Kitsune

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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 Kitsu.

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 - 120 lbs.)
Female	4 ft. 7 in.	+2d6 in. (4 ft. 9 in. - 5 ft. 7 in.)	60 lbs.	+(2d8×5 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.

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.

• Startling Cry (Su): A Kitsune with this racial trait can emit a piercing cry that startles nearby creatures. Once per encounter as a move action, the Kitsune emits a sonic blast in a 15-foot cone, which deals no damage but may cause creatures in the area to become Anxious. Affected creatures may make a Will save to negate this effect, with a DC of 10 + 1/2 the Kitsune's character level + the highest of the Kitsune's mental stat modifiers (INT, WIS or CHA, chosen at character creation). Creatures which fail the save remain Anxious until the end of the encounter.

• Fast Reactions (Ex): A Kitsune with this racial trait gains a +1 racial bonus to reflex saves and a +4 racial bonus on initiative checks. At 10th level, this racial bonus to reflex saves improves to +2 and the bonus to initiative improves to +6. It improves to +3 reflex and +8 initiative at 20th level, and +4 reflex and +10 initiative and 30th level.

• Walks Among Us (Su): A 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.

Minor Racial Traits

Choose one of the following Minor Racial Traits:

• Comeuppance (Su): Any time the Kitsune with this racial trait is subjected to an attack which targets her CMD, the Kitsune gets a bonus attack resolved after the initiating attack occurs. The Kitsune must be able to reach the target in order to make this bonus attack. If the Kitsune wishes, the Comeuppance bonus attack may be a combat maneuver against the enemy that just used a maneuver. However, if a combat maneuver is used, the Kitsune must be able to perform it without provoking an attack of opportunity from the target. Note that if the maneuver that triggered Comeuppance also provokes an attack of opportunity, the Kitsune may make both this bonus attack and the attack of opportunity against the target.

• 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