Kitsune

• Go back to the Epic Path page.
• Go back to the Character Creation page.

Kitsune

Beautifully subtle, a glance in the moonlight, then farewell.

Origins

Of all the intelligent races, there are several that are aligned with animal spirits. The story of their origin is vague, but no matter where you go, the same general outline is agreed upon. That outline goes something like this:

In the Dawn Times, there were several civilized intelligent races. Who was the First Race is a matter of debate, but there is no doubt that there were Elves, Dwarves, and Humans very early, followed closely by Gnomes and Halflings. For a very long time, these were the dominant races.

After the Dawn Times but still very long ago, there were many animal Gods who wished to also have a race of intelligent creatures to worship them. As a result, there came to be hundreds of intelligent races, many of them aligned with animal spirits. This was a period of great strife and chaos as all the multitude of races strove among themselves.

Eventually, the Gods decided there would be a great contest, and from the hundreds of intelligent animal races there would be chosen five, to match the number of the First Races. The details of the contest can be found in thousands of myths all over the world, but in the end, there were indeed five animal races chosen to Bear the Spark of Civility.

Those five races exist to this day. The races that lost the contest were understandably bitter, as they were relegated to a lesser role. Some races, like the centaurs, moldered away into decline. Other races embraced their lesser status as a matter of pride, like the gnolls.

Of the five races who won that Great Contest, all are available as player races, as they have the Spark.

One of those races is the Kitsune.

The Kitsune are unique, in that they are not a natural race arisen by the Gods. Kitsune are descended from actual foxes, who gained intelligence over the course of ages through their own diligent work. The Kitsune are driven, and have been driven for ages, on their quest to rise above their base animal origins and become real people, humanoids like everyone else. In early history, it took Kitsune centuries of effort to learn how to 'pass' as human. Today, after the Great Contest, Kitsune are born with ability.

Sadly, Kitsune are still not satisfied. Kitsune are still born as animals, and their true form is still that of an animal. Kitsune, during the Great Contest, tricked their way into winning, and thanks to their trickery, even though they were declared one of the five winners their race received far less of the Spark than the other races did. As a result, Kitsune still suffer their lowly animal origin, even though they despise it and desire nothing more than to rise above their place in the world and become as 'human' as any other race.

This deep, secret frustration, this sense of inadequacy, drives a Kitsune's innermost self. Every Kitsune secretly hates their Walks Among Us power. They all wish that it wasn't needed, and that they were real, live people.

Culture

Kitsune are con artists. Every minute of every day, they are working the rubes around them convincing them that they are a person, not an animal with a clever spell. Once a kitsune accepts that they must live a full-time, full-life con-man's deal, the notion of perpetrating other deceitful wordplay becomes almost secondary. As a result, Kitsune have a reputation as being untrustworthy and oath-breakers. In truth, this reputation is usually pretty close to spot-on.

Yes, there are many fine, honest, and upright Kitsune out there, but in the grand scheme of things, they are a fairly small number of the total species. Kitsune know how to sweet-talk and cajole and persuade, it's in their makeup. Kitsune are not terribly rare, but Kitsune never form their own settlements. Indeed, many people you meet who seem to be another race are secretly Kitsune.

That said,Kitsune have a strong sense of their own culture. They are animalistic and easily swayed by the phases of the moon and the turning of the seasons. Kitsune don't really celebrate holidays of their own, because of their animal nature, but they participate in all the observations of their neighbors with delight.

The one driving thing in Kitsune culture is trying to work out some way to make themselves truly humanoid. Kitsune are too fractured to work in any organized way toward this goal, but they universally work in the same direction, whether they realize it or not.

Aside from that, many kitsune take the 'easy way' out, and make their way through life as tricksters and con men, delighting in the gullibility of others and leaving nothing behind but red fur all over the fine sheets.

Starting Height and Weight

Gender	Base Height	Height Modifier	Weight	Weight Modifier
Male	4 ft. 9 in.	+2d6 in. (4 ft. 11 in. - 5 ft. 9 in.)	80 lbs.	+(2d8×5 lbs.) (90 - 160 lbs.)
Female	4 ft. 7 in.	+2d6 in. (4 ft. 9 in. - 5 ft. 7 in.)	60 lbs.	+(2d4×5 lbs.) (70 - 100 lbs.)

Starting Ages

Adulthood	Intuitive	Self-Taught	Trained
20 years	+1d6 years (21 - 26 years)	+2d6 years (22 - 32 years)	+3d6 years (23 - 38 years)

PC's

Kitsune have no class or alignment restrictions.

Standard Racial Traits

All Kitsune have the following Standard Racial Advantages:

• Attributes: Kitsune may choose to gain one of the following ability score bonus sets when creating their character. No ability score may ever be modified above a 20 or below a 7.
  • +2 to two different stats, -2 to one stat
  • +2 to one stat, +1 to three different stats, -2 to one stat
  • +4 to one stat, -2 to two different stats

• Size: Kitsune are Medium creatures and thus receive no bonuses or penalties due to their size.

• Type: Kitsune have the Humanoid type, with the Kitsune subtype.

• Base Speed: Kitsune have a base speed of 30 race.

• Languages: Kitsune begin play speaking Common and Tengu. Kitsuni with high Intelligence scores can choose from the following: Sylvan, Halfling, Beaughti, Cùirteil, Delimnia, Genzoezis, High Cant, Myerl, Nagaji, Treant and Vegepygmy. See the Languages skill page for more information about these languages.

• Low-Light Vision (Ex): Kitsune can see twice as far as humans in conditions of dim light.

• Walks Among Us (Su): A Kitsune in their true shape is indistinguishable from a natural red fox. This is their natural, normal form. Kitsune can assume the appearance of a specific single humanoid form, belonging to one of the common races, and of the same sex as the Kitsune. The race and physical appearance of this form are determined at character creation and cannot be changed. The Kitsune always takes this specific form when she uses this ability. A Kitsune in humanoid form gains a +10 racial bonus on Disguise checks made to sustain this identity. Changing shape is a standard action. This ability otherwise functions as alter self, spell except that the kitsune does not adjust her ability scores.

Major Racial Traits

Choose one of the following Major Racial Traits:

• Clever Ways (Ex): Kitsune with this racial trait gain a +1 racial bonus to WIS. This bonus may be applied to her WIS even if she has already added a racial ability score modifier to WIS, though her total modified WIS cannot exceed 20. At 20th level, this bonus to WIS increases to +2.

• Startling Cry (Su): A Kitsune with this racial trait may emit a startling cry in combat, which distracts and unnerves nearby foes. Once per encounter as a move action, the Kitsune may calculate a flank as if she were in any square adjacent to her actual square. At 10th level, Startling Cry becomes a swift action. At 20th level, she can perform a Startling Cry twice per encounter. At 30th level, she can perform a Startling Cry once per round.

• Fast Reactions (Ex): A Kitsune with this racial trait gains a +1 racial bonus to reflex saves and a +2 racial bonus on initiative checks. At 10th level, this racial bonus to reflex saves improves to +2 and the bonus to initiative improves to +3. It improves to +3 reflex and +4 initiative at 20th level, and +4 reflex and +5 initiative at 30th level.

• Foxfire (Su): Once per day as a free action, a Kitsune with this racial trait can cause an enemy he has just successfully struck with an attack to suffer a -2 penalty to all saving throws until the start of the Kitsune's next turn. In addition, the Foxfire acts to negate the miss chance due to poor lighting or invisibility, and all stealth rolls attempted while affected by Foxfire are made at a -40 penalty. The enemy burns with ghostly foxfire while this ability is affecting them. At 10th level, Foxfire is usable once per encounter and the penalty to saves becomes a -3. At 25th level, Foxfire becomes usable twice per encounter and the penalty to saves becomes a -4.

• Trickster (Su): Kitsune with this ability gain +1 on the save DC of any effects they produce via spell, class abilities, items, or any other source, that is mind affecting or illusory. This racial bonus to save DC's increases to +2 at level 20.

Minor Racial Traits

Choose one of the following Minor Racial Traits:

• Ally (Ex): A Kitsune with this racial trait chooses 1 NPC at character creation, and that NPC is a loyal friend to the Kitsune. The more famous or highly placed, the less benefit this trait gives, but even the Emperor would be able to do small favors for his friends every now and again, without putting that friend at too much risk. This trait can mean better sale prices with your friend the shopkeeper, or a place to fence stolen goods reliably, or simply a trustworthy source of information.

• Guarded Thoughts (Su): A Kitsune with this racial trait is highly resistant against unwanted attempts to scry upon her. When anyone attempts to target the Kitsune with a spell or spell-like ability with the Divination keyword, the caster must make a caster level check (d20 + caster level) versus a DC of 12 + the Kitsune's character level. At level 10, the Kitsune's resistance improves to 18 + her character level. At level 20, it improves to 30 + her character level. If the caster level check fails, the spell is unable to target the Kitsune, as though she doesn't exist. This resistance can be voluntarily lowered for 1 round as a standard action.

• Clever Hands (Ex): A Kitsune with this racial trait gains the Profession and Sleight of Hand skills as class skills. At 1st level, she chooses one of these skills and gains a +2 racial bonus to checks made against that skill. This bonus improves to +3 if she has 10 or more ranks in the skill, +4 if she has 20 or more ranks in it, and +5 if she has 30 or more ranks in it. At 10th level, she receives a +2 racial bonus to the other skill, which also improves to +3 if she has 10 or more ranks in the skill, +4 if she has 20 or more ranks in it, and +5 if she has 30 or more ranks in it.

• Obsessive Focus (Su): A Kitsune with this racial trait chooses a spell she can cast, and is able to cast that spell as though she were 1 caster level higher. If the spell has the illusion keyword, she can instead cast it as though she were 2 caster levels higher. The Kitsune can change the chosen spell when she levels up, if she wishes to do so.

• Quick Like A Fox (Ex): A Kitsune with this racial trait may move ten feet with a five foot step, once per day. At level 20, the Kitsune may use Quick Like a Fox once per encounter. Since this is a single action, a Kitsune may use this ability to take a five foot step into difficult terrain, if they desire too.