Yes. In fifth-edition Dungeons & Dragons, a Tabaxi can become a werewolf: Tabaxi are humanoids, and the werewolf’s curse can affect a humanoid that fails the saving throw in the applicable stat block. The precise save, forms, and character abilities depend on the rules version your campaign uses.
Why the rules allow it
D&D Beyond describes Tabaxi as catlike humanoids and lists them in both Volo’s Guide to Monsters (marked legacy) and Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse. The general werewolf curse rule targets a humanoid, so a Tabaxi meets that creature-type requirement. The official sources do not set out a special exception for Tabaxi.
See D&D Beyond’s species directory and its werewolf entry. Use the stat block from the rules version chosen for your campaign; details can differ between sources.
What happens if a werewolf bites a Tabaxi?
A bite does not automatically make its target a werewolf. Under the 2014 legacy werewolf stat block, the target must be humanoid and fail a Constitution saving throw against the curse. That entry sets the save at DC 12; treat that number as specific to that stat block, not as a universal DC for every edition or source.
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The werewolf has humanoid, wolf, and hybrid forms in the 2014 rules description. Consult the applicable stat block for the exact form rules and statistics.
What changes for a Tabaxi character?
The Monster Manual guidance for player characters who become lycanthropes says: “A character who becomes a lycanthrope retains his or her statistics except as specified by lycanthrope type.” D&D Beyond’s official explainer summarizes that the character gains the movement, immunities, traits, and actions specified for the lycanthrope.
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The general guidance does not resolve every interaction between Tabaxi traits and werewolf forms. Check the wording in your campaign’s books, then ask the DM to decide any interaction those rules leave unclear; do not assume every Tabaxi trait functions unchanged in every form. The explainer is D&D Beyond’s guide to playing as a lycanthrope.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Which rules version should you use?
The cited Tabaxi options include both legacy and newer species material, while the DC 12 bite example comes from the 2014 legacy werewolf entry. The official sources reviewed do not establish a specific Tabaxi-werewolf ruling or settle every cross-edition interaction. For a consistent ruling, identify the edition and sourcebook your table is using, and apply that version’s werewolf entry and player-character lycanthropy guidance together. The Wizards of the Coast System Reference Document 5.1 is an official 2023 rules document; consult your campaign’s actual rulebook for details beyond that document.
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