Lion Class

Animals can't be any class. They're too stupid. Orcs can be barbarians, humans can be wizards, dwarves can be rogues. A dog is just a dog.

Baboons are excluded from this since they aren't technically animals, but a form of undead. Lions are excluded from this since they have Pride.

Squint your eyes really hard and they kind of look the same

 Pride

Pride is what lions were gifted instead of intelligence. Long ago lions were just as intelligent as people. They built empires and wrote plays and shit. The Great Lion Spirit put the kibosh on that; granting lions Pride instead.

Intelligent creatures don't know what Pride is. Intelligent creatures cannot know what Pride is. The best you will be able to get is lions with high Pride act more "lionish". Presumably the Great Lion Spirit has a Pride of 30.

Lions with a high Pride grow great manes (if male), can single out the best zebra from a moving herd, and can resist being intimidated by other animals. Lions with low Pride are scrawny and flea-bitten, and scavenge more often then they hunt. High Pride lions are what lions should be; low Pride lions are what they are.

Fun Lion Fact 1: Once a new male lion takes over a pride, he eats the children that aren't his.

Lion Class

Level 1

You are a lion. You cannot speak, wield weapons or armor, or climb ladders. Your hit dice is 1d10. Your saving throw proficiencies are Strength and Dexterity. You have two attacks; 1d6 slashing claws and 1d8 piercing bite. You can communicate basic information to other lions; you can speak sentences with a word length equal to your Pride bonus (minimum one), and with words no longer than your Pride score.

You can smell well. You have advantage on perception checks involving scent. You automatically fail all intelligence checks and saves.

You have an innate understanding of Pack Tactics. If a non-incapacitated ally is within 5 ft. of you, you have advantage on your attack rolls.

You can pounce on shit. If you move 20 ft. straight towards a creature and hit with your claws, they must make a DC 13 saving throw or be knocked prone. You can bite creatures knocked prone this way as a bonus action.

Your movement speed is 50 ft. Given a 10 ft. running start you can jump horizontally 25 ft.

Level 2

At second level you become, to many lions, the perfect predator. You can dash as a bonus action. If you successfully pounce (i.e. hit with your claws and knock it prone) on a creature, you can choose to auto-crit with your claws. Alternatively, you can force the creature to fail its Strength saving throw. Once you do one of these, you must take a long rest before choosing either of these options again.

For many lions, this is where they stop.

Level 3

At third level you may pick a subclass:

Earthshiner

The leaders of lions, great warriors and kings that form the basis of human mythology. When you become an Earthshiner, you can inspire your fellows to fight on. As a bonus action, you may grant an ally within 5 ft. your Pack Tactics ability for one of their attacks. If you do so you cannot gain the benefits of Pack Tactics til your next turn.

Some Eartshiners are Dire Lions. Roll a 1d100. If it is less than your Pride, you sprout bone growths around your body, permanently increasing your AC by 2. 

Scavenger

Dark shapes that stalk the night. You are no true lion, they will say. You are no better than a hyena. As a Scavenger you can spend an action to roar. All creatures within 50 ft. of you must make a DC 8+Pride bonus Wisdom save or become frightened of you.

Sekhmet Soldier

You worship Sekhmet, the creator goddess of the lions. All lions, no matter where they come from, know of Sekhmet, although her importance to their individual mythologies vary. As a Sekhmet Soldier, you can't stand heretical belief. Lions of Rhea particularly piss you off.

The taste of blood sets you off. During combat, the first time you hit with a bite attack, you may make a claw attack as a bonus action. You may only do this once per encounter.

Level 4

At fourth level you may increase an ability score by 2, or any two ability scores by one each. These scores may not rise above 20.

Level 5

At fifth level you gain an extra claw attack.

Additionally, when you hit a Large or smaller creature with your bite attack, you may attempt to Break Their Neck. When you do so, you and the creature must make contested Strength roll. If they fail, they are grappled by you. On your next turn, they must make another contested Strength roll, becoming prone if they fail a second time. On your next turn, they must make a third contested Strength roll. Failing this breaks their neck, killing them instantly if they need that to live (not a guarantee). At any point during their turn, they may make a contested Strength check to get out of the grapple, ending the attempt on a success. While they are grappled in this way, you automatically hit with your Bite attack.

Level 6

As level 4.

Level 7

Earthshiner

You know all who touch the light of the sun. By studying either an article of clothing or other important item of an individual for one minute, you know exactly where they are as long as they are within a 50 mile radius. This lasts until your next long rest, and cannot be used on the same item twice.

Scavenger

As an action, you surround yourself with one of the four elements of the lions. These last for one minute, and can only be used once per day:

Fire: Your bite and claw attacks do an additional 1d6 fire damage. Additionally, when you dash in a straight line, the land behind you catches fire. Any creature you pass within 5 ft. of takes 1d6 fire damage and is frightened of you.

Huru: The lion word for sand, mud and water. A gleaming coat of mud surrounds you. As an action you can cast the passwall spell on yourself.

Ngumu: The lion word for earth, rock, and trees. You coat yourself in stone, raising your AC by 2. As an action you may end this ability prematurely, roaring and sending pillars of earth flying up around you. All creatures within 10 ft. of you must make a DC 8+Pride bonus Dexterity save or take 3d12 bludgeoning damage, half as much on a save.

Night: You are cloaked in shadow. If you are in darkness, you have advantage on all Stealth checks. Whenever you hit an unaware creature while cloaked in shadows, you auto-crit.

Sekhmet Soldier

You are becoming more and more like the warrior goddess. Your long jump extends out to 35 ft. Additionally whenever you make a Strength, Dexterity, or Constitution saving throw, you add double your bonus.

Level 8

As level 4

Level 9

You are Indomitable. Once per day you can reroll any failed saving throw.

Level 10

Earthshiner

Your presence creates a glow of unearthly light. Those who see you would swear you were king of your domain. As a bonus action you may grant any ability you have to an ally within 5 ft. of you. If you do so, you cannot gain the benefits of that ability until your next turn.

Scavenger

 Your cloaks are upgraded in the following ways:

Fire: When you use the dash action, you can choose to create a fire ball where you began your movement. All creatures within a 20 ft. radius centered on you must make a DC 8+ Pride bonus Dexterity Saving Throw or take 3d6 fire damage, half on a save. Once you use this technique, the fire cloak dissipates without it's other effects resolving.

Huru: You gain a burrow speed equal to your movement speed.

Ngumu: In addition to your other attacks, you can tear off pieces of stone and throw it at your enemies. This has a range of 30/120 and deals 1d6 bludgeoning damage.

Night: You can bestow your cloak onto an ally within 5 ft. of you, granting them all the advantages listed above.

Sekhmet Soldier

You have mastered the use of your body as a weapon. When you roll a one or two on your claw or bite attacks, you may reroll the attack, taking the new roll.

Level 11

You may attack with your bite twice in one turn. You cannot attack once with your claws and once with your bite.

Level 12

As level 4

Level 13

You may use the Indomitable feature twice a day.

Level 14

As level 4

Level 15

Earthshiner

All creatures bow before your rule. You may choose to go first in the initiative roll. You can do this a number of times equal to your Pride bonus (minimum of once).

Scavenger

Your cloaks are upgraded in the following ways:

Fire: Your fireball is upgraded to 6d6 damage.

Huru: At the beginning of your turn you heal 1d4+Pride bonus HP while this cloak is active.

Ngumu: By expending this cloak a small hole is buried into the ground. Any non-Lion creature that spends a long rest in this hole gains one level of exhaustion and has advantage on the first 1d10+Pride bonus hits they do that day. If the exhaustion would kill them, they are reborn as a lion cub.

Night: Any creature that is frightened of you must do your bidding until they make their saving throw. They can choose to ignore your orders, taking 2d4+Pride bonus psychic damage.

Sekhmet Soldier

You score critical hits on a roll of 19 or 20.

Level 16

As level 4

Level 17

At seventeenth level you may use Indomitable three times a day.

Level 18

Earthshiner

You have become a king not just of earthly beast, but of spiritual ones too. As an action you summon 1d6+Pride bonus lions from the spirit realm. They act on your initiative, and are dismissed after one minute. 

Scavenger

Shadows lap at your mind and cackling howls fills your periphery. As an action you summon 1d12+Pride bonus hyenas from your madness. They act on your initiative, and are dismissed after one minute.

Sekhmet Soldier

The goddess has rewarded your endless slaughter. As an action you summon 1d4+Pride bonus Sekhmet berserkers. They act on your initiative, and are dismissed after one minute.

Level 19

As level 4

Level 20

You may make 2 claw attacks and one bite attack per turn.

Typical Earthshiner

Another

Typical Scavenger

Lions are fucking scary

Sekhmet Soldier

Another.