Noble Cat, Big


Species Descriptions

Sleek, powerful, and deadly, big cats are the omnipresent threat to many forest creatures; seldom seen, but always feared.

The quintessential stalkers, noble big cats will sometimes appoint themselves the secret protector of a particular forest or mountain. Those with a less beneficent outlook may instead announce themselves as the lord and master of such a place, meting out his own judgments on those who offend him (and are alone at night).

No matter the species, no matter the place, one constant among the noble big cats is that they do not like baboons or monkeys. The reasons for this enmity are lost to the ages, but no less fervently held for it.

The noble big cats represented by these rules include noble bobcats, cougars, jaguars, leopards, lynxes, mountain lions, ocelots, and panthers. Of these, only noble leopards and panthers can take all 3 levels of the Noble Big Cat class, while noble cougars, jaguars, mountain lions, and ocelots are limited to 2nd level, and noble bobcats and lynxes are limited to 1st level.

Noble Big Cat Species Traits
  • Ability Score Modifiers: +4 Dexterity.
  • Size: Small.
  • Size Threshold: 2nd Hit Die.
  • Base Speed: 30 ft., Climb: 20 ft.
  • Natural Weapons: Bite (1d4), 2 claws (1d3).
  • Senses: Low-light vision (Ex), scent (Ex).
  • Natural Talent Track: Skill Focus (Stealth), Weapon Finesse.
  • Skills: +4 racial bonus to Acrobatics and Stealth checks.
  • Skills: +8 racial bonus to Climb checks. A noble big cat can always choose to take 10 on a Climb check, even if rushed or threatened.
  • Family: Mammal.
  • Noble Animal Type: Noble big cats have the noble animal type except where superseded by other species traits and features.
  • Social Group: None.
  • Automatic Languages: Feline and High Fauna.
  • Bonus Languages: Bat, Camel, Canine, Common, Crocodilian, Elephant, Equine, Herdspeak, Hyena, Lizard, Monitor, Raptor, Rodent, Serpent, Simian, Songbird, Ursine, and Woodland.

Noble big cats use the Noble Big Cat character class if they wish to advance in their natural abilities.

Noble Cat, Lynx/Bobcat Sub-Species Traits

Noble lynxes and bobcats are limited to 1 level of the Noble Big Cat class.

Noble Cat, Cougar/Jaguar/Mountain Lion/Ocelot Sub-Species Traits

Noble cougars, jaguars, mountain lions, and ocelots are limited to 2 levels of the Noble Big Cat class.

Racial Feats

The following feats are available to a noble big cat character who meets the prerequisites.

  • Linked Feat

Noble Big Cat Class

Hit Die: d8

Class Skills

The noble big cat's class skills are Acrobatics (Dex), Climb (Str), Perception (Wis), Stealth (Dex), Survival (Wis).

Skill Ranks Per Level: 2 + Int modifier.

Table: Noble Big Cat
Level Base Attack Bonus Fort Save Ref Save Will Save Special
1st +0 +2 +2 +0 Ability increase (Str +2, Dex +2), pounce, natural armor +1
2nd +1 +3 +3 +0 Ability increase (Dex +2), grab
3rd +2 +3 +3 +1 Ability increase (Dex +2, Con +2), speed increase, rake

Class Features

All of the following are class features of the noble big cat species class.

Ability Increase

At 1st level your Strength score increases by +2. Your Dexterity increases by +2 each level. At 3rd level your Constitution increases by +2.

Pounce (Ex)

At 1st level, the noble big cat gains the Pounce special attack. If a noble big cat with pounce charges a foe, it can make a full attack (including rake attacks if he has the rake ability).

Natural Armor

At 1st level you gain a +1 Natural Armor bonus.

Grab (Ex)

At 2nd level, you gain the Grab special attack. When you hit with a bite attack, you deal normal damage and may attempt to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity. Grab only works against opponents that are at least one size category smaller than you. You have the option to conduct the grapple normally, or simply use your jaws to hold your opponent. If you choose to do the latter, you take a –20 penalty on your CMB check to make and maintain the grapple, but do not gain the grappled condition yourself. A successful hold does not deal any extra damage. Each successful grapple check you make during successive rounds automatically deals bite damage.

Speed Increase

At 3rd level your speed increases by 10 ft.

Rake (Ex)

At 3rd level, you gain the Rake special attack. You gain extra natural attacks when you grapple a foe. In addition to the options available to all grapplers, you gains two additional claw attacks that you can use only against a grappled foe. These attacks are secondary attacks, and do the same damage as your front claws. You must begin your turn grappling to use your rake — you can’t begin a grapple and rake in the same turn.

Alternative Racial Traits

You can exchange one or several of your character’s normal racial Traits, but of course you cannot exchange the same racial trait more than once.

As with any alternate or optional rule, you must first get the permission of your GM to exchange any of your character’s normal racial Traits for those listed here.

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Favored Class Alternatives

Instead of receiving an additional skill rank or hit point whenever they gain a level in a Favored Class, noble big cats have the option of choosing from a number of other bonuses, depending upon their Favored Classes. The following options are available to all noble big cats who have the listed Favored Class, and unless otherwise stated, the bonus applies each time you select the listed Favored Class reward.

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Section 15: Copyright Notice

The Noble Wild. Copyright 2009 by Lee Garvin and Skirmisher Publishing LLC.

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