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Seethyr
Master of Realmslore
USA
1151 Posts |
 Posted - 11 Sep 2014 : 00:00:02
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I could use a little advice, commentary or constructive criticism (aww heck, I don't even mind rough criticism, I'm not sensitive  )
I am trying to make the tabaxi a player race for my Maztica campaign. Beyond the little I have learned of them in the Maztica adventure Fires of Zatal, I really know very little. Specifically in the realms, do they show up in other lore?
Also, as you can see below, I have a rough draft of their write up for my Maztica Campaign guide. Beyond liking to know what you think, I want to split them up into a few subraces. One will be based off of Ocelots (these will be somewhat less cruel of the subraces) and another that I have yet to determine. The second one should represent the general idea of tabaxi (jaguar-like appearance and all), but I have no clue what to name them. Any thoughts?
Here are the tabaxi (so far)...
TABAXI
His maca had long since been lost, but with his powerful claws, Tezca felt no fear. In fact, using the weapons of man made him feel less feral, less tabaxi! His quarry passed beneath him, a great taloned lizard of the deep jungles. Its pack had preyed on his clan too long so he and seven other warriors set out to hunt the hunters. All but he had been slain, and the lizard pack had been reduced to this last, the largest of them all. In perfect silence he stalked his prey from the trees. Silence was not enough, however, as the wind turned and the predator suddenly began to sniff vigorously. With a snarl it turned in Tezcas direction.
In the deepest jungles of Maztica, a race of jaguar folk has kept mostly to themselves and their territory. Devotees to the life of a predator, these tree-dwelling folk have perfected the art of hunting, but do not often extend their predations into human lands. In their wisdom, the shamans of the tabaxi have advised their charges to keep far from the other intelligent races of the True World.
For ages, the tabaxi followed their advice, but when mankind started actually coming to them, this tradition began to change.
PROUD JAGUAR CLANS
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Tabaxi thrive in harsh conditions where nearly everything that moves must eat or be eaten. Typically led by either wise elder shamans or at their most debased by cruel jaguar lords, the tabaxi are almost always loyal to their clan. Laws are almost unnecessary, but should a tabaxi sin against his own, the punishment is almost always fatal.
Tabaxi once kept mostly to themselves but mankind has made more frequent contact of late and the younger tabaxi generations have started to develop a bit of a wanderlust, at least as far as tabaxi go. Often ostracized by their elders, these tabaxi quickly take to whatever new clan they accompany, regardless of the race of its members.
ALPHA PREDATORS
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Tabaxi are the consummate hunters. Their greatest warriors are able to take down prey many times their size, sometimes using only what the gods have given them. These proud creatures are willing to work in groups or alone, but they rarely, if ever shy away from a challenge.
It is a great mark of shame for tabaxi to run from a threat and doing so has a tendency to make them quite ornery. Brave does not mean stupid, however, and tabaxi will sometimes take days to plan a hunt correctly.
Their natural camouflage, senses, cunning and weaponry makes them generally the most successful predators in their territory.
TABAXI NAMES
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Tabaxi have their own language that incorporates numerous growls which are difficult for others to pronounce. Clan names always use specialized syllables that require practice to speak and are impossible to record. The younger, adventurous tabaxi typically adapt names similar to their newer companions.
Male Names: Igrrtaca, Mirrintic, Otrri, Patrrli, Tezcacoatl, Tlacelel, Tupac, Yorrotl, Zarrtic
Female Names: Cuarritl, Citlarri, Eztlii, Izerr, Nene, Patrri, Tlarri, Yarretzi, Zuma, Zyanya
TABAXI TRAITS
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Your tabaxi character has the following traits which are in common with all tabaxi.
Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity score increases by 2.
Age. Tabaxi have similar lifespans to humans. They reach adulthood in their teens and live less than a century. Rare elders sometimes extend this lifespan to 120 years.
Alignment. Tabaxi tend towards chaos though they can be quite loyal to their clans and its fairly well defined hierarchy. Their concerns are rarely similar to the petty obsessions of man, but clans ruled by a jaguar lord often sink into the depths of evil. The ocelotl subrace is generally seen as the kinder of the subraces.
Size. The subraces tend to vary in size, but the overall height of a tabaxi is generally between 5 and 6 feet tall.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet. You may also climb at the same rate.
Darkvision. Your eyes are well accustomed to hunting in the dead of night. 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 cannot discern color in darkness.
Keen Senses. You gain advantage on all Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on hearing or smell.
Jungle Camouflage. When hiding in natural surroundings, you are proficient on your Dexterity (Stealth) check.
Claw Attack. When making an unarmed strike, your sharp claws do 1d4+ your Strength modifier in Slashing damage.
Languages. You can speak, read and write in tabaxi but you may only speak the common tongue. Tabaxi is spoken in guttural growls with long R sounds and the written language uses a unique alphabet of claw marks that could easily be scratched onto trees.
Subrace. The two main types of tabaxi are the Jaguar Folk and the Ocelot Folk (Ocelotl). Choose one of these subraces.
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Follow the Maztica (Aztec/Maya) and Anchorome (Indigenous North America) Campaigns on DMsGuild!
The Maztica Campaign
The Anchorome Campaign |
Edited by - Seethyr on 12 Sep 2014 01:22:42
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The Sage
Procrastinator Most High
Australia
31701 Posts |
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Seethyr
Master of Realmslore
USA
1151 Posts |
Posted - 11 Sep 2014 : 20:52:37
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30 Views and not seeing much lore. I think this means there really isn't much lore on them out there. That is both a blessing and a curse because although I now have free reign to develop them as I see fit, there is not much to really base them on. Have other settings had significant write ups on tabaxi?
Like The Sage said, I too have always been a fan of the tabaxi, so I really want to get them right. |
Follow the Maztica (Aztec/Maya) and Anchorome (Indigenous North America) Campaigns on DMsGuild!
The Maztica Campaign
The Anchorome Campaign |
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Delwa
Master of Realmslore
USA
1268 Posts |
Posted - 11 Sep 2014 : 21:26:10
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| Lore-wise, I'm not any help. I do have a question on the claw attack. Why isn't it d4+Str/Dex mod? I'm not a mechanics guru, so I'm not going to argue against it, it just stands out as odd to me. Otherwise, I'm intrigued enough to actually look at Maztica. It's always been described as "just" South America fantasy to me, and nothing really caught my eye enough to make me curious before now. :) |
- Delwa Aunglor
I am off to slay yon refrigerator and spoil it's horde. Go for the cheese, Boo!
"The Realms change; seldom at the speed desired of those who strive, but far too quickly for those who resist." - The Simbul, taken from the Forgotten Realms Campaign Conspectus |
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Seethyr
Master of Realmslore
USA
1151 Posts |
Posted - 11 Sep 2014 : 22:01:05
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quote:
Originally posted by Delwa
Lore-wise, I'm not any help. I do have a question on the claw attack. Why isn't it d4+Str/Dex mod? I'm not a mechanics guru, so I'm not going to argue against it, it just stands out as odd to me. Otherwise, I'm intrigued enough to actually look at Maztica. It's always been described as "just" South America fantasy to me, and nothing really caught my eye enough to make me curious before now. :)
Thank you for calling that mechanic issue to my attention. I thought about that before, but I actually wanted someone to double-check if this makes sense. Here is my reasoning, please tell me if it makes sense.
In the PHB, there is no race with a natural melee attack yet. I was thinking that adds to damage would come from whatever class the tabaxi chooses, not as a function of their race per se. This way, if they choose a class that adds Strength to their attack bonus, they could add that to the 1d4+1 damage as it. If it comes from Dex, well that could follow as well.
If I added damage as a function of race, then it would effectively double the bonus damage due to their stats, which is not something I intended. 1d4+1 is actually just their base damage. If I were to stat up tabaxi as a monster on the other hand, it would be 1d4+1 plus the typical Str modifier.
Am I making sense? I'm honestly not sure. Sometimes the way the PHB is written confuses me a bit.
On another note, if you are getting a little interest in Maztica, hopefully this can help. Sorry it's not done yet, but working on this solo has taken me countless hours, and there are many more to go! :-)
Maztica Campaign Guide for 5e
On a third note, there is some incorrect information on Tabaxi in the Forgotten Realms on their wikipedia page. If someone is up for a little editing, the following information under "Misc." is incorrect:
quote:
In the Forgotten Realms campaign setting, Tabaxi are known to inhabit the Chultan Peninsula, and worship the deity Ubtao. It was they who defended the city of Mezro while Eshowdow was attacking it, eventually driving him back. Like the Aarakocra, they may be an immigrant race to Faerūn from Maztica, given that the deity Zaltec the Tabaxi Lords worship is a Maztican deity.
That reference is to the humans who also are known as tabaxi, not the jaguar folk of the pages title. Ugh
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Follow the Maztica (Aztec/Maya) and Anchorome (Indigenous North America) Campaigns on DMsGuild!
The Maztica Campaign
The Anchorome Campaign |
Edited by - Seethyr on 11 Sep 2014 22:21:07 |
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Delwa
Master of Realmslore
USA
1268 Posts |
Posted - 11 Sep 2014 : 22:46:38
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quote:
Originally posted by Seethyr
Thank you for calling that mechanic issue to my attention. I thought about that before, but I actually wanted someone to double-check if this makes sense. Here is my reasoning, please tell me if it makes sense.
In the PHB, there is no race with a natural melee attack yet. I was thinking that adds to damage would come from whatever class the tabaxi chooses, not as a function of their race per se. This way, if they choose a class that adds Strength to their attack bonus, they could add that to the 1d4+1 damage as it. If it comes from Dex, well that could follow as well.
If I added damage as a function of race, then it would effectively double the bonus damage due to their stats, which is not something I intended. 1d4+1 is actually just their base damage. If I were to stat up tabaxi as a monster on the other hand, it would be 1d4+1 plus the typical Str modifier.
Am I making sense? I'm honestly not sure. Sometimes the way the PHB is written confuses me a bit.
Thanks for the link! I'll be sure and check it out.
Your reasoning makes sense, but I have a counter thought or two. A Class doesn't give you the ability to add your Str/Dex to the damage, that's a function of the core mechanics. Also, if they have a natural attack, they have to choose between a weapon and their claws.
Either way, up to you. As I said, not a mechanics guru, I'm just bouncing ideas around.  |
- Delwa Aunglor
I am off to slay yon refrigerator and spoil it's horde. Go for the cheese, Boo!
"The Realms change; seldom at the speed desired of those who strive, but far too quickly for those who resist." - The Simbul, taken from the Forgotten Realms Campaign Conspectus |
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Seethyr
Master of Realmslore
USA
1151 Posts |
Posted - 12 Sep 2014 : 00:44:20
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Yeah now that I look at it, you are definitely correct on this. I'll change it in the OP.
You also made me think more about the damage itself. I was having troubles deciding how much base damage the claws could do. 1d4 seemed too low and anything higher seemed too much for claw damage from a medium sized creature. Most animals with claw damage in the PHB do that amount. It will now be 1d4 + Strength modifier with a caveat. The subraces are going to change this base damage a bit. The ocelot based subrace (Ocelotl) will keep the 1d4, but the (and I finally decided on a name) Jaguar Folk subrace will have a racial ability called "Powerful Claws" which are upped to 2d4 damage + Strength modifier.
Argh decisions decisions... |
Follow the Maztica (Aztec/Maya) and Anchorome (Indigenous North America) Campaigns on DMsGuild!
The Maztica Campaign
The Anchorome Campaign |
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Seethyr
Master of Realmslore
USA
1151 Posts |
Posted - 12 Sep 2014 : 01:25:13
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Made some changes to the OP including damage from claw attacks, languages and subraces. Here are the specific subraces...
JAGUAR FOLK
As one of the jaguar folk, you have more powerful claws and tend to be stronger than other tabaxi.
Ability Score Increase. Your Strength score increases by 1.
Powerful Claws. Your claw damage increases to 2d4 + your Strength modifier.
OCELOT FOLK (OCELOTL)
The Ocelotl are known for their wisdom and maneuverability both on land and in the tree tops.
Ability Score Increase. Your Wisdom score increases by 1.
Fleet Footed. Both your ground and climbing speed increase to 35 feet.
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Follow the Maztica (Aztec/Maya) and Anchorome (Indigenous North America) Campaigns on DMsGuild!
The Maztica Campaign
The Anchorome Campaign |
Edited by - Seethyr on 12 Sep 2014 01:26:04 |
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Delwa
Master of Realmslore
USA
1268 Posts |
Posted - 12 Sep 2014 : 01:44:25
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| Looks good! Where would I look sourcebook wise if I wanted to read up on Ocelot Folk? The real world animal has always intrigued me. |
- Delwa Aunglor
I am off to slay yon refrigerator and spoil it's horde. Go for the cheese, Boo!
"The Realms change; seldom at the speed desired of those who strive, but far too quickly for those who resist." - The Simbul, taken from the Forgotten Realms Campaign Conspectus |
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Seethyr
Master of Realmslore
USA
1151 Posts |
Posted - 12 Sep 2014 : 02:34:11
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quote:
Originally posted by Delwa
Looks good! Where would I look sourcebook wise if I wanted to read up on Ocelot Folk? The real world animal has always intrigued me.
Those guys are completely home brew. I figured there wouldn't be a lot of canon material that would counter such a subrace and thought it might help make the tabaxi a little more variable. The only race I know about in D&D lore it a Rakasta subrace from Mystara which can be found here.
Also, I was given the go ahead to use this wonderful piece of artwork by the artist so I couldn't resist.
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Follow the Maztica (Aztec/Maya) and Anchorome (Indigenous North America) Campaigns on DMsGuild!
The Maztica Campaign
The Anchorome Campaign |
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The Sage
Procrastinator Most High
Australia
31701 Posts |
Posted - 12 Sep 2014 : 04:58:15
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quote:
Originally posted by Seethyr
30 Views and not seeing much lore. I think this means there really isn't much lore on them out there. That is both a blessing and a curse because although I now have free reign to develop them as I see fit, there is not much to really base them on. Have other settings had significant write ups on tabaxi?
Sorry, I missed this part earlier.
Going from memory for other tabaxi-related references... there's the Shadowking/Shadowmage novels, which include a Tabaxi NPC. And I recall a [very] brief reference to a "Tabaxiland" in Races of Faerūn. Brian James has also included some origin details for the tabaxi in Grand History of the Realms as well. |
Candlekeep Forums Moderator
Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
http://www.candlekeep.com -- Candlekeep Forum Code of Conduct
Scribe for the Candlekeep Compendium -- Volume IX now available (Oct 2007)
"So Saith Ed" -- the collected Candlekeep replies of Ed Greenwood
Zhoth'ilam Folio -- The Electronic Misadventures of a Rambling Sage |
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Seethyr
Master of Realmslore
USA
1151 Posts |
Posted - 12 Sep 2014 : 23:32:47
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quote:
Originally posted by The Sage
quote:
Originally posted by Seethyr
30 Views and not seeing much lore. I think this means there really isn't much lore on them out there. That is both a blessing and a curse because although I now have free reign to develop them as I see fit, there is not much to really base them on. Have other settings had significant write ups on tabaxi?
Sorry, I missed this part earlier.
Going from memory for other tabaxi-related references... there's the Shadowking/Shadowmage novels, which include a Tabaxi NPC. And I recall a [very] brief reference to a "Tabaxiland" in Races of Faerūn. Brian James has also included some origin details for the tabaxi in Grand History of the Realms as well.
Oh awesome thank you for the references I will check them out. It is a little weird that the human inhabitants of Chult (and I believe Katashaka) are also known as tabaxi. I am going to see if those tabaxi references are the jaguar people or the human ethnicity.
I once read that the humans were called tabaxi because mainland Faerunians encountered them in the jungles and mistook them for the jaguar folk (due to the fact that they were heavily decked out in animal skins and fetishes, etc.) and the name stuck. I have no recollection of where I saw that and it actually might just have been speculation on these forums. |
Follow the Maztica (Aztec/Maya) and Anchorome (Indigenous North America) Campaigns on DMsGuild!
The Maztica Campaign
The Anchorome Campaign |
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|
|
The Sage
Procrastinator Most High
Australia
31701 Posts |
Posted - 13 Sep 2014 : 04:35:26
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quote:
Originally posted by Seethyr
quote:
Originally posted by The Sage
quote:
Originally posted by Seethyr
30 Views and not seeing much lore. I think this means there really isn't much lore on them out there. That is both a blessing and a curse because although I now have free reign to develop them as I see fit, there is not much to really base them on. Have other settings had significant write ups on tabaxi?
Sorry, I missed this part earlier.
Going from memory for other tabaxi-related references... there's the Shadowking/Shadowmage novels, which include a Tabaxi NPC. And I recall a [very] brief reference to a "Tabaxiland" in Races of Faerūn. Brian James has also included some origin details for the tabaxi in Grand History of the Realms as well.
Oh awesome thank you for the references I will check them out. It is a little weird that the human inhabitants of Chult (and I believe Katashaka) are also known as tabaxi. I am going to see if those tabaxi references are the jaguar people or the human ethnicity.
The "cat" Tabaxi hail from Maztica. The human Tabaxi [human ethnic group renamed "Chultans" in 3e] are now said to have originated in places like Katashaka, as Brian James notes in GHotR.
quote:
I once read that the humans were called tabaxi because mainland Faerunians encountered them in the jungles and mistook them for the jaguar folk (due to the fact that they were heavily decked out in animal skins and fetishes, etc.) and the name stuck. I have no recollection of where I saw that and it actually might just have been speculation on these forums.
Not speculation. See pg. 3 of FRM1 The Jungles of Chult for the full details on this intriguing development. |
Candlekeep Forums Moderator
Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
http://www.candlekeep.com -- Candlekeep Forum Code of Conduct
Scribe for the Candlekeep Compendium -- Volume IX now available (Oct 2007)
"So Saith Ed" -- the collected Candlekeep replies of Ed Greenwood
Zhoth'ilam Folio -- The Electronic Misadventures of a Rambling Sage |
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Tabaxi (Jaguar, not Chult) [5e]
