These cat-like folk are taller than most humans, but with much more slender frames and have a wide array of fur patterns, some resembling big cats like jaguars whilst others resemble house cats. The Tabaxi in 5E was first published in Volo’s Guide to Monsters (VGtM), and an updated version was more recently published in Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse (MPMM). This is a separate version and does not overwrite the original, it just presents a different way of playing a tabaxi using more current design conventions.
You can haz adventure
Created long ago by the divine being known as the Cat Lord, tabaxi are a people that blends the appearance and qualities of cats and humanoids. This feline influence manifests in many tabaxi as a wanderlust, a natural curiosity, and playfulness. These traits can combine to form very mercurial personalities, with a tabaxi sometimes passionately focusing on a single thing before dropping it entirely and moving on to something new. Such a people have little desire for material objects and wealth, besides the practical uses they provide, instead prefurring to gather knowledge and stories to savor and trade.
Not all tabaxi express these traits, with some cat folk preferring to live more conventionally amongst other races. These tabaxi are indistinguishable from their peers, save for their feline appearance, but still have incredible speed and agility at their beck and call, should they need it.
Beans for days: Playing a Tabaxi
Playing a tabaxi gives you the following traits:
Ability Scores – Dex +2, Cha +1
Size – Medium
Creature Type – Humanoid
Speed – 30 ft. walking, 20 ft. climbing
Age – Similar to humans.
Darkvision – 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.
Feline Agility – On your turn, you can double your speed when you move, once you use this feature you can’t use it again until you have spent a turn not moving.
Cat’s Claws – Your claws are natural melee weapons, which you can use to make unarmed strikes. If you hit with them, you deal slashing damage equal to 1d4 + your Strength modifier, instead of the bludgeoning damage normal for an unarmed strike. In addition, you have a climbing speed of 20 ft.
Cat’s Talents – You have proficiency in Perception and Stealth.
Languages – You can speak, read, and write Common and one language of your choice.
Fluffy fury: Playing an MPMM Tabaxi
Playing a tabaxi from MPMM gives you the following traits:
Ability Scores – You can increase one ability score by 2 and a different score by 1, alternatively you can increase three different ability scores by 1.
Size – Medium
Creature Type – Humanoid
Speed – 30 ft. and a climbing speed equal to your walking speed
Age – The typical life span of a player character in the D&D multiverse is about a century, assuming the character doesn’t meet a violent end on an adventure.
Darkvision – 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.
Feline Agility – On your turn, you can double your speed when you move, once you use this feature you can’t use it again until you have spent a turn not moving.
Cat’s Claws – Your claws are natural melee weapons, which you can use to make unarmed strikes. If you hit with them, you deal slashing damage equal to 1d6 + your Strength modifier, instead of the bludgeoning damage normal for an unarmed strike.
Cat’s Talents – You have proficiency in Perception and Stealth.
Languages – You can speak, read, and write Common and one other language that you and your DM agree is appropriate for your character.
We hope that you’ve enjoyed sitting where you may, or may not, fit and batting over things for reasons no other lifeforms could possibly comprehend. Have you played a tabaxi yet? Are you planning to? If you want to learn more about other race options, check out our races section, or if you want to understand the world’s greatest roleplaying game better, then check out our how to play section. Good luck out there adventurers and until next time, remember, the purrfect race for your next character is in front of you.
How long do tabaxi live?
As long as humans, so a little under a century.
What DnD book are tabaxi in?
Volo’s Guide to Monsters (VGtM), Explorer’s Guide to Wildemount (EGtW), and Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse (MPMM).
How tall are tabaxi?
Taller than humans on average, so likely over 6 ft.
What language do Tabaxi speak?
Common and one language of your choice, they do not have their own language.
