Slugcat
"A family of Slugcats walks through the woods, climbing the trees. A pup clings to the back of the eldest member as the parents hunt for fruit and small birds to eat before the night comes..."
Notes of a Wildlife Observer
"Learning a language isn't as hard for us Slugcats as it might be for others. Though admittedly most of my kin have a more rudimentary grasp of common. My grasp of the language, I'd wager, is due to my studies of the arcane. Most others are only taught a little by their family and don't bother to go further than that."
Excerpt from "My Life as a Slugcat Wizard"
Curious Explorers
Slugcats will typically to live in jungles or forests, preferring the verticality and clutter of the environment to help avoid predators. However every once in a while curiosity may lead a Slugcat to wander, wanting to see and learn about the unfamiliar. This is especially true when they come across people. This sometimes leads to a Slugcat or even a family of Slugcats to maybe start living in a town and even integrate into society. However they are prone to being forced to become pets when they do this as most races look down upon them and treat them like they're just some other animal.
Appearance
Slugcats come in a variety of colours but generally look the same appearance wise. Their fur colour can also be influenced by age, pups tending to have an orange-ish tint to their fur and elders tending to have a dark red-ish tint to their fur. Slugcats have sleek fur with just as sleek a body with small hind legs and similarly sized arms which can also function as legs. They have a long sleek tail which is what earned them the slug part of their name. They're also know for their cat-like rounded ears and their big, round, black eyes. Though there are some sub-races that may and will differ in appearance. A full grown Slugcat's fur is typically white but can be anything within the range of a light red or light blue.
Slugcat Names
A Slugcat's name is deeply connected to it's soul, to know a Slugcat's name is to know it trusts you deeply, to watch over it's young and to help it when it is gravely weak. A Slugcat's names are not given by its parents or even known by them, instead the name will come to the Slugcat as a dream or vision on its first sleep after reaching physical maturity, this is a special night for a Slugcat and is usually celebrated. Before reaching this night, the parents of the Slugcat will have a pup name for it, which will be of a plant or landmark it was born near though sometimes the parents don't know the object's actual name.
Pup Names: Redberry, Talltree, Greymoss, Foxglove, Bramble, Blackberry, Goldenflower
True Names: Uriel, Quoista, Yankre, Cyrast, Zvryak, Tchkai, Giady, Focia
Slugcat Traits
Your Slugcat character has the following racial traits.
Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity score is increased by 2.
Type Your creature type is Beast.
Age. Slugcats reach maturity at 11 and have lived to be as old as 46.
Alignment. Slugcats are generally focused on the survival of their family, because of this they tend to have a neutral alignment.
Size. Your size is Small, the average Slugcat adult is 3 ft. tall. Due to your size your weapons need to be smaller which may cause them to be cheaper or more expensive, depending on the seller.
Speed. Your walking speed is 40 ft.
Pointy End You have proficiency with spears and similar polearms.
Feline Agility. You had to learn to climb and squeeze through small spaces, as you grew up, to survive. You have a climbing speed of 35 ft, have little trouble climbing most surfaces, and can squeeze through small gaps and under doors which takes half your movement speed. You can also throw a spear while climbing.
Small Stature Due to your small size you are hard to hit and have an easy time avoiding things. You get a +1 bonus to AC and have advantage on Dexterity saving throws.
Slippery Slug Due to your sleek coat you can swim decently in water. You have a swimming speed of 30 ft. You have also developed a stomach-like internal pouch where you can carry up to 2.5 lbs. of Tiny objects. You can store or regurgitate one item as a bonus action. If an item is small enough, like a pebble, you can regurgitate three as a bonus action instead.
Languages. You know one language of your choice.
Slugcats generally speak in broken common, speaking in small phrases and simple words learned from their parents. Though this, of course, shouldn't stop you from making your Slugcat from being able to speak, read, and write proper common and/or another language.
Subraces
There are several subraces some are simply differences in diet and instinct while others are much more different due to living in different environments. Slugcat aren't born with these traits and as such pups are their own thing, they develop into other subraces depending on their environment during their body's development which starts at 10 and ends at 11 when they reach maturity.
Monk
These Slugcats developed a vegetarian diet which led to the radiating a calming aura which helped them avoid predators, so long as the predator wasn't too hungry.
Ability Score Increase. Your Charisma or Wisdom is increased by 1.
Peaceful Aura Your diet consists solely of fruit. Due to your generally peaceful disposition you have proficiency with Animal Handling and can attempt an Animal Handling check to keep an animal that approaches within 45 ft of you from becoming aggressive. (DM's discretion)
Survivor
These Slugcats developed an omnivorous diet which caused them to become good at finding all the food that's within their diet and shelter from their predators.
Ability Score Increase. Your Wisdom or Intelligence is increased by 1.
Survivor You have proficiency in Survival and advantage when trying to find/make shelter or foraging for food.
Hunter
These Slugcats developed a solely carnivorous diet which necessitated more tool usage than the others and so learned to use them then taught their offspring what they learned.
Ability Score Increase. Your Constitution or Strength is increased by 1.
Predator To help you survive with your more aggressive life you have become more resilient and have adapted tactical thinking. You have an additional 1 HP per level and can take a fighting style.
Watcher
These Slugcats typically live in roofed forsts or cave and developed camoflage and darkvision to ensure survival in these dark areas. Their fur shifts colours to blend in but is typically a dark blue and their eyes are white. Their diet typically consists of mushrooms and bats but they can eat nearly anything.
Ability Score Increase. You can increase any one score other than Dexterity by 1.
Advanced Darkvision You have advanced, greyscale darkvision, you can see in 120 ft. of dim light as if it is bright light, and 60 ft. of dark light as if it is dim light.
Camoflage As the rare Watcher Slugcat you are adept at hiding, you are proficient in Stealth. As an action you can temporarily change your fur colour to help you blend into your environment.
Aquaria
These Slugcats live in rivers or swamps and feed solely on different fishes and frogs. They've adapted to catch their prey and live in the water. They're covered in a mucusy substance that allows for better swimming.
Ability Score Increase. Your Constitution or Intelligence is increased by 1.
Aquatic Due to your aquatic nature your swimming speed increases to 40 ft. but your walking speed goes down to 30 ft. You also have gills that allow you to breathe underwater.
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Pup
Whether kidnapped by hunters, separated from their family during travel, or their family was killed by a predator/poacher. These Slugcats tend to be captured and sold as pets. Sometimes they manage to escape, other times they were bought by an adventurer.
Ability Score Increase Your Charisma or Intelligence is increased by 1
Innocent Cuteness You have advantage in Persuasion and Deception and you have disadvantage on Intimidation.
Fun Sized Your size is Tiny and are at most the size of a large house cat. Your climbing speed goes up to 40 and you become unable to fall off what your climbing unless someone tries to force you off with a Strength vs Dexterity check. You gain advantage if your clinging to a person's/creature's back.
Acute Senses You are young and haven't matured enough to be able to survive on yourself but being by yourself you've learned to notice danger. You have advantage on Perception checks. Due to your size you also have advantage in Athletics and Acrobatics and can squeeze through tight spaces like doors better and faster then adult Slugcats, taking only 15 ft. of your movement speed.
Sources
Here are the sources where I got the art.