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Tabaxi

Hailing from a strange and distant land, wandering tabaxi are catlike humanoids driven by curiosity to collect interesting artifacts, gather tales and stories, and lay eyes on all the world's wonders. Ultimate travelers, the inquisitive tabaxi rarely stay in one place for long. Their innate nature pushes them to leave no secrets uncovered, no treasures or legends lost.  

Wandering Outcasts

  Most tabaxi remain in their distant homeland, content to dwell in small, tight clans. These tabaxi hunt for food, craft goods, and largely keep to themselves. However, not all tabaxi are satisfied with such a life. The Cat Lord, the divine figure responsible for the creation of the tabaxi, gifts each of his children with one specific feline trait. Those tabaxi gifted with curiosity are compelled to wander far and wide. They seek out stories, artifacts, and lore. Those who survive this period of wanderlust return home in their elder years to share news of the outside world. In this manner, the tabaxi remain isolated but never ignorant of the world beyond their home.  

Barterers of Lore

  Tabaxi treasure knowledge rather than material things. A chest filled with gold coins might be useful to buy food or a coil of rope, but it's not intrinsically interesting. In the tabaxi's eyes, gathering wealth is like packing rations for a long trip. It's important to survive in the world, but not worth fussing over.   Instead, tabaxi value knowledge and new experiences. Their ears perk up in a busy tavern, and they tease out stories with offers of food, drink, and coin. Tabaxi might walk away with empty purses, but they mull over the stories and rumors they collected like a miser counting coins.   Although material wealth holds little attraction for the tabaxi, they have an insatiable desire to find and inspect ancient relics, magical items, and other rare objects. Aside from the power such items might confer, a tabaxi takes great joy in unraveling the stories behind their creation and the history of their use.  

Fleeting Fancies

  Wandering tabaxi are mercurial creatures, trading one obsession or passion for the next as the whim strikes. A tabaxi's desire burns bright, but once met it disappears to be replaced with a new obsession. Objects remain intriguing only as long as they still hold secrets.   A tabaxi rogue could happily spend months plotting to steal a strange gem from a noble, only to trade it for passage on a ship or a week's lodging after stealing it. The tabaxi might take extensive notes or memorize every facet of the gem before passing it on, but the gem holds no more allure once its secrets and nature have been laid bare.  

Tinkers and Minstrels

  Curiosity drives most of the tabaxi found outside their homeland, but not all of them become adventurers. Tabaxi who seek a safer path to satisfy their obsessions become wandering tinkers and minstrels.   These tabaxi work in small troupes, usually consisting of an elder, more experienced tabaxi who guides up to four young ones learning their way in the world. They travel in small, colorful wagons, moving from settlement to settlement. When they arrive, they set up a small stage in a public square where they sing, play instruments, tell stories, and offer exotic goods in trade for items that spark their interest. Tabaxi reluctantly accept gold, but they much prefer interesting objects or pieces of lore as payment.   These wanderers keep to civilized realms, preferring to bargain instead of pursuing more dangerous methods of sating their curiosity. However, they aren't above a little discreet theft to get their claws on a particularly interesting item when an owner refuses to sell or trade it.  

Volo's Complete Subrace Handbook

Tabaxi Stripeback

With stripes and coloration like a tiger, these tabaxi are natural hunters who use their muscular legs and sharp claws to pounce on foes. Orange stripebacks are most commonly seen slinking through the shadows of the jungle, while white stripebacks reside in arctic environments at high elevations.
ability score increase: Choose one of: (a) Choose any +2; choose any other +1 (b) choose three different +1
age: Tabaxi have lifespans equivalent to humans.
Size: Medium
speed: Your base walking speed is 30 feet. You have a climb speed equal to your walking speed
Languages: You can speak, read, and write Common and one other language that you and your DM agree is appropriate for your character.
parent race: Tabaxi
race features:
Cat's Claws. You can use your claws to make unarmed strikes. When you hit with them, the strike deals 1d6 + your Strength modifier slashing damage, instead of the bludgeoning damage normal for an unarmed strike.   Tiger’s Claws. Your claws are longer and sharper than other tabaxi. Your natural weapons deal slashing damage equal to 1d6 + your Strength modifier, instead of the bludgeoning damage normal for an unarmed strike.   Darkvision. 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 discern colors in that darkness only as shades of gray.   Hunter’s Grace. You can use your hind legs to make incredible leaps, and unerringly land on your feet. Your jump distance is doubled unless it was already increased by a magical effect. Pouncing Strike. If you have at least one hand free, as an action you can use your movement to make a ferocious leap towards a creature you can see, making a single unarmed strike against that creature. If the attack hits and the creature is large or smaller, it must make a Strength saving throw or be knocked prone. The DC for the save equals 8 + your Dexterity modifier + your Proficiency bonus.   You can use this feature twice and you regain any expended uses when you finish a short or long rest.

Volo's Complete Subrace Handbook

Tabaxi Pridehead

With a flowing mane, strong face, and a powerful roar, pridehead tabaxi are similar to lions both in appearance and temperment. These fearsome tabaxi are rumored to be descended from tabaxi lords, tabaxi who were given power by demonic magic. None of the demons evil magic remains in their descendents, but the signs of their heritage remain. Prideheads are often the leaders of tabaxi clans, as growing a large mane is often seen as a sign of great potential.
ability score increase: Choose one of: (a) Choose any +2; choose any other +1 (b) choose three different +1
age: Tabaxi have lifespans equivalent to humans.
Size: Medium
speed: Your base walking speed is 30 feet. You have a climb speed equal to your walking speed
Languages:
parent race: Tabaxi
race features:
Cat's Claws. You can use your claws to make unarmed strikes. When you hit with them, the strike deals 1d6 + your Strength modifier slashing damage, instead of the bludgeoning damage normal for an unarmed strike.   Pride's Talent. You have proficiency in the Athletics and Intimidation skills.   Lion’s Roar. As an action you can unleash a terrifying roar that can shake the confidence of your foes. Each creature of your choice within 30 feet that can hear you must make a Charisma saving throw or be frightened of you until the end of your next turn. The DC for the save equals 8 + your Charisma modifier + your Proficiency bonus. Once you use this trait you cannot do so again until you finish a short or long rest.   Darkvision. 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 discern colors in that darkness only as shades of gray.   Powerful Build. You count as one size larger when determining your carrying capacity and the weight you can push, drag, or lift.

Volo's Complete Subrace Handbook

Tabaxi Stripeback

With stripes and coloration like a tiger, these tabaxi are natural hunters who use their muscular legs and sharp claws to pounce on foes. Orange stripebacks are most commonly seen slinking through the shadows of the jungle, while white stripebacks reside in arctic environments at high elevations.
ability score increase: Choose one of: (a) Choose any +2; choose any other +1 (b) choose three different +1
age: Tabaxi have lifespans equivalent to humans.
Size: Medium
speed: Your base walking speed is 30 feet. You have a climb speed equal to your walking speed
Languages: You can speak, read, and write Common and one other language that you and your DM agree is appropriate for your character.
parent race: Tabaxi
race features:
Cat's Claws. You can use your claws to make unarmed strikes. When you hit with them, the strike deals 1d6 + your Strength modifier slashing damage, instead of the bludgeoning damage normal for an unarmed strike.   Tiger’s Claws. Your claws are longer and sharper than other tabaxi. Your natural weapons deal slashing damage equal to 1d6 + your Strength modifier, instead of the bludgeoning damage normal for an unarmed strike.   Darkvision. 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 discern colors in that darkness only as shades of gray.   Hunter’s Grace. You can use your hind legs to make incredible leaps, and unerringly land on your feet. Your jump distance is doubled unless it was already increased by a magical effect. Pouncing Strike. If you have at least one hand free, as an action you can use your movement to make a ferocious leap towards a creature you can see, making a single unarmed strike against that creature. If the attack hits and the creature is large or smaller, it must make a Strength saving throw or be knocked prone. The DC for the save equals 8 + your Dexterity modifier + your Proficiency bonus.   You can use this feature twice and you regain any expended uses when you finish a short or long rest.

Civilization and Culture

Naming Traditions

Each tabaxi has a single name, determined by clan and based on a complex formula that involves astrology, prophecy, clan history, and other esoteric factors. Tabaxi names can apply to both males and females, and most use nicknames derived from or inspired by their full names.   Clan names are usually based on a geographical feature located in or near the clan's territory.   The following list of sample tabaxi names includes nicknames in parenthesis.   Tabaxi Names: Cloud on the Mountaintop (Cloud), Five Timber (Timber), Jade Shoe (Jade), Left-Handed Hummingbird (Bird), Seven Thundercloud (Thunder), Skirt of Snakes (Snake), Smoking Mirror (Smoke)   Tabaxi Clans: Bright Cliffs, Distant Rain, Mountain Tree, Rumbling River, Snoring Mountain

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