Kitsune (4e Race) - (Update: Ver 3.1 - 3/7/12) PEACH: Looking for feedback, please!

[Yakk]

I agree that your tail mechanic needs work.

As a thought, what I'd do is create a Theme, Paragon Path and Epic Destiny, instead of making it feat-based.

Instead of incrementally gaining tails, some racial features/etc give you a minimum number of tails.

Ie:
Racial Theme: At level 5 you get your 2nd tail automatically. (on top of whatever else it grants)
Heroic Racial Feat: Gives you your 2nd tail. (Also some other benefit)
Paragon Path: Requires that you have at least 2 tails. At level 16, gives you your 3rd tail automatically.
Paragon Racial feat: Requires you to have at least 2 tails. Grants you your 3rd tail. (Also some other benefit)
Epic Destiny: Requires you have at least 3 tails. At level 21, 22, 24, 26, 28 and 30 you grow your 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th and 9th tail respectively.

You'll note that taking the Theme gives you free entrance into the Paragon path, which gives you free entrance into the Epic destiny. You can also get into the Paragon Path by taking a Heroic tier feat. You can also get into the Epic destiny via either the Paragon Path, or the Paragon tier feat.

Now, the feats no longer grow you a tail (except the ones mentioned above). Feats and powers can refer to your number of tails, but they should be acceptable with only 1 or 2 or 3 tails, yet not overpowered with 4-9 at the epic level.

Nature of the Nine-Tails [Kitsune] (Heroic)
Prerequisite: Kitsune
Benefit: If you have less than eight tails, you grow another tail. You gain a +2 feat bonus to Acrobatics, Bluff, Diplomacy, Intimidate, Stealth, Streetwise, and Thievery checks.

+2 feat bonus to 7 skills?! That is not all that similar to other feats.

It also overlaps with Prowess of the Nine-tails, in that it has the same narrative effects but different mechanical effects.