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Sir_Popard
2021-07-11, 06:23 PM
I've been a fan of the Tibbit (https://srd.dndtools.org/srd/races/racesDc.html#tibbits) race since I first encountered them in D&D 3.5. So I decided to try my hand at crafting yet another questionably balanced 5e race. :smallamused: I will admit, I did borrow the Feline language directly from the Dragon Compendium's entry on Tibbit's as opposed to modeling it directly after Firbolgs or Tritons.
Notes: I could give the Feline Transfrmation trait a duration and limited uses per day but… I feel like it’s limited enough that it’s not overpowered as an at-will ability. It requires an action to enter/exit and can’t be used to cast spells or pick locks. I do suspect the wording of their traits do need streamlining, tho’.

TIBBIT TRAITS
Your tibbit character has the following traits.
Ability Score Increase. When determining your character’s ability scores, increase one of those scores by 1.
Age. Tibbits mature at roughly the same rate humans do. They can live 150 to almost 200 years, if they ignore their instincts.
Alignment. Tibbits 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. Tibbits stand about 3 feet tall and average about 40 pounds. Your size is Small.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 25 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 discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.
Natural Grace. You have advantage on all Dexterity saving throws.
Feline Transformation. As an action, you can assume the form a housecat though, aside from the changes noted here, your abilities and game statistics otherwise remain the same. You can’t cast spells, and your ability to speak or take any action that requires hands is limited to the capabilities of your feline form. Transforming doesn’t break your concentration on a spell you’ve already cast, however, or prevent you from taking actions that are part of a spell. Your gear melds into the new form; You can't activate, use, wield, or otherwise benefit from any of your Equipment. You stay in the new form until you use an action to revert to your true form or until you die.
While transformed, you gain the following traits:

Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity score increases by 2.
Quickened Step. Your walking speed becomes 40 ft.
Cat Scratch. Your claws are natural weapons, which you can use to make unarmed strikes. If you hit with them, you deal slashing damage equal to 1d4 + your Dexterity modifier, instead of the bludgeoning damage normal for an unarmed strike.
Dodgy. While transformed, your AC is 12 + your Dexterity modifier.

Languages. You can read, speak, and write Common and Feline. The Feline language, a strange combination of purrs, hisses, and empathic transfers, is spoken by all tibbits and cats, allowing a tibbit to use the Diplomacy skill with such felines. Other races cannot master it, nor can they use spells such as tongues to communicate with cats.

Kuulvheysoon
2021-07-12, 06:41 PM
I have to admit, I haven't thought about tibbits in years. Let's take a look-see, shall we?

Variant Humans have the lowest amount of racial ASIs, and that's +1/+1. I don't love the fact that theses guys only get +1; might I suggest +1/+1 Dex? Reasoning comes a bit later.

Fun Fact: Cats in 5E don't actually get Darkvision. They get a racial proficiency in Perception and Keen Smell, granting advantage on smell-based Perception checks.

I'd recommend renaming Cat's Grace - that's (one variant) of the enhance ability spell's name to a T that accomplishes something different.

Temporary changing ability scores is something that 5E avoids hard. It'd be far easier to make it a buff to a certain set of checks, or something. Having to recalculate a bunch of skills/initiative/saves/AC/etc... multiple times a session is anti-5E, imho. It's also why I recommended the permanent +1 Dexterity above, to keep that feel.

Are you going to give Tabaxi the 30 ft. climb speed of the common cat as well?

1d4 slashing is the same amount of damage as a Tabaxi's claws. Just bringing it up as a source of comparison.

I'm not a fan of Feline being a specific exception to tongues. Correct me if I'm wrong, but only awakened cats and Tibbits speak Feline, right?

Sir_Popard
2021-07-13, 12:25 PM
So, I approached this race with the intent to adapt the 3.5 version of the race into 5e, with the traits of 5e housecats as a secondary inspiration. I did make a point to include a link to a full description of the 3.5 version for easy reference.


Variant Humans have the lowest amount of racial ASIs, and that's +1/+1. I don't love the fact that theses guys only get +1; might I suggest +1/+1 Dex? Reasoning comes a bit later.
Temporary changing ability scores is something that 5E avoids hard. It'd be far easier to make it a buff to a certain set of checks, or something. Having to recalculate a bunch of skills/initiative/saves/AC/etc... multiple times a session is anti-5E, imho. It's also why I recommended the permanent +1 Dexterity above, to keep that feel.
“Anti-5e” sounds a bit melodramatic. I tried to model Tibbits after Eberron’s Shifters, which made it to print with a similar ability score trait. I didn’t think adding +1 to several rolls would be that taxing, but I may be wrong.


Fun Fact: Cats in 5E don't actually get Darkvision. They get a racial proficiency in Perception and Keen Smell, granting advantage on smell-based Perception checks.
Also a fun fact: Cats in 3.5 don’t have Darkvision either. My Tibbits have Darkvision because the 3.5 Tibbits, as monstrous humanoids, have Darkvision. Also, it’s a handy and flavorful feature.


I'd recommend renaming Cat's Grace - that's (one variant) of the enhance ability spell's name to a T that accomplishes something different.
I had misgivings about the name “Cat’s Grace” and was mulling over other options. I’ve since changed it.


Are you going to give Tabaxi the 30 ft. climb speed of the common cat as well?
I thought about giving the Tibbit a 20 ft. climb speed as the Tabaxi, but previous feedback suggested either the climb speed or the advantage on Dexterity Saving throws should go. So I made a choice.


1d4 slashing is the same amount of damage as a Tabaxi's claws. Just bringing it up as a source of comparison.
I did consider that. Tabaxi also have access to their claws full-time. My tibbits do not; They’re either in humanoid form and have access to weapons and spells or in cat form and are limited to their claws. Maybe their claws are just sharper than Tabaxi’s. =P


I'm not a fan of Feline being a specific exception to tongues. Correct me if I'm wrong, but only awakened cats and Tibbits speak Feline, right?
Actually, no. According to the description that I, again, linked above: “The Feline language, a strange combination of purrs, hisses, and empathic transfers, allows tibbits to communicate with cats of all forms.” Personally, I like the idea of tongues being unable to penetrate the Feline language. It holds up with the evasiveness and inscrutability of cats. But I’ll see about drafting a version that won’t chafe against such sensibilities.

Your feedback is appreciated.

Kuulvheysoon
2021-07-13, 12:58 PM
“Anti-5e” sounds a bit melodramatic. I tried to model Tibbits after Eberron’s Shifters, which made it to print with a similar ability score trait. I didn’t think adding +1 to several rolls would be that taxing, but I may be wrong. I might have been waxing a teeny bit melodramatic at that point. Insomnia isn't fun. But I will mention that the printed version of Shifters in 5E do not, in fact, have changing ability scores. They have different racial ASIs based on subrace, but while they shift, their ability scores do not change.


Also a fun fact: Cats in 3.5 don’t have Darkvision either. My Tibbits have Darkvision because the 3.5 Tibbits, as monstrous humanoids, have Darkvision. Also, it’s a handy and flavorful feature.I was actually referring more to your fluff, which heavily implied that normal cats did, in fact, have darkvision. You don't need the fluff sentence.

I might have more experience with 3.5E than you think. :smallwink:


Actually, no. According to the description that I, again, linked above: “The Feline language, a strange combination of purrs, hisses, and empathic transfers, allows tibbits to communicate with cats of all forms.” Personally, I like the idea of tongues being unable to penetrate the Feline language. It holds up with the evasiveness and inscrutability of cats. But I’ll see about drafting a version that won’t chafe against such sensibilities.

Your feedback is appreciated.I was actually referring more to the "cats with an Intelligence of 3 or higher" bit, not the general "cats" bit. I absolutely assumed that you could talk to tigers and the like as well, it was the Intelligence score limiter that was my sticking point.

EDIT: Crag Cats (from Storm King's Thunder) have an Intelligence score of 4, so I guess that that's a valid creature to speak to with Feline?

Given that you've broadened what Feline is actually composed of, you've actually solved my misgivings with the 'language'. Tongues only applies to explicitly spoken languages (though any given DM might argue it goes against the RAI, RAW is what it is). Adding a non-verbal portion to the language makes it so that people under the effects of the spell still cannot understand it. A DM might rule that you pick most of it up, but like reading over the internet, tone isn't the only thing that's lost.

Sir_Popard
2021-07-13, 01:30 PM
I might have been waxing a teeny bit melodramatic at that point. Insomnia isn't fun. But I will mention that the printed version of Shifters in 5E do not, in fact, have changing ability scores. They have different racial ASIs based on subrace, but while they shift, their ability scores do not change.
That is a fair point and a important oversight on my part. I misread the description.
I definitely understand the impact sleeplessness can have on our interactions. Part of why I make a point not to engage online if I’m overly tired.


I was actually referring more to your fluff, which heavily implied that normal cats did, in fact, have darkvision. You don't need the fluff sentence.
I might have more experience with 3.5E than you think. :smallwink:
The fluff that I copy + pasted from the Tabaxi description in Volo’s Guide? :smallconfused:


I was actually referring more to the "cats with an Intelligence of 3 or higher" bit, not the general "cats" bit. I absolutely assumed that you could talk to tigers and the like as well, it was the Intelligence score limiter that was my sticking point.
EDIT: Crag Cats (from Storm King's Thunder) have an Intelligence score of 4, so I guess that that's a valid creature to speak to with Feline?
Given that you've broadened what Feline is actually composed of, you've actually solved my misgivings with the 'language'. Tongues only applies to explicitly spoken languages (though any given DM might argue it goes against the RAI, RAW is what it is). Adding a non-verbal portion to the language makes it so that people under the effects of the spell still cannot understand it. A DM might rule that you pick most of it up, but like reading over the internet, tone isn't the only thing that's lost.
I’ve removed the offending phrase about intelligence (as most feline creatures in 5e have a base of 3 Intelligence) and added the clarification of what the Feline language entails.