| #1PhyrexianKitsuneJun 30, 2015 17:23:10 | As the title says. I love the Kitsune race in pathfinder, and wanted to make a 5e equlivilent. However, rather then directly rip off the pathfinder version, I wanted to give them my own spin. The race mechanics are still VERY WIP, and may be a tad too powerful as they stand, however, thats where you come in. I want help ballancing this race against the Player's Handbook 5e Races. If somebody could help me in this task, I'd be grateful! Anyway...here is the fluff and VERY beta crunch of my take on the Kitsune for 5e...
Enigmatic Vulpine Shapeshifters
Possessing the magical power to change their forms, Kitsune are vulpine shapeshifters who have not one, but many faces. While the Kitsune where once no different from an average fox, by becomming closer to the realm of spirits, they became something more. While all Kitsune retain vestigial vulpine forms which they can assume through their shapeshifting magic, their natural forms now resemble that of a human, though with a few minor differences. Unlike humans, Kitsune's natural forms do not exhibit their actual age, and much like an elf Kitsune are often thin and graceful in their physical forms. Unlike evles, however, Kitsune stand at the same height as a human, and while their looks don't reflect it, they age at the same rate as humans as well.
While Kitsune do look mostly human in their natural form, they have several features that set them clearly appart from mankind. The first is that they have the furry ears and tails of their vulpine form, always in the same shape and hue of the fox species from which they draw ancestry. In addition, while most kitsune have hair and eye colors that could be naturally found among humans, a rare few possess unnatural hair and eye colorations that reflect the nature of their souls. In such cases, more benevolent kitsune may have features such as striking violet eyes or silvery-white hair, while those with corrupted souls may exhibit unsetteling yellow or even blood red eyes and jet black hair.
Spirtual Tricksters
Foxes who have become living spirits, the Kitsune are a true blend of two worlds. Like their wild peers, the Kitsune are cunning tricksters. Playful and ever curious, the Kitsune love to play pranks, spin tales and falsehoods and generally find ammusement in bewildering others. Like their vulpine ancestors, they have a love of nature, but also a cruel, preditory, and utilitarian streak that is naturally inheirent in their psyche. However, despite possessing a vulpine cunning and perchant for trickery, Kitsune also have a paw in the spirit world. As living spirits, the Kitsune have in may ways evolved beyond their baser animal aspects and have a close connection to the otherwordly and divine. As result, many kitsune hold themselves above their vulpine tendencies and have a deep respect for the interconnectedness of all living things and the sanctity of life. These things are known naturally to all Kitsune, but only some choose to acknowladge and embrace them. Among the Kitsune people, there exsists two distinct sub-races, each inclined towards a certain side of their specie's unique heitatage.
"Zenko", sometimes called "shrine foxes" due to their perchant for becomming involved with human religion, are those Kitsune who embody the spirit side of the their racial identity. Deeply in-tune with the world and all the life within it, these Kitusune live in accordance with the divine and hold a deep respect for life and it's interconnected nature. While not all of them may be good, the vast bulk are, and evil Zenko are almost unheard of. "Nogitsune", meanwhile, embrace their vulpine instincts and desires rather then "shun" them, as the Shrine Foxes do. Hedonistic and selfish, Nogitsune revel in being tricksters and follow their own, often malicious whimes. Motivated by their personal pleasure and base desires, the Nogitsune are the archtypal deciteful Kitsune, toying with humans for their own ammusuement and with little reguard to the moral implications of their "fun." Due to their selfish nature, Nogitsune are often evil, though just as many of them are netural, espcially chaotic netural.
A Fox in Man's Clothing
With their natural curosity and perchant for playing tricks, many kitsune make their home among human communities, living and working as a "human" through their ability to disguise themselves. While many kitsune prefer to live in more rural communities due to a desire to be closer to nature, just as many enjoy the possibilities of the cities hold. Thus, Kitsune can be found in theoretically any human community, though one will never really know exactly who is and who is not, a Kitsune...at least not until the Kitsune gets bored with deciving their community and makes a grand reveal before escaping to start the "game" all over again. As a result of this natural inclination for living among, and decieving humans, Kitsune rarely form settlements of their own; those that do not wish to live and hide among human communities may choose to run free in the wild as a fox, or, more commonly, become a wandering adventurer.
In Human communities, Kitsune are looked uppon through a lense of supersition and myths. While some human communities may fear and shun them should their true nature come to light, others may treat them with a form of reverence. While not-directly worshiped as deities, such communities will often give the kitsune offerings as one would the spirits of the dead and even let them take up perminent residence in shrines and sacred sites as their protectors. In more civilized, cosmopolitian communities and cities, Kitsune are able to walk freely in their natural forms, not needing to "blend in" due to the level of education present dispelling any superstitions and myths associated with the Kitsune people.
In addition to having extensive relations with humans, Kitsune also get along well with many non-human races. Elves and Kitsune often interact favorably due to the innate connection with nature and understanding of it's interconnectedness that both races share. Gnomes, with their curosity and often zany outlooks also get along with the Kitsune people, though the Kitsune often view gnomes as something of a strange curosity among the races. Due to their natural charisma and free-spirited nature, Kitsune make easy friends and allies for half-elves and halflings. Dwarves and Dragonborn, meanwhile, often clash with the Kitsune as their disciplined, hardened outlooks have no place for the childish love of pranks and tricks that many kitsune exhibit. Half-Orcs and Tieflings also butt heads with Zenko Kitsune due to their dark and often cruel personalites, though plenty of Nogitsune can see eye-to-eye with those races even if they believe them to be too seirous and grim.
A Neverending Game
Curious and playful creatures by nature, Kitsune are easily drawn into the life of the adventurer. While many who heed the adventurer's call may do so out of a crusade or serious mission, for Kitsune it's often answered out of the childlike desire to experence the world and treat all it has to offer like one big playground. Trickers and tale-tellers at heart, the world is full of possibilities for a Kitsune. Countless games to be played, tales to encounter, and plenty of excitement waits around every corner, and these are all things that many Kitsune find hard to resist. At the same time, due to their deeply spirtual nature, Many Kitsune are instead driven to adventure for religious or spirtual reasons. Kitsune are known to attach themselves to religions and deities quite easily, and thus many Kitsune who become paticularly close to a certain faith or philosophy may decide to actively champion it's causes, though they often do so through subtlty, trickery and manipulation rather then outright force.
Kitsune Traits
Your Kitsune character has a varity of natural and mystical abilites that come from their unique position as a being that blurs the line between animal and spirit.
Ability Score Increase. Kitsune are naturally charming and deceptive. Your Charisma score increases by 2
Age. Kitsune age at the same speed as humans, but do not suffer the superficial, asthetic effects of ageing as humans do. Mechanically, they are treated no different from humans in terms of aging.
Alignment. As tricksters who delight in misdirection and pranks, Kitsune are often, though not always, chaotic. When it comes to good and evil, the kitsune's natural inclination depends largely on their subrace. Zenko, who respect the interconnectedness and sancity of life, lean heavily towards good. Meanwhile, the Nogitsune are often hedonsitic and selfish, so they tend towards evil alignements and chaotic netural almost equally. Netural Kitsune of all stripes can be found among both subraces, and are not by any means rare among either.
Size. Kitsune stand at the same stature as humans. Your size is medium
Speed. Your base walking speed is 30ft
Trickster. Naturally cunning and decpetive, Kitsune know instinctively how to trick others. You have profiency in the deception skill.
Kitsune Magic. All kitsune have within them a small bit of magic that allows them to beguile those they enconter. You gain the Minor Illusion cantrip. You use charisma as the spellcasting ability for this cantrip
Vulpine Shapeshift. As an action, you can shapeshift into a fox. When you transform, you break your concentration on a spell you already cast, but you can still take actions that are part of a spell you already cast. All your equipment merges into your fox form and has no effect until you leave the form. While in fox form, your size becomes small, your dextarity score increases by 2 and your base walking speed increases to 40ft. You become proficient in the Stealth skill if you weren't already, and use double your proficiency on Stealth checks. You also gain darkvision, up to 60ft. However, you cannot speak, wield weapons or perform any action that requires the usage of hands, and you only retain the benefits from your racial features. Otherwise, you retain all base statistics from your normal form. When you use this feature for the first time, you choose the appearance of your fox form and cannot change it later. You cannot cast any spell in your fox form except for Minor Illusion, which you can cast without components. You can revert to your normal form as an action, and automatically revert to it when you die. After you use this feature, you can't use it again until you finish a short or long rest.
Youkai's Mask. Instead of shapeshifting into a fox, you can expend your use of the Vulpine Shapeshift feature to polymorph into a human, but your equipment does not change with you. This human form can have any appearance you choose, including the appearance of another human you've seen, as long as it has the same biological sex as you. You can revert to your normal form as an action, and automatically revert to it when you die.
Zenko Subrace Features:
Ability Score Increase. As a Shrine Fox, you gain a closer connection to the spirit world. Your Wisdom score increases by 1.
Lore of the Spirit World. Your deep understanding of the spirit realms grants you supernatural knolwadge unknown to all but the most devout priests and shamans. You have profiency with the religion skill, and use double your profiency bonus on all religion checks made in relation to ghosts and spirits.
Spirit Magic. As a Zenko, you possess a touch of divine magic. You gain the thaumaturgy cantrip. You use charisma as the spellcasting attribute for this cantrip. You can cast this cantrip while in your fox form.
Nogitsune Subrace Features:
Ability Score Increase. As a Nogitsune, you become a truely cunning schemer. Your Intelligence score increases by 1.
Crafty Trickster. Through your spirtual path you become a true trickster, able to efortlessly decieve others not only with words and magic, but also physical subtlety. You gain profiency with the sleight of hand skill, and use double your profiency bonus on all sleight of hand checks made to conceal an object(s) on your person.
Izanami's Wicked Tongue. Nogitsune possess an almost supernatural charm that makes them more attractive to humans when pretending to be one themselves. You have advantage on all deception and persuasion checks made with and/or against non-hostile humans who do not know you are a Kitsune.
Languages. You can speak, read and write Common and Sylvan.
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| #2TheDraconicSpellcrafterJun 30, 2015 20:53:49 | Look, I'm not very experienced on reviewing or balancing player options, so take my opinion with a grain of salt.
I really like the concept of the race and their lore. I also think that the vulpine shapeshifter feature is very interesting and unique. With that said, I have some suggestions:
First, since kitsune descend from normal foxes and foxes are nocturnal predators, I think it would be appropriate for them to have darkvision, at least while in their fox forms. And since foxes are also known for being dexterous, I think the kitsune should have a +1 Dex bonus, instead of an ability bonus based on their Spiritual path.
I think the Vulpine Shapeshifter and Youkai's mask features are great the way they are now and would only make some small changes, but I think they could be rewritten to make them more compact and clear. Here's how I'd write them:
Vulpine Shapeshifter. As an action, you can shapeshift into a fox. When you transform, you break your concentration on a spell you already cast, but you can still take actions that are part of a spell you already cast. All your equipment merges into your fox form and has no effect until you leave the form. While in fox form, your size becomes small and your base walking speed increases to 40 feet. You become proficient in the Stealth skill if you weren't already, and use double your proficiency on Stealth checks. However, you cannot speak, wield weapons or perform any action that requires the usage of hands, and you only retain the benefits from your racial features. Otherwise, you retain all base statistics from your normal form. When you use this feature for the first time, you choose the appearance of your fox form and cannot change it later. You cannot cast any spell in your fox form except for Minor Illusion, which you can cast without components. You only revert to your normal form when use your action to do so or die. After you use this feature, you can't use it again until you finish a short or long rest.
Youkai's Mask. Instead of shapeshifting into a fox, you can expend your use of the Vulpine Shapeshift feature to polymorph into a human, but your equipment does not change with you. This human form can have any appearance you choose, including the appearance of another human you've seen, as long as it has the same biological sex as you. You revert to your normal form when you use your action to do so or die.
I'd also alter the benefits from the Spiritual Paths. Instead of giving ability bonuses, I'd put flavor features related to their nature. Since Shrine Foxes have a bigger connection with divinity, they would get proficiency in the religion skill, double proficiency on checks related to ghosts and spirits, and the thaumaturgy cantrip. And since Nogitsune are more tied to the sneaky and deceitful nature of the fox, they would get proficiency on the sleight of hand skill, and double proficiency when trying to conceal an object within their person.
I hope this advice can be useful to you. Good luck at improving your race!
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