The DnD Leonin 5e race brings the power of the mighty lion to the world’s biggest tabletop RPG. A Wizards of the Coast double whammy, these lion-like humanoids hail from the Magic: The Gathering plane of Theros. For fans of both games, a playable Leonin is a crossover for the ages. As one of two cat races in D&D, it’s also a fun choice for fans of fuzzy characters with toe beans and tails.
The Leonin are the guards of the plains of Oreskos. They may be fuzzy fluffballs to some players, but Leonin can also be tall, imposing figures with confident strides and retractable claws. Many Leonin love fights and debates – though they’re not known to hold grudges. Your Leonin 5e character may have chosen to set off for adventures in far-away places, but many Leonin rarely leave their plains or their pride.
If the Leonin sounds like a paw-fully good choice, this guide is for you. We’ve got all the key info you need to create a Leonin character – everything from names, key traits, and the classes that work best. Follow it carefully, and pretty soon you’ll have a roar-some D&D character to play with.
Here’s everything you need to know about the DnD Leonin 5e race:
Leonin 5e names
Leonin have a first name and a pride name. The main sourcebook for the Leonin race, Mythic Odysseys of Theros, suggests plenty of male, female, and general pride names for Leonin. We’ve listed a few D&D-approved names, as well as some extras for additional inspiration.
Here are some male Leonin names:
- Athoz
- Dreon
- Grexes
- Kyknir
- Pios
- Teoz
- Xior
- Xythirio
Here are some female Leonin names:
- Atagone
- Caxe
- Cozrena
- Eriz
- Griorne
- Iaze
- Koila
- Ziore
Here are some Leonin pride names:
Leonin 5e traits
The primary traits used to build a Leonin character are those found in Mythic Odysseys of Theros. These are the key traits for a Leonin using this sourcebook:
| Ability score increase | +2 Constitution, +1 Strength |
| Size | Medium |
| Speed | 35 feet |
| Features | Darkvision 60ft, Claws, Hunter’s Instincts, Daunting Roar |
| Languages | Common, Leonin |
A lion-based character is naturally going to have claws. Like the Tabaxi 5e, a Leonin can use their claws to make unarmed strikes. If they hit, these claws deal 1d4 + your Strength modifier in slashing damage.
The Hunter’s Instincts give Leonin proficiency in either Athletics, Intimidation, Perception, or Survival. Finally, Daunting Roar means your Leonin can roar as a bonus action once per long rest – frightening any creature within ten feet that can hear them and fails a Wisdom saving throw (Difficulty Class (DC) of eight + your proficiency bonus + your Constitution modifier).
Note that, if you have a copy of Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything, you can choose to take a +2 and +1 in two different stats. You can also change the languages your Leonin knows thanks to Tasha’s custom origin rules. These custom origin rules also allow you to change your Leonin’s innate proficiencies, so you can switch your Hunter’s Instinct proficiency with something that fits your character better.
Leonin 5e classes
Regardless of what ability scores you give your Leonin, their Daunting Roar means you’ll always want to choose a martial class if you want to optimise. There’s no reason a Leonin can’t be a sufficient Artificer using Tasha’s custom origins, for example, but their unique characteristics don’t really add anything special to the build.
The classes that benefit from Daunting Roar the most will be those who spend a lot of time fighting enemies up close and maybe don’t have the skills to effectively deal with these enemies in groups. We’d recommend the Barbarian, Fighter, and Paladin as the best options.