Therolians, more commonly called beastfolk, resemble humans with the heads and tails of animals. The name “therolian” is derived from therocephalian, an archaic term for “animal-headed person” (they’re also known as beastfaces, but this is generally considered derogatory). They usually have the heads of mammals, most commonly felines and canids of any type, deer, goats, boars, and rats. Some have the heads of birds or reptiles, and while rare, a few beastfolk have the features of fish, amphibians, dinosaurs, arthropods, or even more unusual animals. The rest of their body is covered with human skin that ranges in color throughout the normal human spectrum, although they may have a tinge of color that matches their animal features. For example, a therolian with the head of a frog might be slightly green. Beastfolk refer to their heads and tails as their features or aspects and tend to dislike terms like “animal-headed” or “animal-person,” yet are resigned to other people calling them that.
No matter their animalistic features, all therolians are mammalian and have the same humanoid body plan. Even those with snake or arachnid features still have two arms and two legs. All therolians can interbreed, even if their animal aspects are of radically different “species”. For example, a therolian with cat features can produce children with one that has fish features. The young from such mixed parentage usually resembles one of the parents, but “hybrids” are not unknown. Therolians can also interbreed with other heritages. In these cases, their children and even grandchildren generally resemble their non-beastfolk parent but with a few hints of animal heritage, such as slit pupils, striped hair, or furry ears.
A therolian’s animalistic nature influences their personalities to a degree. For instance, prey-species therolians are often very wary of their surroundings until they are assured of their safety, and pack or flock-species therolians are typically more comfortable in a crowd. They do not, however, automatically act like a stereotypical archetype of their animal, despite what many humanoids—and even some therolians—think. Lion-featured therolians are not all noble, fox-featured therolians are not all tricksters and thieves, and ant-featured therolians are not all tireless drones.
It’s not known how the first therolians came about. While beastfolk worship all manner of gods (usually whatever gods are commonly worshiped by others in the area), they recognize none as the creator of their race, and feel no more kinship to gods of nature or animals than the typical human does. The most common belief is that they were created by ancient wizards or faerie lords as a servitor race by magically blending humans and animals, but the beastfolk eventually escaped their bonds and migrated to the Material Plane. There are many therolian myths about great heroes defeating enslaving monsters through force or through guile. As with all myths, though, it’s nearly impossible to say how much of them are based in fact.
Characters with therolian heritage share the following traits:
Age. Therolians tend to live shorter lives that humans do. They reach maturity in their middle teens and few live past their sixties.
Size. Therolians range in size from a mere four feet tall to a towering nine feet (1.2 to 2.7 meters). Most, however, are of typical human height. Your size is Medium.
Speed. Your walking speed is 30 feet.
Animal Awareness. Your senses are keener than those of humans. Choose one of the following senses: hearing, sight, smell, taste, or touch. You gain an expertise die in Perception checks that rely on that sense.
Natural Weapons. You have a strong bite, powerful horns, or similar weapon. This is a natural weapon in which you are proficient. If you hit with this weapon, you deal bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing damage (whichever is more appropriate) equal to 1d4 + your Strength modifier instead of the normal damage for an unarmed strike.
Walk Like the Animals. Even though you have a human body, your animal heritage affects your movement. Choose one of the following options:
There are a multitude of different types of beastfolk, and each one exemplifies different aspects of their animal kin—for as much as beastfolk are not animals, their animal natures do influence them at least a bit, and they have a wide array of different traits. In addition to the traits found in your beastfolk heritage, select one of the following gifts:
You have a way with people and animals alike. Perhaps you’re just naturally appealing; maybe it’s pheromones.
You are powerfully built and can really throw your weight around.
You appear particularly vicious. This may be deliberate, but perhaps you simply never remember to hide your fangs when you smile.
You are particularly sinuous.
Your exception senses grant you superior darkvision.
You can eat coarse or toxic plants that others would find inedible, dine on carrion, or even filter sustenance out of water or sand.
You have a tail which you can use as a hand. The tail has a reach of 5 feet and can lift a number of pounds equal to three times your Strength score. You can use it to do the following simple tasks: lift, drop, hold, push, or pull an object or a creature; open or close a door or container; grapple someone; or make an unarmed strike. Your DM might allow other simple tasks to be added to that list of options. You can’t wield weapons or shields or do anything that requires manual precision, such as using tools or magic items, or performing the somatic components of a spell.
Optionally, with the Narrator’s permission, you can choose to make this a prehensile trunk instead of a tail. In this case, the trunk can be used as a snorkel as well, allowing you to breathe even while submerged in water.
You have a venomous bite or tail stinger. When you make an attack with your natural weapon, you may choose to inject venom. Your target must make a Constitution saving throw, taking 2d4 poison damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. This damage increases to 3d4 at 5th level, 4d4 at 11th level, and 5d4 at 17th level. The save DC is equal to 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Constitution modifier. Once you use this ability to inject venom, you can’t do so again until you complete a short or long rest.
With the Narrator’s permission, you may make this acid damage instead.
When you reach 10th level, you learn to channel your true animal nature. You gain one of the following paragon gifts. You may choose either gift, regardless of what type of animal head you have.
You become fiercer and more powerful, and gain the following features:
You become faster and better able to escape danger.
Most beastfolk live within small groups tucked neatly away in the cities and nations of other cultures. In cosmopolitan cultures, they blend in easily, as an animal-headed humanoid is scarcely stranger or more out-of-place than any other heritage. In less accepting areas, they tend to live in small, scattered enclaves far off any beaten path, where it is unlikely that a traveler will just stumble upon them.
Some of their cultures contain beastfolk of every aspect imaginable, even if logically, the animals on which they resemble live nowhere near each other. There might be a polar bear-featured therolian whose neighbor on one side is jaguar-featured and on the other side is catfish-featured. Other cultures are dominated by a single “type” of therolian—only those with canid or piscine features, for instance—and therolians of other types are rare or nonexistent. In cultures like this, a bird-featured therolian in a culture of canids may be treated as an exotic celebrity, treated as a second-class citizen, or feared as an outsider.
While you can choose any culture for your Therolian character, the following cultures are linked closely with this: Therolian enclavist, cosmopolitan, hidden citizen, and packmate.