weigh more, ranging from slightly chubby to downright obese. The creatures have cat eyes, with vertical pupils. The irises are usually green, but some are yellow or even blue or hazel; a few rare individuals have two colors, most commonly one blue and one green eye.

Legacy of Damnation

Long ago, it was the rakasta that led the charge against many evil spirits. With uncanny extrasensory abilities, they were uniquely equipped to hunt incorporeal entities that hid from the populace while manipulating them for their despicable whims. Some say that this is why the rakasta were targeted by devilish spirits. Others claim it was a cruel mockery of the union enjoyed by the sherkabi. No matter the initial reasoning, for ages the rakasta have been hounded by the evil spirits they once hunted. Periodically, a spirit will sink its hooks into a rakasta. Once it is able to take up residence in the rakasta’s flesh, both the spirit and the rakasta are gone, replaced by a fiendish rakshasa. Indeed, some rakshasa have expressed their satisfaction that it is by virtue of its creation that the rakasta that came before it is entirely extinguished, often never to be thought of again.

Paranoid and Aloof

Though they may have been singled out for it, the rakasta still enjoy their extrasensory ability. Being able to sense things that others cannot, the legendary fear of being chosen to become a rakshasa, and the ire heaped upon them by those that know about the correlation has made the rakasta a race that prefers its isolation. They do not band together like the sherkabi. They often avoid the most populous parts of cities, unless unavoidable business takes them there. They are known to form family units, but even then the family usually takes up residence far from the prying eyes of strangers. It is for this reason that many rakasta end up living a nomadic life, attempting to avoid being in one place for too long or letting anyone get to know them too well.

With this behavior, rakasta are known for their tendency to engage in a certain amount of moral flexibility, taking jobs and building careers that gravitate toward the darker and seedier parts of civilization. Their reputation for this kind of work is well-known, which serves to enforce their desire to separate themselves from those that look down on them for their choices.

Rakasta Traits

By virtue of their people’s long and storied history, all rakasta have access to the following abilities.

Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity score increases by 2.

Age. Rakasta mature by age 15 and often live as much as 90 to 100 years.

Size. An adult rakasta averages 6 feet tall and weighs on average between 160 and 180 pounds. You are size Medium.

Speed. You have a base walking speed of 30 feet.

Cat's Talent. You have proficiency in the Perception and Stealth skills

Cat's Claws. Your claws are natural weapons which you can use to make unarmed strikes. They are considered to have the finesse and light weapon properties. If you hit with them, you deal 1d6 + Strength or Dexterity (your choice) slashing damage, instead of the bludgeoning damage normal for an unarmed strike. You can choose to use your claws as an off-hand weapon. If you do, you do not add your Strength or Dexterity modifier to the damage unless another feature allows you to do so.

Darkvision. Accustomed to night hunting, 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.

Sense What Cannot Be Seen. If you take one minute to concentrate, you can determine if an invisible or ethereal creature is present within 30 feet of you. This sense stays active for 1 minute. If it is moving within this range, you can determine its exact location. While this sense is active, if an invisible or ethereal creature is within 5 feet of you, you can attack it as if you can see it.

Additionally, you cannot be surprised by invisible or ethereal creatures. If an invisible or ethereal creature would normally surprise you, you are not surprised. This happens even if you cannot sense the creature.

Languages. You read, write, and speak Common and Bokirish.


I took inspiration, or flat out co-opted, a certain amount of material from the following sources. If any of these posters/authors would prefer I not use their material, please let me know and I will remove it.

Sherkabi
Lionfolk 5e Race: https://www.dandwiki.com/wiki/Lionfolk_(5e_Race)
Homebrew Leonin Race: https://www.reddit.com/r/dndnext/comments/2wvm4l/homebrew_leonin_race_flavor_text_help_needed/

Rakasta
A thread on GitP by ASchmidt (not sure how to link to the member specifically): 418665
For pounce: http://www.orcpub.com/dungeons-and-dragons/5th-edition/monsters/panther

zeek0
2017-04-18, 07:49 AM
Seems fine enough to me.

You should add an action type to the roars.

AngryJesusMan
2017-04-18, 10:28 AM
You should add an action type to the roars.

Right you are. Thank you.

Shurz
2017-05-02, 09:44 AM
what about increased Reflex save ?

AngryJesusMan
2017-05-02, 11:30 AM
what about increased Reflex save ?

It's not a bad idea for cat-like races. I basically modeled this on existing races, most heavily on the Tabaxi from Volo's Guide to Monsters. While some of the official races out there have advantage on saves against specific things (dwarf vs poison, elf vs charm), I'm not aware of anything granted from a Race that grants...

1) a numerical increase to a save, or even proficiency in a save...

- or -

2) advantage with a save that isn't qualified in some way (like the dwarf and elf examples above).

As they stand, I think the races are fairly balanced, though I'm no expert. Throwing in conditional advantage on a save would throw off that balance in my mind, which means something else would have to go away. (And yes, I'm aware of the irony of discussing mechanical balance concerning cat-like reflexes). I wouldn't be opposed to removing the claw entries in these, but I don't think it's necessary. I'm of the opinion that, thinking by way of evolution, anthropomorphic cats would find more utility in having natural weapons than they would in resisting falling damage or something of that nature.

YMMV - if you think conditional advantage on a save is more important, then please take the claws out and replace it with advantage on Dexterity saves that reduce falling damage to half, or something like that. I'm open to other suggestions, too, if you have something else that seems fitting. :smallsmile:

Thanks for the suggestion!