Turtle Cat (5e Race)
Turtle Cat
Wait a minute, what is that?
That thing up there, it looks like a cat!
But there's a turtle shell on it's back?
Holy guacamole, it's a turtle cat!
"I am sure of what I saw," the young man whispered. He looked upon the mighty wizard with fear in his eyes. "These things, they were unlike any I've seen before! True spirits of chaos, pure bringers of destruction! The whole town, gone! Just like that!"
"Child," the great wizard replied, "tell me, how large were these beasts that you have witnessed? For such destruction, they were sure to be large, yes? Towering higher than even the largest of dragon hatchlings?"
The young man shook his head, rising to his feet as he explained, "No, sir. The creatures, though powerful and destructive, were not the size of a young dragon. These beings, these things, were no larger than a feline. No higher than my knee." The wizard was clearly confused. How could such a small creature cause such destruction? As the wizard pondered this thought, he heard a small, yowling cry come from beyond his tower door. It sounded like a small cat. With confusion still written plainly across his face, the wizard made his way over to the door, debating whether or not to trust the pitiful mews from the other side.
Physical Description
Turtle Cats have a whole range of possibilities, from a turtle wearing a cat shell to just a normal turtle with a cat tail. As long as it's a cat with noticeable turtle features or a turtle with noticeable cat features, you're already on your way to having your very own turtle cat!
Due to the proximity to the fey realms upon birth, Turtle Cats can come in many different colors, even unnatural ones. Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, even pink! Sometimes, Turtle Cats with different unnatural colors have the commonly associated elemental abilities of that color.
Red and orange colors can have a fire-based ability.
Yellow colors have lightning.
Green, though a natural turtle color, has the chance at gaining plant-based abilities.
Blue turtle cats have aquatic abilities, and sometimes even show more fish-like features.
Purple turtle cats have the ability to manipulate energy, and have been shown to be the most volatile and maleficent of all the turtle cats.
Pink turtle cats get abilities with acidic properties, but know how to control such powers, and know well to refrain from using those abilities for harm.
Though chromatic turtle cats are possible, it does not always mean that elemental abilities will form. Sometimes they can just be a normal turtle cats with technicolor fur. In short, colorful does not always mean magical abilities. Keep in mind that fur color does not always mean you have those abilities. Yellow turtle cats can have aquatic abilities, pink turtle cats can have fire abilities, and blue can have acidic properties. Fur color does not automatically give you the abilities commonly associated with that fur color.
Natural feline colors - such as blacks, whites, greys and browns - have also been shown to gain magical abilities. This may result in a singular patch of technicolor fur somewhere along their bodies. Size of the colorful patches have not been shown to directly associate to the strength of magical abilities.
History
Once upon a time, the grand turtle Marina fell in love with the alley cat Furbus from the village of Barovia. They were closer than close could be. But the villagers did not support the love of two creatures from different species in the animal kingdom, and banished the couple to the wild of the forests. Once in the forest, they found a portal to the Fey Realms. The fey invited them into their homes, but the couple were happy where they were. They built a home near the portal, and eventually, a family. Half turtle, half cat, the turtle cats were born.
As it turns out, Marina and Furbus were not the only cat-turtle couple in the lands. Cat-turtle couples from all over the land came and settled near their home, soon becoming a large successful farming village named Teicee (Tee-see). The cat-turtle couples formed a pact with the fey, giving the portal they lived near protection from unwanted visitors. Such was the lives of the cat-turtle couples and their half-breed children.
Over centuries of producing similar children, the original couple of Marina and Furbus were considered the founders of a new race of creatures. In good terms with the fey and a lifetime of humor under their belts, the Turtle Cats were born.
Society
Turtle Cats are hospitable by nature. They know how it feels to be at the lowest of the low, being a strange breed combination. They commonly live in small villages within the forest, places well known for magical properties or portals to the Fey Realms. Though not naturally capable of magic themselves, most Turtle Cats have dedicated their lives to protecting the Feyfolk of the Fey Realms. However, Turtle Cats are not shunned for deciding to go out and have their own adventures away from home.
Despite the close-knit communities most Turtle Cats live in, some have been known to stray from their homes in the forest to seek adventure elsewhere, seeing what all the world has to offer.
Names & Naming Schemes
Turtle Cats are a very humorous race, and poke fun at their own cat-like nature. Most Turtle Cat names if not all include some sort of Cat Pun. Names can be puns on colors, Human names, objects, anything.-
Male: Alexanpurr, Catrick, Meowchael, Tailor (Unisex), Purrince, Purrple, Catillac
Female: Purrincess, Tailor (Unisex), Veronicat, Tabbytha, Meowsical, Jennifur, Furbulous
Turtle Cat Traits
The mystical, magical, miraculous combination of a cat and a turtle.
Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity and Charisma score increases by 2 each and your Strength score decreases by 2.
Age. Turtle Cats would, naturally, only be able to live up to 100 or so years. But due to their natural link with the fey world, have been observed to live up to 400 years old. They reach maturity at 16 years of age, though they retain a youthful appearance for an average of 200 years before physically maturing into adulthood.
Alignment. Turtle Cats believe in honor above all else, and are more commonly Good or Neutral in alignment. Evil alignments are shunned upon in Turtle Cat culture and have been kicked out of Turtle Cat villages.
Size. Turtle Cats vary widely in height and build, though most commonly have sizes similar to that of common house cats.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet. (Unless you believe you are sneaking, then it's 50. You don't actually have to sneak to believe you're sneaking.)
I Believe I Can Spy. If you, the Turtle Cat, BELIEVE you are sneaking, your walking speed increases to 50 feet. You don't actually have to be successfully sneaking to simply believe you are. (Oooooh, that was a bit too loud!)
Water Breather. Turtle Cats avoid water, being half-cat in ancestry. However, they do have the ability to breathe underwater for up to 5 minutes. Turtle Cats with the "Blue Turtle Cat" do not get this ability.
A Quadroped's Downfall. Due to having and walking on all 4 legs, anything requiring 2 hands or more should be rolled with disadvantage. This includes weapons, tools, tasks, and other items or actions. Turtle Cats do not have any hands, so be lucky the disadvantage isn't being placed on all weapon or tool rolls.
Kitties in a Half Shell, TURTLE POWER!. Due to having a literal turtle shell on your back, as well as being a four-legged creature, you are unable to wear armor. However, you get a +2 to your AC, which goes up by one with every third level you reach. At level 4, it's a +3. Level 7, a +4. Level 10, +5. This continues until you hit level 19, upon which you should have a +7 Natural AC bonus. This same effect applies to multi-classing. Every third level you get, your AC goes up no matter what class you take skills in.
Cat Vision. You can see in dim light as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can discern color in darkness, but only slightly.
Bite The Hand That Feeds You. Your maw is a natural weapon, which you can use to make unarmed strikes. If you hit with it, you deal piercing damage equal to 1d4 + your Strength modifier, instead of the bludgeoning damage normal for an unarmed strike.
Feline Senses. Though they have turtle qualities, most Turtle Cats edge more towards felines in their natural abilities.
Monkey Cats. Turtle Cats have a natural tree-climbing ability from their generations of living in the forest.
Understanding Compassion. Being of two seperate species on their own, most Turtle Cats see no particular problem with inter-species relationships and will have trouble understanding why some folk have problems with it.
Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and Sylvan, as well as two other languages of your choice.
Red (Fire) Turtle Cat
Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity still increases by 2, but due to the commonly hot-headed nature of Red Turtle Cats, your charisma does not increase. However, instead of being decreased by 2 your strength is increased by 1.
Fire Breath. As an action, Red Turtle Cats can shoot a stream of fire from their mouth up to 15 feet. On a successful save, you roll 1d6 + your Dexterity modifier.
Yellow (Lightning) Turtle Cat
Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity and Charisma still increase by 2 each, but your Intelligence also gets increased by 2.
Shock Dome. As an action, Yellow Turtle Cats can create a dome of lightning around themselves in a 15ft circle around their center. Any creature attempting to enter or otherwise penetrate the dome must make a Strength save. If the target fails his save, make a 2d8 roll for damage.
Shock Resistance.
Green (Plant) Turtle Cat
Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity and Charisma still increase by 2 each, and your Strength score only decreases by 1.
Tree Jumper. Green Turtle Cats with a nature elemental ability have a natural draw to plant-life, and sometimes have trouble sleeping if some sort of plant-life isn't near their resting spot.
Plant-mancer. You are able to manipulate smaller plant-life, up to a plant 1ft by 1ft in size.
Blue (Water) Turtle Cat
Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity and Charisma still increase by 2 each, and your charisma still increases by 1. None of your ability scores are changed with this Subrace.
Water Gills. You are able to breath underwater for an undetermined amount of time. This trait negates the "Water Breather" trait given to all Turtle Cats.
Bringeth Thine Water!. As a bonus, you are able to take the Create/Destroy Water spell no matter what class you end up choosing. It will not count towards the rest of any spell count you are able to gain.
Purple (Energy) Turtle Cat
Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity still increases by 2, but due to the commonly hot-headed nature of Red Turtle Cats, your charisma does not increase. Instead, your strength is increased by 1.
Got that Big (El)dritch Energy. As a bonus, you can take the Eldritch Blast cantrip no matter what class you end up choosing. It will not count towards the rest of any spell count you are able to gain.
Spiked Shell. All purple Turtle Cats have a spiked shell, giving those who throw them an extra 2d4 + 2d6 piercing damage on a successful hit.
Pink (Acid) Turtle Cat
Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity and Charisma still increase by 2 each, as does your Wisdom
Acid Breath. As an action, you are able to breath a stream of acid up to 15 feet, damaging everything in it's path with a 2d10 + your dex modifier.
Random Height and Weight
| Base Height | Height Modifier* | Base Weight | Weight Modifier** |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1'′ 2"″ | +2d6 inches | 8lbs lb. | × (2d4 lbs (+/-)) lb. |
|
*Height = base height + height modifier | |||
Suggested Characteristics
When creating a Turtle Cat character, you can use the following table of traits, ideals, bonds and flaws to help flesh out your character. Use these tables in addition to or in place of your background's characteristics.
| d8 | Personality Trait |
|---|---|
| 1 | I tend to put others before myself, even if it means giving up some gold to do so. |
| 2 | I despise being hospitable, only me myself and I matter. |
| 3 | I enjoy a good brawl. I'm not that gret at it, I just find it funny. |
| 4 | Who needs a personality when you have a tragic backstory? |
| 5 | I often find it troublesome to be nice in any conversation. |
| 6 | Any race other than Turtle Cats are irrelevant. Except feyfolk. They're okay. |
| 7 | Cheese? Oh, you said please? Sorry, cheese just sounds really good right now. |
| 8 | I will lay my life down for what I believe in. |
| d6 | Flaw |
|---|---|
| 1 | I'm too distracted by cheese- wait did you say that's Gouda? Oh, just "good"? |
| 2 | I prefer avoiding my own race, and would enjoy never seeing them again. |
| 3 | I am inflexible in my thinking. |
| 4 | I'm too greedy for my own good. I can't resist taking a risk if there's money involved. |
| 5 | I'm a sucker for a pretty face. Mostly Tabaxi faces. Remind me of my mother. |
| 6 | Yes. In fact, the world does revolve around me. |
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