Optimizing a tabaxi who acts like a cat

[Falcon X]

What I'm looking for here is advice on builds.

This is mostly a joke character, but I want it to be useful when it wants to be.
This tabaxi was once a cat that, through magic, became a tabaxi. It is now sentient, but still mostly acts like a cat. It sleeps all the time, loves boxes, lays on top of whatever you are punching, chases laser pointers, etc.
Battle starts, it's licking it's butt. Cleric hits something with a Guiding Bolt, the Cat mauls it.
You are sitting at the the tavern and the Cat walks in with a dead goblin in it's mouth and starts eating it whole.

It should be a martial character. I'm thinking either:
- Cat-burglar (Rogue swashbuckler)
- Speed/grapple focused barbarian (path of beast or eagle totem)
- Speed/grapple focused open hand monk
- Some combination of those

My best plan so far is:
Tabaxi Monk2/Rogue1/Open Hand MonkX
Background: Outlander (Athletics, Survival)
Feats: Mobile
Expertise in Stealth and Athletics
Str 14
Dex 16
Con 13
Int 8 (Will ask DM if I can gimp this further and boost something else)
Wis 14
Cha 10
Out of combat goals: A burglar. Has darkvision, 60+ walk speed, 20+ climb speed (Can instantly double with Feline Agility). Thieves tools proficiency and expertise in stealth.
In combat goals: Single-target striker or hit and run. Will most often use the first turn to grapple, then flurry of blows which will make it prone, granting Sneak Attack as well. Might grab it and throw it off a cliff or take it away from the rest of the fight.
Might consider taking a second level of Rogue for bonus action Hide, so I can make hit and run truly effective.
Reasoning: Monk is a great fit for a cat. Wears no armor, attacks with claws, extra speed and slow falling, grabs things out of the air, can take a cat-nap to restore Ki points, and synergizes well with thievery and grappling.

2nd favorite idea:
Barbarian1/Rogue1/Path of Beast BarbarianX
Background: Outlander (Athletics, Survival)
Feats: Maybe Mobile, Tavern Brawler, or Grappler
Expertise in Stealth and Athletics
Str 15
Dex 16
Con 15
Int 8
Wis 9
Cha 10
- Makes a great burglar with high speed, climbing, and stealth.
- Could make it a grapple build for getting advantage and playing with your food.
- Get an extra attack from the Form of the Beast, and one with the bonus action from Tabaxi. So, 4 unarmed attacks with extra attack. Add 1d6 sneak attack damage to each.

So, which might be best: the Monk/Rogue build or Barbarian/Rogue build, and how might I better optimize them?

[Fynzmirs]

I'd go for a Rogue/Monk build. This way you can ignore Strength and focus on Dex. I would even consider taking more Rogue levels than Monk levels if your DM agrees to apply Sneak Attack to your claws.

[Falcon X]

I'd go for a Rogue/Monk build. This way you can ignore Strength and focus on Dex. I would even consider taking more Rogue levels than Monk levels if your DM agrees to apply Sneak Attack to your claws.

Not a bad idea actually. Rogue gets much more impressive just by having more than one attack.

I haven't been ignoring Strength because I like the idea of a grapple build. I'm willing to give that up though if it just doesn't make sense.

One new idea is Barbarian3/RogueX
Path of the Beast would give a 3rd attack and change the claws to d6 damage, as well as all the normal benefits of rage (+2 damage, resistances), unarmored defense, danger sense, and reckless attack.
Apply that to a Sneak Attack progression, and the numbers are expanding quickly.
Of course, the DM has to be okay with Unearthed Arcana...

[nickl_2000]

Take Magic Initiate Wizard for Gust and Mage Hand so you can knock stuff of shelves and tables from a distance.

[Amechra]

I'd go for Drunken Master instead of Open Hand. Have you ever tried to catch a cat?

What level are you starting at?

[loki_ragnarock]

You probably want more than one level of rogue:

Cunning action allows you either to run under the bed and hide whenever someone enters the house, or lets you run under the bed from much further away.

[GreyBlack]

Definitely barbarian focusing on grab attacks. Maybe also monk to facilitate the idea of a zoomy-zoomer kitty who tends to run out of the room.

[Biggstick]

Scout Rogue from Xanathar's. Single class.

Everything you're looking to do as a Tabaxi who acts like a cat can be done through RP. You don't really need much from your class, as the race choice and associated-Tabaxi-lore will allow you to quite easily pull off formerly being a cat.

I'm recommending Scout though in general because you have the ability to get away from an enemy who ends it's turn near you. You also pick up a couple of Expertise'd skills that fit with formerly being a cat (Survival and Nature). Throw your additional Expertises in things like Perception, Investigation, Stealth, and Sleight of Hand, and you'll have a pretty typical house cat.

The abilities might be plain, but that's what is great about it. It focuses more so on your ability to RP. The less involvement with class, the more you can really get in character imo.

[kazaryu]

Not a bad idea actually. Rogue gets much more impressive just by having more than one attack.

I haven't been ignoring Strength because I like the idea of a grapple build. I'm willing to give that up though if it just doesn't make sense.

One new idea is Barbarian3/RogueX
Path of the Beast would give a 3rd attack and change the claws to d6 damage, as well as all the normal benefits of rage (+2 damage, resistances), unarmored defense, danger sense, and reckless attack.
Apply that to a Sneak Attack progression, and the numbers are expanding quickly.
Of course, the DM has to be okay with Unearthed Arcana...

i've had a lot of fun playing a tabaxi barbarian. only uses his natural weapons (D6's, but thats a houserule. but it also doesn't actually break anything) his 'rage' is literally just him letting his baser instincts start to take over more. i specifically went storm herald, but thats unimportant for your purposes, any subclass would do.

if you want to grapple then yeah, drop a lvl in rogue for the expertise

[Atalas]

Scout Rogue from Xanathar's. Single class.

Everything you're looking to do as a Tabaxi who acts like a cat can be done through RP. You don't really need much from your class, as the race choice and associated-Tabaxi-lore will allow you to quite easily pull off formerly being a cat.

I'm recommending Scout though in general because you have the ability to get away from an enemy who ends it's turn near you. You also pick up a couple of Expertise'd skills that fit with formerly being a cat (Survival and Nature). Throw your additional Expertises in things like Perception, Investigation, Stealth, and Sleight of Hand, and you'll have a pretty typical house cat.

The abilities might be plain, but that's what is great about it. It focuses more so on your ability to RP. The less involvement with class, the more you can really get in character imo.

This. very much this. Any single class rogue would work best with the background, but something nice and simple, something you don't even have to think about? Claws are natural weapons, so they will work with Sneak Attack. Though, imagining a tabaxi monk leaping at an opponent, wrapping their leg around their neck, and proceeding to flurry of blows directly to the face, makes me laugh (true story, neighbor's cat did that to one of the other cats when it got uppity. Boxed the heck out of the former feral cat!, and it was a born and raised house cat).

[Lavaeolus]

This. very much this. Any single class rogue would work best with the background, but something nice and simple, something you don't even have to think about? Claws are natural weapons, so they will work with Sneak Attack.

Natural weapons aren't enough here. So: Sneak Attack works with ranged and finesse weapons. Obviously neither are ranged, but both the Barbarian's and the Tabaxi's claws are just your usual Strength-based affair. A Monk dip could give them pseudo-finesse, but note that's not really a RAW solution.

Now, the DM can always just rule otherwise and make a special exception, and as far as the pure Scout Rogue goes I don't think much would be broken in doing so. Let's compare it to the 1d4 dagger, which the player could simply be using: they lose the ability to take advantage of the light, thrown and finesse properties. In return, I suppose one benefit is that the claws are probably undisarmable, though that's pretty situational.

The Beast Barbarian getting to do two-claw-attacks for the price of one might give it one over the scimitar, which is a light 1d6 finesse weapon. Not the most broken thing out there, but where the Monk/Rogue was essentially not doing much that he couldn't just do with a Monk weapon, it is a harder sell to simply make a regular Beast Barbarian and then ask for SA to apply for no particular reason.

Reading the OP further, I feel I should note that Sneak Attack is "once per turn". You will not get the SA damage on every attack.

[Falcon X]

I'd go for Drunken Master instead of Open Hand. Have you ever tried to catch a cat?

What level are you starting at?
I completely forgot about Drunken Master, and I think I agree with you. I was thinking Open Hand mostly so flurry of blows might knock them prone, which is great in a grapple build. However, Drunken Master just has so many other things that nail the idea of a cat. It's too good to pass up.
If I REALLY want to get the free trip thing going, I can always try to get the Trip Attack Maneuver through a feat. I'll think on it...

Plus, I can say that I was a bartender before I got fired and ended up homeless. When they ask why I got fired, I say "I knocked over a glass.... ten glasses... but they deserved it."


Take Magic Initiate Wizard for Gust and Mage Hand so you can knock stuff of shelves and tables from a distance.
I love this idea, though I'm not sure I want to be a magical creature. I'll get it if a build just happens to work in it's favor.


Definitely barbarian focusing on grab attacks. Maybe also monk to facilitate the idea of a zoomy-zoomer kitty who tends to run out of the room.
Yeah, the grapple idea is to take advantage of the high move speed. I can grab an opponent and take them far away to 'eat' them. Or take them to the top of a tree and drop them off, or something like that.
Not to mention that being grappled and prone REALLY sucks.
It has it's uses, though I'll have to think if the investment in it will take away from everything else the kitty can do.


i've had a lot of fun playing a tabaxi barbarian. only uses his natural weapons (D6's, but thats a houserule. but it also doesn't actually break anything) his 'rage' is literally just him letting his baser instincts start to take over more.
My thoughts exactly.


This. very much this. Any single class rogue would work best with the background, but something nice and simple, something you don't even have to think about? Claws are natural weapons, so they will work with Sneak Attack. Though, imagining a tabaxi monk leaping at an opponent, wrapping their leg around their neck, and proceeding to flurry of blows directly to the face, makes me laugh
Ya'll have good points. Skirmisher means you NEVER stop moving (unless you are hiding). I'll think on it.
My mental image has always been your second statement though. Jumping up, clawing the face, and either isolating that enemy or hitting it and running.

[saucerhead]

It's funny in almost any direction, but I like arcane trickster: Mage hand knocking stuff off shelves, Unseen servant to drag a ribbon around, Find familiar birds make an expensive snack, but you don't have to eat them.