Slugcat (5e Race)
From D&D Wiki
Slugcat[edit]
Physical Description[edit]
Slugcats are literally liquid, being the result of purposeful breeding and experimentation by the Ancients in order to make the perfect creature for cleaning out sewers. They are able to store things in their stomachs to be discarded later, but usually just use this unique ability to store items of value. They come in a wide variety of colors and are able to evolve odd traits for survival relatively quickly. They have the tails, legs, and ears of a cat, but walk and run on two legs. In addition, they are quite adept climbers because of their ability to rapidly shift their masses to reach advantageous handholds.
|
|---|
| A caramel chonk |
History[edit]
Since the Ancients disappeared, slugcats have taken over the sewers of the world, breeding like rabbits and establishing colonies. They have been given Marks of Communication by another race, and have since shared them amongst themselves to learn Common. Because of their small and weak nature, slugcats that go out on their own for large periods usually don't last long. They have a rocky relationship with scavengers, with individual colonies varying in how they treat them. Typically, slugcats are quite skittish, fleeing from anything that might be considered a threat.
Society[edit]
Slugcat colonies have many roles that its members play, all in the interest of preserving the colony. Slugcats are often willing to risk their own lives to save their family and colony members and have very close bonds with each other. Most slugcats are simply foragers, gathering food amongst the ruins of the Ancients. Others hunt for more challenging prey, which yields a more plentiful bounty at the cost of greater risk. Every colony has at least one scout that patrols the colony's territory and alerts it of any threats. Depending on their location, some have a form of diplomat to trade information and tools with scavengers. Other, more specialized roles are also found, but these are the most common. In addition, most colonies have a leader, a slugcat who guides them through exceedingly oppressive rains or through scavenger raids. These leaders are often more adept at combating the world's threats than the average slugcat, or even some of the hunters. If a slugcat is found out in the wild, it will always be taken in and cared for, with the expectation that it will be returned to its own colony or, if it has none, contribute to its newfound colony.
Slugcat Names[edit]
Slugcats don't have names so much as simple nicknames. These might include a role, personality trait, hobby, favorite fruit, or anything else. Usually, names are simply one word, but on occasion, a slugcat might be given multiple nicknames.
Names: Leaper, Artist, Fearless, Bubble, Found, Joyous, Long, Enlightened, Fluffy
Slugcat Traits[edit]
Half-cat, half-slug, all cute little survivors of the time of the Ancients.
Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity score increases by 2.
Age. Slugcats that are part of a thriving colony or are clever enough to survive on their own can live upwards of 50 years, though most don't have such a privilege and therefore don't last that long.
Alignment. They are almost always lawful and usually good as well, being quite family-oriented and placing others, even of other species, above themselves in most cases.
Size. Slugcats average 3 feet tall. Your size is Small.
Speed. Your walking speed is 25 feet, and you have a climbing speed equal to your walking speed.
Amorphous. You can squeeze through a space as narrow as 1 inch wide. You also have advantage on ability checks you make to initiate or escape a grappled.
Karmic Aptitude. When you finish a long rest, gain temporary hit points equal to your proficiency bonus. If you were reduced to 0 hit points between your last long rest and this one, do not gain any temporary hit points.
Stomach of Storage. As an action, you may swallow an object to place it in a cavity in your belly adjacent to your stomach. This object must be able to fit in your mouth, like a gem or a pocket knife, and the total weight of things in your secondary stomach cannot exceed 2 pounds or 6 cubic inches. As an action, you can retrieve any or all objects you have stored. You can't store living things in your storage stomach; just eat them like a normal slugcat.
Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common.
Vanilla[edit]
The most common type of slugcat, vanilla slugcats have no special adaptations and survive on their cunning and toughness. They can perform a variety of roles.
Ability Score Increase. Your Constitution score increases by 1 and your Intelligence score increase by 1.
Crafty. Gain proficiency with improvised weapons.
Banana[edit]
Another common type, banana slugcats often are more in tune with nature, commonly serving as scouts or leading foraging parties.
Ability Score Increase. Your Wisdom score increases by 1.
Enhanced Karma. Double the amount of temporary hit points you gain from Karmic Aptitude.
Friendly Face. You have proficiency in the Persuasion skill.
Strawberry[edit]
More aggressive and much stronger than their lighter counterparts, strawberry slugcats are often seen as guards and hunters, using their strength to protect their colony.
Ability Score Increase. Your Strength score increases by 1.
Powerful Build. You count as one size larger when determining your carrying capacity and the weight you can push, drag, or lift.
Crafty. Gain proficiency with improvised weapons.
Quick. Your speed increases by 5 feet.
Caramel[edit]
It is very difficult to dislike any slugcat, but that's doubly true for the caramel slugcat. They tend to build up extra layers of fat, and if sent out to forage are likely to eat most of their harvest. Regardless, they know their way around food, with most caramel slugcats serving as a sort of chef for their colonies if they aren't out hunting or foraging.
Ability Score Increase. Your Charisma score increases by 1.
Crafty. Gain proficiency with improvised weapons.
Friendly Shape. You have proficiency in the Persuasion skill.
Cherry[edit]
Cherry slugcats have an interesting ability that makes them pretty dangerous to be around. They are mostly employed as hunters and tend to work alone due to their potential volatility.
Salivary Coating. Your saliva is slightly explosive in nature, detonating when coming into contact with certain chemicals in creatures' blood. As an action, you can coat a melee weapon or piece of ammunition in your saliva. When you hit with an attack with that object, the target must succeed on a dex saving throw of DC equal to the damage done or take 1d6 fire damage. The saliva loses its efficacy after 1 hour.
Cotton Candy[edit]
With feelers akin to whiskers on their face, cotton candy slugcats are fast and nimble, feeling their way through the sewers and racing past danger. They also love water, swimming around and playing in it when not working.
Adept Swimmer. You can hold your breath for 1 hour, and you gain a swim speed equal to your walking speed.
Speedy. Your speed increases by 10 feet.
Standing Leap. Your long jump is up to 10 feet and your high jump is up to 15 feet, with or without a running start.
Blueberry[edit]
Blueberry slugcats are an unfortunate result of another species' experimentation with slugcats. Their tails are covered with harmless spines, but if the slugcat wishes, it can pull one out, revealing its sharp end. These darts are somehow linked to the blueberry slugcat's life force, as they have no mouth.
Draining Needles. The unique needles you grow are natural weapons, which count as simple ranged weapons with which you are proficient. Once per turn as a bonus action you can pull out a needle and fling it at a creature up to 30 feet away, making an attack roll. You add your Dexterity modifier to the attack and damage rolls when you attack with a needle. They deal 1d4 piercing damage on a hit. When you attack with a needle and hit a creature that isn’t a Construct or an Undead, you can choose to regain hit points equal to the piercing damage dealt by the needle plus your proficiency bonus. You can use this bonus action any number of times, but you can only regain hit points with a needle a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus. You regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.
Lime[edit]
Having grown thick fur to combat the cold, it's not uncommon to see whole colonies made up of lime slugcats depending on the region. For some reason, they also have abnormally long tongues that they can use to grab and swing along surfaces, allowing them to traverse regions that would normally be very dangerous for other slugcats.
Enhanced Karma. Double the amount of temporary hit points you gain from Karmic Aptitude.
Prehensile Tongue. You have an extremely long, sticky tongue that you can use to traverse the environment. As a bonus action, you can latch your tongue onto a horizontal surface above you and swing across, tripling your jump distance for that jump. Additionally, as a bonus action, you can use your tongue to manipulate an object, open or close a door or container, or pick up or set down a Tiny object. Finally, you can use your tongue to stick to vertical surfaces, hanging there until you choose to or are forced to let go by another creature. You may not move while stuck like this.
Random Height and Weight[edit]
| Base Height |
Height Modifier* |
Base Weight |
Weight Modifier** |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2′ 6'' | +1d12 | 50 lb. | × (6) lb. |
|
*Height = base height + height modifier | |||
 |
|
Back to Main Page → 5e Homebrew → Races
