growls, and bellows, derived from the primeval
Race: Tabaxi (Variant)
In most worlds, the tabaxi are all one race, with a
shared culture and set of physical traits that does
not vary greatly between individuals. However, on
Uresh, various cultural and environmental factors
have caused the tabaxi to split into multiple
subraces. Each of these subraces resembles one
type of wild cat, and is commonly referred to by the
name of the cat they most resemble.
The tabaxi subraces presented here are an
alternative to the official tabaxi race, as described in
Volo's Guide to Monsters.
Tabaxi Traits
All tabaxi, regardless of subrace, have a certain
number of traits in common.
Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity score
increases by 2.
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 are taller on average than humans.
Your size is Medium.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 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 see color in
darkness, only shades of grey.
Cat's Claws. Your claws are natural weapons,
which you can use to make unarmed strikes. If you
hit with them, they deal slashing damage equal to
1d4 + your Strength modifier, instead of the
bludgeoning damage normal for an unarmed strike.
Feline Stealth. You have proficiency in the
Stealth skill.
Languages. You can speak, read, and write
Common and Beast Speech. Beast Speech is a
guttural language of grunts,
tongue of the animals. Its written form uses the
Draconic script.
Subraces. In the world of Uresh, tabaxi are
divided into three subraces: lion tabaxi, tiger tabaxi,
and leopard tabaxi. Choose one of these subraces.
Lion Tabaxi
Lion tabaxi are the largest of their kin, with lean,
muscular bodies covered in tawny fur. Male lion
tabaxi look even larger, due to the manes of fur
surrounding their heads, necks, and shoulders.
Tabaxi of this subrace live in the savannahs found
to the southwest of the Five Kings Valley. They dwell
in groups called "prides", which are composed of
several males, each of those male's multiple wives,
and their children. They feed primarily upon the
beastfolk with which they share these plains, a fact
that often horrifies members of more humanoid
races, but that both the lion tabaxi and the beastfolk
see as a fact of life.
From the moment they are born, lion tabaxi work
together in all things. Their ability to cooperate and
coordinate with others makes them stalwart allies
on the battlefield, and they are not afraid to utilize
their menacing predatory presence to turn the tide
of battle.
Ability Score Increase. Your Strength score
increases by 1.
Pride Hunter. Lion tabaxi hunt in packs, and
excel on capitalizing on the strikes made by others.
When a friendly creature you can see scores a
critical hit with a weapon attack, you have advantage
on all attack rolls you make against the same target
on your next turn.
Lion's Roar. As an action, you can unleash a
mighty roar to strike fear into your enemies' hearts.
Each hostile creature within 30 feet of you that can
hear you must make a Wisdom saving throw, the DC
for which equals 8 + your Charisma modifier + your
proficiency bonus. On a failed save, a creature is
frightened of you until the end of your next turn.
Once you use this feature, you must finish a short
or long rest before you can do so again.
Tiger Tabaxi
Tiger tabaxi are shorter and stouter than members
of other tabaxi subraces. Their bodies are thick with
muscle, and covered in distinctive orange fur with a
pattern of black stripes. Despite its seeming
gaudiness, these colors actually help the tiger tabaxi
stay hidden, allowing them to blend into the patterns
of light created by moving grass and tree branches.
The most reclusive of the tabaxi, the tiger tabaxi
dwell in the jungles of the Galli-Meia Rift. They
share little of their social structure or customs with
outsiders, but the people of more northern lands
whisper rumors that the tigerfolk are not as simple
as they appear, and that grand gilded temples and
monuments to the Cat Lord can be found within the
furthest reaches of Galli-Meia. If there is any truth to
these rumors, the tiger tabaxi aren't telling.
Ability Score Increase. Your Constitution score
increases by 1.
Sharpened Claws. Your claws are longer and
tougher than those of other tabaxi. Your unarmed
strike deals slashing damage equal to 1d6 + your
Strength modifier.
Forest Camouflage. You have advantage on
Dexterity (Stealth) checks made to hide among
foliage.
Predatory Strike. In battle, you can leap into the
fray with the ferocity of a tiger. As an action, you can
move up to your speed toward a hostile creature of
your choice that you can see or hear and make one
unarmed strike against it. If this attack hits, the
target is knocked prone. You can't use this feature if
you can't move to within 5 feet of a hostile creature
by using it.
Jaguar Tabaxi
Jaguar tabaxi are tall and lean, and are covered in
golden fur that is decorated with a pattern of dark
spots. Rarer color variants, including white with
black spots and pure black, have also been observed.
Native to the far reaches of Xatep to the south, the
jaguar tabaxi are nevertheless the most familiar type
to the people of the Five Kings Valley. Members of
this subrace often make the long, difficult journey
upriver to peddle their homeland's exotic goods in
Menaktom, or simply out of curiosity. Jaguar tabaxi
are mercurial and unpredictable, driven by a passion
for uncovering lost knowledge and unveiling the
truth of the world's secrets.
Less physically strong than the other tabaxi
subraces, jaguar tabaxi rely on their agility and
speed—as well as their silver tongues and inquisitive
minds—to avoid direct conflict.
Ability Score Increase. Your Charisma score
increases by 1.
Climbing Claws. The shape of your claws suits
them well to assist you in climbing. You have a
climbing speed of 20 feet.
Cat's Keen Eye. You have proficiency in the
Perception skill.
Feline Agility. Your reflexes and agility allow you
to move with a burst of speed. When you move on
your turn in combat, you can double your speed until
the end of the turn. Once you use this trait, you can't
use it again until you move 0 feet on one of your
turns.
Lion Tabaxi Balance Lynx Tabaxi Balance
Trait Detect Balance Score Trait Detect Balance Score
+2 DEX/+1 STR 12 +2 DEX/+1 CON 12
Lion's Roar 4 Darkvision 60 ft. 3
Pride Hunter 4 Ignore icy difficult terrain 2
Darkvision 60 ft. 3 Stealth proficiency 2
Stealth proficiency 2 1d4 unarmed strike 1
1d4 unarmed strike 1 Mountain Born 1
Total 26 Total 21

Tiger Tabaxi Balance

Trait Detect Balance Score
+2 DEX/+1 CON 12
Predatory Strike 4
Darkvision 60 ft. 3
1d6 unarmed strike 3
Forest Camouflage 2
Stealth proficiency 2
Total 26

Jaguar Tabaxi Balance

Detect Balance
Trait Score
+2 DEX/+1 CHA 12
Perception and Stealth 4
proficiency
Darkvision 60 ft. 3
Feline Agility 3
20 ft. climb speed 2
1d4 unarmed strike 1
Total 25

Image Sources
Images taken from the Wallpapers section of the
official Magic: the Gathering website
(https://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/media/wa
"Ajani Steadfast" by Chris Rahn
"Ajani's Pridemate" by Svetlin Velinov