Feline Class Options

Raised in the mountains or on the plains, barbarian cats are unused to human companionship and are often hostile to any who they believe might try to restrain them or limit their freedom. They are dangerous fighters, lashing out with teeth, claws, and tail while utterly unconcerned for their own safety. While they are rarely the most social of cats, they form deep attachments and become fiercely loyal to those they trust.

At 1st level, in place of Unarmored Defense, you may take the following ability:

• Ferocious Attack. Lunging towards the enemy, claws extended and fangs gleaming, you inflict massive damage as you attack. Whenever rolling for damage following a successful attack, roll two damage dice and choose the highest result.

At 7th level, instead of Feral Instinct, you may take the following ability:

• Heavyweight. When making a successful grapple attack against any enemy of Medium size or smaller, the Barbarian immediately knocks them prone.

At 15th level, instead of Persistent Rage, you may take the following ability:

• Go For the Throat. When the barbarian has made a successful attack and dealt damage to a creature, they may immediately make a second attack against the same creature as a bonus action. This second attack delivers half damage.

Entrusted with remembering the history of the cats, bards are highly respected within the ranks of the awakened cats and are welcomed warmly wherever they go. Expected to tell stories and act, in some fashion, as teachers, they remind fellow cats both of where they come from and where they might go. This responsibility means that bards are frequent adventurers drawn into strange circumstances and mysterious events, in pursuit of new knowledge to return to the ears of those cats who would listen.

At 1st level you may take the following ability, in place of your normal 1st level abilities:

• High Pitch Screeched. While a cat bard can use it's voice to achieve the most beautiful, musical effects, they can also do substantially less pleasant things. A bard can unleash a hideous screeching noise as an attack (using Charimsa), targeting one enemy within it's line of sight. This enemy is afflicted by the Fear condition for the next Turn.

At 6th level, alongside your Bardic College ability, you may take the following ability:

• Laughter of the Cat. A strange hybrid of a growl and a purr leaves your mouth, bubbling through the air and leaving all who hear it convinced of your ineffable cuteness. Once per long rest, you can use this ability to convince all creatures within 15 feet not to attack you for one round unless they succeed on a Charisma save with a DC equal to your Spell Save DC.

At 14th level, alongside your Bardic College ability, you may take the following ability:

• Feline Fine. You have an inner reserve of strength, drawn from the great song of creation that so few can truly hear. When reduced to 0 hit points, you may automatically reroll any failed death saving throws. You must take the second result.

Religion is a strange new phenomenon for cats. While it seems to come naturally to dogs, for cats it has been rather different. Cleric Cats are those who came to recognize the gods earliest, heard their voices in dreams or in a waking trance, and more importantly, followed their instructions. Clerics provide guidance for cats bewildered by their awakening or unsure of their place in the world and attempt to tread the path of the Ailurokin - combining the dignity of Urbaste, the wiliness of Tom o'th'Alley, and the wisdom of the Old Striped Cat. Clerics are sought out for their guidance and for their skill in combat, almost equally. Especially as many cats simply don't care what the gods say... and sometimes, it doesn't seem like the gods are especially bothered either...

Instead of one of the standard Domains, cat clerics may choose to follow the Subtle Domain.

The Subtle Domain

Religion is new amongst cats and still undefined. Amongst those who have devoted themselves to the worship of the recently discovered feline deities, many choose to embrace the path of the Ailurokin, the trio of gods called Urbaste, Tom O'Th' Alley and the Old Stripped Cat (amongst their many, many other names... what god only has one?), believing this is the truest and most natural form of belief of their kind. The Feline Domain emphasises the use of stealth, speed and wit to evade attacks and protect cats from danger. It is a domain of game playing, teasing, and emphasises the mercurial nature of cats; loving one moment, suddenly distant and aloof the next. For the followers of the Ailorukin, this is all part of the game. Enemies are there to be played with, friends to be defended.

Subtle Domain Spells:

• 1st level: Shield of Faith, Healing Word
• 3rd Level: Calm Emotions, Hold Person
• 5th Level: Spirit Guardians, Dispel Magic
• 7th Level: Remove Curse, Banishment
• 8th Level: Guardian of Faith, Mass Cure wounds

Wit of Tom

When you choose this Domain at 1st level, you gain the ability to cast Tasha's Hideous Laughter as a 1st Level Spell. You may do this without expending a spell slot, once per visit to the Welcoming Dark. You also gain proficiency in Deception.

Channel Divinity: Blessing of Urbaste

Starting at 2nd Level you can use your Channel Divinity to swathe those close to you in the Welcoming Dark, for a few moments. This is represented by casting Invisibility, as a 2nd Level spell, on one player character as a bonus action. This ability scales with level, in the same way as the Invisibility spell does.

Channel Divinity: Cute as a Kitten

At 6th Level you can persuade your foes that fighting you and your fellows is just... silly. What a waste of everyone's time! As an action, you present your Holy Symbol and cast Glibness on yourself. It lasts for ten minutes. You must long rest before you can use this ability again.

Divine Strike.

At 8th level you gain the ability to infuse your weapon strikes with the combined strength of your allies. Once in each of your turns when you hit a creature with a weapon attack, you can cause the attack to deal an additional 1d8 bludgeoning damage. When you reach 14th level, the extra damage increases to 2d8.

Knowledge of the Old Striped One.

At 17th level you receive the blessed insight of the Old Striped One, the undying font of feline wisdom; even as they look at your, your enemy feels the divine power aligned against them. Any enemy attempting to make a melee attack against you must pass a DC 12 Wisdom test or be unable to act for the rest of the turn.

The natural world flows through the druid, awakening them to the ways in which the earth and the beings on it are a single organism, all one and inextricably connected. Cats, as predators, know this intimately; they know how deeply they rely on the creatures beneath them in the food chain for survival. Cat druids are determined to protect the balance of nature, never letting their brethren take too much, preserving the precious equilibrium of the world that birthed them which they recognize as their duty to protect.

At 1st level, you may take the following ability as a bonus:

• Wild Cat. You gain Nature or Animal Handling as a starting skill, for free. This does not replace any of the other two skills you may take at 1st level.

At 6th level, you may take the following ability in place of the corresponding ability from your Druid Circle:

• Cat Nap. You have drawn the essence of nature into yourself. Whenever you are in a natural environment, you gain the benefits of a long rest in half the normal time (that is 4 hours rather than 8).

At 14th level, you may take the following ability in place of the corresponding ability from your Druid circle:

• Nature's Child. You move through the natural world with absolute ease; nothing obstructs you. You may cast the Freedom of Movement spell at will.

Resilience and discipline aren't always the characteristics expected of a cat, but they possess them along with courage and skill. These are the attributes a fighter requires and must be prepared to bring to bear in the most ferocious of battles. Cat fighters are renowned for their willingness to fling themselves into the most desperate conflicts, laying about them with deadly speed and accuracy, deflecting blows with ease, and withdrawing before being overwhelmed.

At 1st level, you may take the following fighting style in place of the standard styles:

Artful. You are perfectly poised and exactly balanced when wielding a blade. Whenever using a weapon with the Finesse quality, you gain a +2 to damage rolls with that weapon.

At 3rd level, you may take the following Martial Archetype in place of the standard Martial Archetypes:

Cat's Paw Martial Archetype

• At 3rd level, when you take this Archetype, you immediately gain the following ability:
  • Improved Critical. Your weapon attacks score a critical on a roll of 19 or 20.
• At 7th level, you gain the following ability:
  • Cat's Scratch. Whenever you roll a critical hit, you may make a second attack as well when rolling additional damage. This second attack may be on the same target or on a different target, provided they're within range.
• At 10th level, you gain the following ability:
  • Impossible Speed. You strike with astonishing speed and then withdraw. When you have made a successful melee attack against an enemy, you may then move up to half your movement away from the enemy, without incuring any attacks of opportunity.
• At 15th level, you gain the following ability:
  • Superior Critical. Your weapon attacks score a critical on a roll of 18-20. 
• At 18th level, you gain the following ability:
  • Cat's Claw. Whenever you roll a critical hit, you may make two additional attacks, as well as rolling additional damage. These additional attacks may be on teh same target or on a different target, provided they're within range.

Precision, grace, speed, flair... these are the traits commonly attributed to all cats, but only a few elevate them to something resembling a divine gift. Such is the monk. A cat monk is agile in a way that leaves any witnesses to such celerity and nimbleness awed; gravity seems to relax it's hold on the monk, allowing them to move faster than should be possible. Cat monks form a deep bond with their mentors, learning much from them before their natural wanderlust takes hold and forces them to venture into the world. Such is the path they must follow...

At 1st level, in addition to the standard monk abilities, you may also take the following ability:

• Nothing In The Laws Of Physics. When making a Dexterity test to overcome any difficult terrain or jump over a gap, you may take the test at advantage.

At 5th level, you may take the following ability in addition to your other abilities:

• Between The Rain. You gain advantage on all Dexterity saves.

At 13th level, you may take the following ki-empowered ability in place of Tongue of the Sun & Moon:

• Paw Flurry. You can dash as a single action. Rather than have to move, and then move again as your second action, you can travel up to your full move as a single action.

Awakened cats are rarely committed to their faith, being unconcerned whether or not their gods are watching over them. There are some, however, who see the Ailurokin a model of behavior that all cats should endeavour to follow. Those who have heard the (fairly infrequent) call of the cat gods become Paladins, dedicated to providing their fellow cats with the defenses of faith and dedication. Cat paladins are often thought somewhat strange amongst their feline fellows but are greatly respected for their strength, resilience, and for their determination to help their kin no matter what it is they face.

At 1st level, you gain the following ability along with your other starting abilities:

• Defender of the Fur-th. Cat Paladins are fortified by their belief in the Ailurokin and, as a result, are immune to the Frightened condition.

At 3rd level, you may take the following Sacred Oath in place of one of the standard Oaths:

Oath of Twilight

You are the guardian of the in-between. You protect the balance, maintain the equilibrium between the light and the dark. You remain perfectly poised, your powers precisely aligned and balanced between the two extremes of day and night. You protect the innocent, but you do not condemn the wicked, not without having ensured that you know what it is they have faced. Forgiveness is a powerful weapon, too, if used correctly.

• Tenets of Devotion. Paladins who have sworn themselves to the Oath of Twilight must adhere to the following creed:
  • Balance: You strive to achieve equilibrium in yourself and to help others achieve - ensuring that the world remains in harmony.
  • Belief: No-one is wholly good or wholly evil. You know that anyone can be redeemed if they choose to be - and you'll help them if you can.
  • Honor: You never deceive your friends, never take from them, and never deny them.
  • Commitment: You stand between the light and the darkness, ensuring that neither ever overrides the other. You unite them in yourself, and must ensure that they remain reconciled, no matter how difficult it might be.
• Oath Spells You gain oath spells at the paladin levels listed:
  • 3rd level: Command, Identify
  • 5th level: Mirror Image, Shield of Faith
  • 9th level: Flame Blade, Protection from Poison
  • 13th level: Mass Healing Word, Remove Curse
  • 17th level: Guardian of Faith, Banishment
• Channel Divinity. When you take this oath at 3rd level, choose one of the two following Channel Divinity options:
  • Fellowship of the Old Striped One. With the sagacity and solemnity of the Old Striped Cat you worship, you can use divine power to defend a friendly character from the darkness of a fallen creature. As an action, you may choose one player character within 30 0feet to receive the boon of the Old Striped One. They gain +2 AC for the next turn.
  • The Bond of the Trickster. Quick wits define your friendships, including those you share with your god. As an action, you can utter a series of strange whispers and whistles that disorient one creature attacking a fellow player character. Your friend gains advantage on all attacks made against that creature for the next turn.
• At 7th level, you gain the following ability:
  • Loyal to the End. Nothing could make you betray your oath. You and all friendly characters within 10 feet become immune to all psychological conditions, such as Frightened. At 18th level, the range of this ability extends to 30 feet.
• At 15th level, you gain the following ability:
  • Rescued from the Darkness. When a friendly player character is reduced to 0 hit points within 5 feet of you, they can elect to drop to 1 hit point instead. An individual player character may make use of this ability once per long rest.
• At 20th level, you gain the following ability:
  • Not Today. With a whispered word, you extract your friends from the grip of the darkness or the light. As an action, you can teleport a friendly character within 30 feet of you, to your side. The teleported player character cannot make any action for that turn, but they also cannot be attacked and any enemies they were in combat with do not make an attack of opportunity.

Cat rangers are experts in surviving in inhospitable terrain, overcoming the dangers and hazards posed by nature and the works of man. Whether seeking to hide in the bustling city or track a foe through a river, the ranger possesses the skills and instincts to do just that. In many ways, the cat is the natural ranger... they stalk their prey with the same caution, avidity and focus; they move with the same stealth and care. A cat ranger is amongst the deadliest and most gifted hunters imaginable, emerging from nowhere to bring their target to ground. Cats are not only inhabitants of the wilderness, however they can move and trace their prey as deftly and lethally in cities and towns as they can in the vastness of nature.

At 1st level, you may take the following ability in addition to your other starting abilities:

• Urban Explorer. A Cat ranger can choose a city and treat it as favored terrain as though it were subject to the Natural Explorer class feature. When within a city, you receive the following benefits:
  • Difficult terrain doesn't slow your group's travel
  • Your group can't become lost except by magical means
  • Even when engaged in another activity while traveling (such as foraging, navigating, or tracking) you remain alert to danger
  • If you are travelling alone, you can move stealthily at a normal pace
  • When tracking other creatures, you also learn their exact number, their sizes, and how long ago they passed through the area

At 10th level, you may take the following ability in place of Hide in Plain Sight:

• Untouchable. You gain advantage on saves against attacks from any creatures with the 'monstrocity' tag.

At 18th level, you may take the following ability in place of Feral Senses:

• Not A Muscle. Staying impossibly still, you focus your senses for a single, perfect attack. If you take no actions for one turn, your next attack (whether melee or ranged) deals double damage. If you score a critical hit on this next attack, roll double your damage dice, as normal, then double the total.

At one with the shadows, untraceable, capable of clambering up a wall in seconds, slipping through the tightest of spaces and escaping moments later with something precious and valuable clenched between their teeth, cat rogues excel at their chosen profession. Whether it e thief or assassin, whether they seek gold for themselves or to help others, cat rogues move with the swift certainty of purpose that makes them virtually undetectable. How many guards have entered a room to check on a precious jewel only to find it gone with nary but a nearby single strand of fur, left mockingly in it's place?

At 1st level, you may take the following ability in addition to your other starting abilities:

Light on your Paws. Cat rogues are agile even for cats. As a result, you may reroll one failed Dexterity save of your choice. This ability can then only be used again after a visit to the Welcoming Dark.

At 11th level, you may take the following ability in place of Reliable Talent:

• Vicious Slice. Your claws have been honed to razor sharpness. Whenever you make a successful Bite attack, you may immediately make a second attack as a bonus action.

At 15th level, you may take the following ability in place of Slippery mind:

• And... Gone. You have advantage on all Dexterity (slight of hand) checks, and on all Dexterity saves.

Power is drawn from many places; for a Sorcerer, it comes from within. From something innate to the individual, from something that is essentially them. Some awakened cats have felt the same stirrings of power; their awakening doing more than blessing them with greater intelligence and consciousness... it has also unleashed their latent magical ability. Cat sorcerers are powerful nodes of magical energyl human, elvish, and dwarven expectations of cats contribute to this power, increasing an awakened cat's consciousness of itself and it's abilities. It also makes them more susceptible to the cat's nascent power....

At 1st level, you may take the following ability along with your other starting abilities:

• I'm Sure I Live Here. Cat Sorcerers retain an essential feline confidence which they cannot help but project onto those who meet them, luring them into a false sense of security. As a result, you may take the Command spell as a cantrip.

At 6th level, you may take the following ability, replacing the ability of corresponding level from your Sorcerous Origin:

• Grimalkin's Charm. Whenever you suffer damage, you may reduce the total by your charisma modifier. 

At 14th level, you may take the following ability, replacing the ability of corresponding level from your Sorcerous Origin:

• Cat's Eye View. Whenever an enemy creature begins to use magic, you can immediately identify what the spell is. in addition, you gain advantage on any spell save roll against this spell.

Who knows what the act of awakening might do to a cat, or to any animal? To be suddenly confronted by a world made new and different despite it's apparent familiarity. such a transformation can often trigger a search for meaning, for guidance. While many turn to the gods of Ailurokin, some what something more definite. For some cats, this takes the form of a bargain made with some being of great power, offering them something precious in exchange for potent magical capabilities. The cat warlock is a participant in such a pact, exchanging something of themselves for magical gifts... perhaps it is a soul the cat has offered, or perhaps it is even their awakening... who knows. Such secrets are not meant to be told.

At 1st level, you may take teh following ability along with your other starting abilities:

• Cat Nap. Cat warlocks can use their power to send their enemies into deep slumber. You can cast Sleep as a 1st level spell.

At 10th level, you may take the following ability, in place of the ability of corresponding level from your pact features:

• Furbidden Lore. You gain advantage on all Wisdom saves and gain resistance to force damage.

At 14th level, you may take the following ability, replacing the ability of corresponding level from your pact features:

• Welcome to My World. When you hit a creature with an attack, you can use this ability to instantly polymorph the creature into a cat for a turn (except in duration, this works precisely as a polymorph spell does). At the end of the creature's next turn, the creature reverts to it's previous form, but it takes 8d10 psychic damage from the experience and disorientation it causes. You must visit the Welcoming Dark before you can use this ability again.

Even before awakening, some cats appear to be deeply wise and sagacious; they watch the events of the world going on around them with the cynicism of those who have seen it all before. Such traits remain behind after Awakening and many who possess such characteristics become Wizards, learning to write the Feline tongue with paw and claw and nose, translating spells and grasping the basics of casting them until they become as competent and powerful as any spellcasters of any species. Of course, cat wizards are still cats and are susceptible to the same fiobles as any of their kin, like an affinity for bright lights and swatting them. Many cat wizards, however, have learned to use this to their advantage...

At 1st level, you may take the following ability along with your other starting abilities:

• Hit the Lights! A cat wizard may take Dancing Lights as an additional cantrip.

At 10th level, you may take the following ability, replacing the ability of corresponding level from your School features:

• Animal Friendship. You immediately add the spell Faithful Hound to your spellbook, if it isn't there already. You may cast this spell without expending a spell slot.