Kitsune
Kitsune, or at least these Kitsune are the descendants of powerful fey creatures from the Feywilds also know as Kitsune and their various interactions with humanoids in the mortal world. As a result they have lost many of the powers of their Fey ancestry, such as the ability to change their shape.
Personality: Kitsune are an adaptable, flexible, and friendly people among the common races. They tend to be diverse in their tastes, morals, customs, and habits, usually copying the races around them. Despite this they do have many common trends. To a varying degree Kitsune have a sly streak, loving to manipulate, coerce or trick people, as such many like getting jobs as merchants, diplomats or rogues. They also like the fine things that life has to offer, as such many work their way into the high echelons of society. They also are commonly promiscuous creatures, but when they get serious and choose to take a mate, they do so til death do they part and are incredibly loyal to their mate, even if the mate doesn’t return this loyalty. Even though Kitsune are primarily tuned towards a chaotic alignment they can be of any alignment and are loathe to break promises or oaths, and become quite upset when forced to do so, especially if it was the one they made the promise or oath to. Kitsune do not take or treat promises or oaths lightly.
Physical Description: Kitsune have the same appearance, height and weight (though tend to be lighter and shorter) of their humanoid heritage, be it Human, Elf, Half-elf, or Dwarf and all variants there of, yet tend to be more beautiful sometimes unnaturally so. The things that single them out as Kitsune are their fox like tail and ears on top of their head. The fur that covers their ears and tail always matches their hair, though the tips of their ears and tail tend to be white or black in contrast to the normal colour of their fur. Other characteristics are their teeth are slightly more canine then their humanoid race and the keratin of their finger and toe nails is stronger, but these are not as strong or as useful as that of an animal and thus is hardly worth mentioning. Male Kitsune can at any time, decide if they grow facial hair or not, choosing not to grow facial hair means it simply doesn’t grow, any they have when they choose this still has to be shaved off to be removed. Kitsune like jewellery such as bracelets, necklaces and the odd ear piercing, but are usually very practical about their dress and appearance. They are very meticulous in their grooming, especially concerning their tail. If a Kitsune ever looses it’s tail, it become very bitter and unhappy and will hunt those responsible and make sure the rest of their lives are a living hell, going as far to protect them from death so that they might suffer longer. This is usually done from behind the scenes, only revealing their presence if need be. A Kitsune that looses it’s tail with no one (other then themselves) to blame will be come distraught and beg for a swift death. If kept alive it will live with out any regard for it’s own life. A Kitsune’s tail is like a companion to it and thus a Kitsune never truly feels alone, without it’s tail even in the best of company a Kitsune feels incomplete and completely alone, a feeling they absolutely loathe and fear. A Kitsune female can choose whether or not they fall pregnant, and their pregnancy cycle is longer then humans, carrying their child/children for twelve to thirteen months before giving birth to their litter, which is easier, faster and less painful then that of a human, having anywhere from 1 to 3 cubs. A Kitsune female always gives birth to more Kitsune, there are no half breeds. A female mate of a Kitsune who is not a Kitsune will give birth to a children of its own race. Kitsune become mentally mature at the age of 10 and become physically mature at the age of 14 yet can live as long as the elves, though despite this they rarely if ever adopt the elves long view of things, nor do they suffer age penalties.
Relations: Kistune get along with each other like one big family and readily mix with members of other races, who usually treat them with some level of caution due to the Kitsune’s sly and sometimes overly friendly nature.
Alignment: Kitsune inherit a tendency toward chaos from their Fey parents, but also a need to uphold their oaths and promises (a lawful trait). They favour good and evil in equal proportions thus a Kitsune can be of any Alignment.
Kitsune Lands: Kitsune have no lands of their own. Instead, they live in the lands of their Humanoid parent races, where they can benefit from whatever resources those lands have to offer. Kitsune are most often found in human communities. They work readily with others, though others don’t always readily work with them, so many Kitsune hide their ears and tails with clothing or magic and pretend to be part of their humanoid parent race.
Religion: Kitsune have no gods of their own, usually worshiping the same gods of those they were brought up with, but are drawn to gods of trickery
Language: Kitsune speak Common and Sylvan the tongue of their Fey ancestors. They typically learn other languages as well, Usually those found around were they live or commonly used for their occupation. They enjoy the elven language and it is rumoured some Kitsune can talk to woodland animals.
Names: Kitsune names depend on the society they were brought up with, however many if not all Kitsune believe they have three names, their fey name who no one but their ancestors would know. The name there parents gave them, and the name they take in order to protect the other two. This third name is the one they use most commonly and is something short and/or easy to remember. They only give out their birth name to those they truly trust. It is not uncommon for a Kitsune to take on a forth name to leave behind when causing shenanigans or unlawful acts.
Adventurers: Kitsune take up adventuring out of wanderlust or restlessness. As much as they love the high life and fine things that come with it. They also get bored of a lack of change or new things and will readily adventure to seek them out.
Kitsune Racial Traits
- +2 Dexterity, +2 Charisma, –2 Strength -2 Constitution: Kitsune are agile and companionable, but tend to be physically weak.
- Medium: Kitsune are Medium creatures and have no bonuses or penalties due to their size.
- Fey: Kitsune are of the fey type and are therefore not affected by spells such as charm person and hold person. Unlike other fey, Kitsune gain Hit Dice, weapon and armour proficiencies only by acquiring levels in a character class.
- Kitsune Heritage: Kitsune have a +2 racial saving throw bonus against enchantment spells or effects. Additionally for every two Kitsune racial feats they take this bonus increases by 1, for every three racial feats the DC of any enchantment spells or effects they cast/create is increased by 1.
- Speed: Kitsune have a base speed of 30 feet.
- Low-Light Vision (Ex): Kitsune can see twice as far as humans in conditions of dim light.
- Cold Iron Anathema (Su): Kitsune have a difficult time wielding weapons made of cold iron. Kitsune take a –2 penalty on any attack roll they make with a cold iron weapon or a weapon made only partially out of cold iron, such as a cold iron spear or a bow firing cold iron arrows.
- Agile (Ex): Kitsune receive a +2 racial bonus on Balance checks.
- Heightened Senses (Ex): Kitsune have the Scent ability (MM 314) and have a +2 racial bonus on Listen checks.
- Kitsune Magic (sp): A kitsune can use the spell-like abilities Dancing Lights, Ghost Sound and Prestidigitation a combined total of 3 times per day.
- Languages: Kitsune begin play speaking Common and Sylvan. Bonus Languages: Any (other than secret languages, such as Druidic). See other racial lists for common languages or the Speak Language skill (page 82) for a more comprehensive list. Kitsune mingle with all kinds of other folk and thus can learn any language found in an area. Additionally a Kitsune can choose to be able to communicate with foxes as a bonus language. Remember that foxes do not have a language and though a Kitsune might be able to understand them, it may not always be possible to translate it into something the Kitsune’s companions can understand.
- Favored Class: Sorcerer or Rogue, chosen at character creation
RACIAL FEATS!
MAGICAL TAIL
You grow an extra two tails that represents your growing magical powers.
Prerequisite: Kitsune.
Benefit: You add two new 1st level Enchantment and or Illusion spells taken from the Sorcerer/Wizard spell list to your Kitsune magic racial ability and gain 2 more uses of said ability.
Special: You may select this feat up to four times. Each time you take it you gain the same as above but gain access to a spell level higher. However on the 4th time you take this feat you can select from 4th and 5th level Sorcerer/Wizard spells.
SUPERIOUR FUR
Your fur guards you against all weapons except those crafted from the dreaded cold iron.
Prerequisites: Kitsune, 3rd level
Benefit: You gain damage reduction (overcome by cold iron) equal to 2 times the number of feats you have that list Kitsune as a prerequisite (including this feat and such feats that you take after gaining this one). For example, each instance of Magic tail would grant damage reduction 2/cold iron each to a total of 10 (taking into account the Fey Skin feat itself).
This value stacks with any similar damage reduction you might have from your type, subtype, race, or class, but not from other sources, such as spells or magic items.
Build notes:SpoilerThis is not a traditional kitsune, it gets close but I do not have the knowledge of all the Kitsune variants throughout mythology, nor do I think it is needed. This is actually based off a character I built for the Dresden Files RPG but with some modification. I wanted it easily adaptable into any world without having to redesign to world or race, plug and play FTW!
Magic Tail is a rehash of PF's kitsune's feat of the same name and fey skin needs a better name, and is a rehash of the fey heritage feat found in Complete mage, these heritage feats were what I was originally using for racial feats but they didn't connect as smoothly as I wanted. I mean a fey taking fey heritage feats to be a fey? That's just me being lazy and stupid. All fixed now. Enjoy!
Please PEACH! And I will do my best to listen to what you have to say.
Old Build notes:
SpoilerNow I’m sure you have likely seen a lot of attempts at a Kitsune or fox-like race, to be exact this one is Kitsunemimi, but still really it’s the same thing again. I’m not sure how to put the concept for it into words, but I quickly realised if I wanted it to be LA+0 I needed to strip some stuff from it and then needed to explain why… which I hope I have done.
Before I started this endeavour I looked though the forums of more then one 3.5 home brewing site looking to see if someone had already done what I was looking for. Yes there are a lot of Kitsune/fox-like races, but I did not find what I wanted, sure some of them were really well done and cool, but… did not fit the niche I was looking to fill. (I even looked at Pathfinders version in Advanced races guide)
So I took the ones that were as close as I thought to my goal and began stripping out the parts I wanted… funnily enough I ended with very little, well just the stats actually (the ones from pathfinder no less) then looking through the PHB races I took stuff from them to fill in the gaps, If you look closely you’ll notice some of the fluff is plagiarised directly from the PHB, though this is not a test so I won’t lose marks for that. I also use the Killoren race from Races of the wild (pg 102, quite an interesting LA+0 race that I’ve been tempted to try but never have) for the Fey type and cold iron info (which has been tweaked to be more dangerous).
After that any holes I felt there still there, I filled with my own intuition, so It’s likely not as balanced as I might have hoped. That’s were you come in! Please PEACH! And I will do my best to listen to what you say.
^^^^
