D&D 5e Homebrew Kitsune
Hi! I know it’s been a little bit since I last posted something here (it’s been a busy week), but to make up for it I’m finally posting my first bit of writing!
What I have for you today is a write-up for a playable Kitsune race in D&D5e, inspired heavily by the Pathfinder Kitsune.
DISCLAIMER: This race is completely untested! DMs, allow play at your own risk, and feel free to allow/ban any features as you see fit. Also, if you utilize this please lemme know how it goes!~
Additionally, I don’t describe them as Kitsune in the writing itself, instead referring to them as Voxen (Vortex Isles). This is because in me and @captainmista’s homebrew DnD realm Kitsune are a variant race off of Voxen, a wolf-based humanoid player race. For all intensive purposes, though, you may call them Kitsune in your own games. Feedback is appreciated. Thanks!
Not unlike their kin from Kaiken, the vulpine Voxen of the Vortex Isles are cunning individuals who use their natural talents in charisma and trickery to get their way. Though they are an incredibly rare sight, they can be spotted on all four corners of the Big Stretch as they seek out arcane power, riches, or whatever other treasures they may seek. Though they have a nose for trouble and an attitude to match, few can deny the fox variant of Voxen’s charm and inherent magical abilities.
Physical Features
Like Kaiken’s Voxen, the fox Voxen have furred, padded hands and long ears. Unlike the Kaiken variant, however, the claws of a fox Voxen are retractable. Combine that with a means of hiding their ears and tail(s), and one could easily mask themselves as human without any magic. While the range in appearance can vary, most fox Voxen also tend to have shorter, more manageable fur than a wolf’s, easily groomed if time is taken throughout the day.
The oddest feature of a Vortex Voxen that differentiates it from its lupine relatives is the arcane potential that is reflected by their tails. As a Voxen grows there are certain “checkpoints” in its life that cause its tails to magically split, multiplying as they become more accomplished. What exactly causes this is unknown, but is attributed to the race’s constant hunger for its personal goals. The more tails a Voxen grows, the more powerful they become, being able to cast spells even if they’ve never touched an arcane tome in their life. It’s rumored that if a Voxen can manage to obtain a total of 9 tails they become immortal, but no case has ever been properly recorded.
The sclera of a fox Voxen changes as they age. Children and young adults' eyes are hardly different from a human’s, with the only noticeable different being the odd iris color variations and of course occasionally slit pupils. As they age and their tails begin to split, the sclera starts to tinge the color of the iris, and when the fox reaches it’s “maximum potential” the sclera blends into the iris completely to form fully one-colored eyes.
Fur color and ear size varies based on the physical build of the fox. Shorter breeds (around 4’-5’) tend to have larger ears and lighter colored fur, usually white or tan. As the size increases (5’-6’), the hue darkens to oranges and browns. The largest of the breed cap out about about 6’6” and can be as dark as midnight, with black or navy-blue fur. The patterns in a fox Voxen’s fur vary based on the individual, but usually they have “caps” or “mittens” on their tails, hands and ears that are a significantly lighter/darker shade than the rest of their fur. Spots on the fur and skin are also common, though they’re often mistaken as freckles or vitiligo.
Culture
Vulpine Voxen don’t have much of their own culture- unlike the wolves of Kaiken they don’t have established territories or even villages. Instead, they stay with their guardians in small families until they find out their heart’s ambition. Once it’s been discovered they set out, either on their own or with the support of their family or party of friends. They pursue their goal, often referenced as their “Ambition”, until either they die or are completely incapable of pursuing it further. When a Voxen is incapable of pursuing their Ambition further, they typically settle down wherever they were stopped. Usually they do so believing that someday they may be able to continue their pursuit.
Children of Vortex Isle Voxen are similar to Tieflings in that when one parent is Voxen, the child always comes out 100% Voxen. The only manipulable traits of the non-Voxen parent, if any, usually is the height and therefore the color pattern of the child. A Voxen’s Ambition is also heavily based on the aspirations of their parents, whomever’s is stronger. The kits are born in sets of 2-6, with closed eyes, folded-over ears, and single, nearly hairless tail. Their growth directly correlates with the pressure to grow up in whatever community they’ve been placed in, capping at as early as 16 in stressful or war-torn territories. Their personalities, like Plantfolk, meld to match said community as well.
In whichever lands they grow in, Voxen are known to be passionate perfectionists in whatever crafts they apply themselves to. They’re excellent performers, being especially sensitive to pitch and tune thanks to their large, perky ears. They also can be seen enjoying craftmaking that requires a quick and dexterous hand, such as jewelry and glassblowing. On top of that, many Voxen are born gifted with arcane skill, pursuing magical power as their personal Ambition.
Playing a Voxen
Vortex Isle Voxen are so rare that it’s hard to really pin a stereotype to them. But like their lupine kin, they have a penchant for getting into trouble for their shenanigans. Luckily for them their wit and natural charm help them squeeze out of sticky situations. These Voxen are also very adaptable, allowing them to squeeze into any niche that a potential party of allies may require. As a Vortex Isle Voxen, you believe your future is yours for the taking, as long as you’ve got the willpower to continue chasing it.
Ability Score Increase You get a plus 2 to Charisma and a plus 1 to Dexterity Age Vortex Isle Voxen reach maturity at around 18-20 years of age. With a single tail, they live for up to 60 years- but for each extra tail they manage to obtain, their life expectancy doubles. It’s speculated that a nine-tailed Voxen is functionally immortal, with how long they can live. Alignment Fox Voxen lean towards the chaotic side, driven by the primal arcane urges that allow them to sprout more tails. Size Though there are very few Voxen in existence at a time, their sizes have a great range. They can be anywhere between 4’-6’6” in height, with weights that vary with their body types. Language You speak Common and Voxen, along with one third spoken language related to your travels or upbringing. Speed You’ve got quick feet and can move at 35 ft/round. Darkvision You have darkvision, which allows you to see up to 60 ft around you even in complete darkness. This vision allows you to see things in that radius but only in black and white. Retractable Claws You are born with a set of slim but dangerous claws that can be retracted to look like normal, albeit sharp fingernails. It’s a free action to sheathe or extend your claws. In combat you are proficient with them, and on a hit they deal 1d4 and have the Finesse property. In addition, if you are proficient in Sleight of Hand you can use them to pick locks, though they do not provide any bonuses to the check itself. Fox Form While fox Voxen don’t have the same bonuses to senses or the counter-charm ability as their wolf brethren, they have the unique ability to shift into the form of a fox. While they appear to be a completely normal fox when transformed, those proficient in magic can detect their true form using a Perception check (competing with a DC equal to the fox’s Charisma modifier + their Proficiency modifier + 10). Your particular fox form is based solely upon your height, listed below. (Note: These are the “default” settings for deciding form. If you’d like to be a different height than the forms assigned, go ahead! Rules were meant to be broken)
The abilities you obtain while in Fox Form, which you only have in Fox Form, are listed below:
All forms have the Pounce Ability, with a DC equal to 8 + Proficiency mod + Dex mod
Pounce: If the fox moves at least 20 ft. straight toward a creature and then hits it with a claw attack on the same turn, that target must succeed on a Strength saving throw or be knocked prone. If the target is prone, the fox can make one bite attack against it as a bonus action.
All forms use the base stats for a Cat, except for these changes:
Intelligence of 4
Wisdom of 14
No climb speed
d6 hit die
Claw attack deals 1d4 + Dex mod damage, and can be used as if they were a weapon with Finesse
4′11″ and under: Fennec Fox Form
You have a Burrow speed of 15 ft, which increases to 30 ft in sand
Keen Hearing: You have advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks based on sound
5′-6′: Arctic Fox Form
You have advantage on Stealth checks when outside
You have either a Summer (brown) or Winter (white) coat
The Summer coat gives you resistance to fire damage
The Winter coat gives you resistance to cold damage
6′1″+: Red Fox Form
Your size is Small instead of Tiny, and your Dexterity is 16.
You have proficiency in Survival, and advantage on Survival checks done in urban areas.
When in Fox Form, the items on your person meld into yourself and become inaccessible till you transform back. The rules on your transformation are the same as a Druid’s Wild Shape ability. However, some things are different- you can speak the same languages you do in humanoid form, and you can transform into this form as many times as you’d like per day, though it costs a full round action rather than a bonus. In addition, you must be able to concentrate on holding the Fox Form while in it. You automatically lose concentration on any concentration-based spells you’re casting in humanoid form, and if anything were to overly distract from your concentration (ie, being knocked prone, taking damage, getting drunk/laughing too hard, or becoming incapacitated) you must make a Constitution saving throw with a DC determined by the DM based on the distracting force, or be forced back into humanoid form.
Vulpine Ambition The ultimate way a Vortex Isle Voxen shows it’s true power is through the usage and display of their tails, which are earned by making progress in their personal Vulpine Ambition. This Ambition must be a broad goal that can be segmented into proper milestones. For example, a Voxen Bard may have their Ambition be “to become famous, a household name that everyone recognizes”. Proper milestones are up to DM discretion, but it’s advisable to pace them so that the player can obtain their 5th tail at about 12th level, and their 9th tail around level 18-20. Each milestone should have a requirement that’s far better than the previous one.
Continuing the bard example:
Their second tail could be earned by performing at a nice restaurant,
Their third by drawing a crowd in a fairly large town,
Their fourth being asked for an autograph in a town they’ve never visited before,
Their fifth performing for a duke or other noble,
Their sixth by being offered great sums of money by multiple people to the point where they have to turn down very wealthy individuals,
Their seventh by playing for and impressing a king or likewise ultimate ruler
Their eighth by abruptly ending a great battle or war with their music, and
Their ninth and final tail by appeasing an almighty force such as an ancient dragon or a god, stopping them from causing an apocalypse.
These milestones can be set by the DM, or simply rewarded whenever the player does something especially incredible. Lastly, all Voxen grow at a different pace, and so earning multiple tails while the same level, not learning any for a long time, or even not earning all tails by the end of the story are all fine and natural.
When a tail is obtained, the Voxen obtains a spell-like ability that is usable twice per day, per tail. They are born with their first tail and obtain more as they complete their Ambitions.
Dancing Lights
Disguise Self
Charm Person
Nyustul’s Magic Aura
Suggestion
Mirror Image
Greater Invisibility
Confusion
Dominate Person
Your caster level for these spells is equal to your hit dice, and your spellcasting modifier and DCs are based on your Charisma.
-----
I know the abilities of the race are pretty complex, but they were the best I could do to mirror the power level and flexibility of the Pathfinder Kitsune. I do hope you enjoyed reading this, and if you have criticism or wish to utilize this race just let me know. Thanks!
-Christian Byrnes, aka Lilgreenfox